“I can imagine no greater honour than to find myself at the close of one’s sojourn in India invited by 180 of one’s fellow-countrymen in Calcutta to a social meeting like that of to-night--(cheers). The invitation came to me as a most complete, unexpected and most gratifying surprise, and will, I assure you all, add to the brightest and happiest recollections of my last weeks in India--(hear, hear, and cheers)--which must, alas! of necessity contain far more of pain than pleasure in them, for no one can cut himself off finally from a country in which he has been employed for eighteen years, and those the best of his life, in which he has made most of his best friends, and mixed as I have tried to do in all its sport and pastimes, without feeling a shock in doing so--(cheers).
“Gentlemen, Mr. Moore says he does not quite know what brought me out to India, and as I, to use his own expression, have appeared before you in four various phases, first of which he puts as soldier, I think this is a good opportunity of telling you that it was in the capacity of a subaltern in the 9th Lancers that I came out to this country, and he is quite right in saying that it was in that uniform I first appeared in Calcutta, as extra A.D.C. on Lord Northbrook’s staff, leading the cortège of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales from Prinseps Ghât to Government House.
“I regret that the abundance of brown locks to which he refers no longer remain, but is replaced by a scanty silver fringe--(laughter and cheers).
“With regard to the allusion he made to the straightness of the nose--(laughter)--that he recollects on that occasion, he is not quite correct, and there is a gentleman (Mr. J. J. Allan) among my hosts here to-night that can testify to the fact that, owing to a slight disagreement he and I had many years ago, not actually in the playing fields of Eton, but close by, he made a little arrangement that prevented the particular nose referred to being worn straight by its wearer for the rest of his life--(laughter and cheers)--this particular battle was not won by either, as it was acknowledged to be a draw, and I am glad to tell you the two combatants have been the very best of friends ever since--(hear, hear, and cheers).