The difficulty was overcome, however, by my being allowed to officiate till the following January, when, in the ordinary course of promotion, I should become a Colonel.
Lord Northbrook spent the summer of 1874 in Calcutta, in consequence of the famine necessities having to be met; and as the Commander-in-Chief determined to follow his example, I took a house in Calcutta, and my wife joined me in the middle of March--rather a bad time of year to come down to the plains after spending the winter amongst the snows of Simla.

But she did not fancy Simla in the season as a grass-widow, and had had quite enough of being alone.
We continued in Calcutta until August, when the Head-Quarters returned to Simla, where we remained till November.
We had a standing camp at Umballa during the winter of 1874-75, doing our inspections from there, and returning to the camp at intervals.
There was the usual visit to Calcutta in March, towards the end of which month another daughter was born.
In October, 1875, I spent some time at Delhi, arranging for the Camp of Exercise to be held there in January for His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

The camp was formed in the beginning of December, and consisted of 17,000 men, in four divisions, commanded by Major-Generals Sir Charles Reid, Macdonnell, the Hon.

Arthur Hardinge, and Donald Stewart.
The country round Delhi is particularly well suited for extended manoeuvres, and full advantage was taken of the facilities it afforded during the two months the Camp of Exercise lasted.

The Prince of Wales landed at Calcutta on the 23rd December; and Lord Napier with his staff went down to meet His Royal Highness, whose reception was loyal and hearty to a degree.