Lion Hunt

Baroda.  Sept. 2nd 1920.  This will be your birthday letter and I do hope it will find you in the best of health and happiness.  I do wish I could come and give my wishes and show my love in person, but you know don't you, darling, that they are just as warm and true as if I did.  I've not had time to see about the "puttu" yet, but shall perhaps by next week.  If not I shall send you something else as a little reminder of your distant May.  This last fortnight some our Baroda folk have had a thrilling time.  The two residents and two married couples with one or two others went on a lion hunting expedition to the forest of Gir - the only place in India where lions abound.  It is not far from where I was last year when I went to Amreli.  You can find it on the map just north of the bay of Cambay or ljir Hills it may be called.  They have now come back having bagged four of the tawny brutes.  I wish I could have gone with them.  The teaching profession....!  As you know it always has to keep on its job.  I was ever so pleased to hear from you that Dot is keeping so well.  I hope she'll have the jolliest gayest time to make up for lost years.  There are again changes in Baroda.  Our last regiment has been ordered to Mespot and a new one has come in its place.  Our travelers in Europe, Mrs. Randle and Miss Davison - not to mention the ruling family will probably be back before Xmas.  The Webbers leave this week.  I was very glad to get a nice letter from Willie this week.  He seems to have enjoyed my account of our tour.  I wish he could have enjoyed the reality with us.  My third sheet is drawing to an end, so I think I must with it.  Good bye dearest Dad for another week.  Very much love from your ever loving daughter May.


Baroda Sept 9th 1020  Another week has gone and I have not been able to go shopping yet so my reputation of sending birthday presents late is being lived up to!  Forgive me dear and look forward another week.  We are in the middle of a series of religious holidays now.  Monday was Kinshra's birthday sacred to Vaishrwite Hindus.  Friday is the Parsi New Year - next week is Mohurrem a great day for the Mahomeddans, the next gaupati ( or vice versa) in which the elephant headed god of practical affairs is taken in solemn procession to a sacred tank and there entrusted to the waters.  After that comes Dussera a festival commemorating an event in martial history and then in about seven weeks Drivali the feast of Lights when we start our three weeks holiday. Jock is at my feet gnawing bones and eating chappaties.  A chappaties is a kind of unleavened bread - a flat thin baked cake.  Jock's particular kind is made of bajri , a coarse dark flour.  The most plentiful and cheapest grain grown round here and a staple food of the poorer people.  A well made bajri chappati with a good cup of hot sweetened buffalo's milk and a little spiced vegetable is quite a good albeit plain supper.  I must send you another snap of Jock soon He is growing very handsome and I am getting fonder of him then I ever thought I could be of a doggie.  I was very pleased to hear this week from Ethel Milbourn though sorry to hear that her mother was so ill and not expected to recover.  I have not yet received Mr. Heath's letter.  Good by darling for another week very much love to you and all from your ever loving May

I would have never known that there were lions in India.  I thought they were only found in Africa.  I bet she was disappointed that she didn't get to go on the lion hunt!  My kinda gal.  I'll bet she was a drinker of gin and Scotch Whiskey as well!  Interesting times.  I'm learning a lot.

The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (also known as Sasan-Gir and गिर वन) is a forest and wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat, India. Established in 1965, with a total area of 1412 km² (about 258 km² for the fully protected area (the National Park) and 1153 km² for the Sanctuary), the park is located 65 km to the south-east of Junagadh.
It is the sole home of the pure Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica) and is considered to be one of the most important protected areas in Asia due to its supported species. The ecosystem of Gir, with its diverse flora and fauna, is protected as a result of the efforts of the Government forest department, wildlife activists and NGOs. The forest area of Gir and its lions were declared as "protected" in the early 1900s by the then Nawab of the princely state of Junagadh. This initiative assisted in the conservation of the lions whose population had plummeted to only 15 through slaughter for trophy hunting.

May and friends apparently did their share in making the lion a "protected" species.  ;-)
 

Food talk:  I guess buffalo's milk would be somewhat the same as cow's milk.
bajri flour = kurakkan  Poor farmers in India and Pakistan use this millet flour to make bread and griddle cakes.  It's gluten-free.  Substitutes:  sorghum flour

chapati flour = chapatti flour = chappati flour = atta   This is a blend of wheat and malted barley flours used to make chapatis.  Substitutes:   Sift together equal parts whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour.

Is chapatis the delicious bread you get when you go to an Indian restaurant?  Gotta have it with curry.  I love curry!

I won't attempt to define all the religious holidays.  Let alone spell "em' correctly.

Dad, et. al.