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THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA. 
 
 
Hunter, Rose & Co., 
 
 PRINTERS AND BINDERS, 
 
 TORONTO. 
 
 f 
 
 U 
 
 I i 
 
 li 
 
CX^i^/?^/ 
 
 THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA : 
 
 y 
 
 0B» 
 
 From Pall Mall to the Punjaub. 
 
 BT 
 
 J. DREW GAY, 
 
 Special Oorrespondeni of the London "Daily Telegraph." 
 
 
 TORONTO: 
 SBLFORD BROTHERS, Publishebs. 
 
 MDCCCLXXVII. 
 
V < 
 
 -i/s 
 
 B/Y 
 
 21-3 
 
 Entorcd according to Act cf Parliament of Canada, in tlie year 1876, by 
 BELFORD BROTHERS, 
 In the Office of the Minister of Agriculture. 
 
 nJ 
 
 ;.!' 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 
 
 CHAPTER. PAOB. 
 
 J. — First Imi^rossions of Bombay 9 
 
 II. — Social Life in Bombay 10 
 
 III. — Receptions of Rajaha 29 
 
 IV. --The arrival of the Prince 45 
 
 v.— Royal Fetea 54 
 
 VI. — Life in Poona 73 
 
 VII. — Games and Sports at Baroda 82 
 
 VITL— The Voyage to Ceylon 99 
 
 IX. — Cingalese Fairy Land 113 
 
 X. — Kandyan Curiosities 119 
 
 XI.— The Veddahs of Ceylon 132 
 
 XII.- The Sacred Tooth 137 
 
 XHL— A Week in Madras 142 
 
 XIV. — Indian Amusements 164 
 
 XV.— The Prince in Bengal 171 
 
 XVI. — A Sunday in Calcutta 179 
 
 XVII. — Polo Playing and Snake Charming . . 185 
 
 XVIII.— A Captive King 194 
 
 XIX.— Life in Calcutta 200 
 
 XX.— Knight-Making 208 
 
 XXL— The Sacred City of Benares 218 
 
 XXII.— A Levee of the Brave 226 
 
 XXIIL— A Review of Delhi 240 
 
 XXIV.— The Battle on the Ridge 249 
 
 XXV.— Feats of Skill and Strength 257 
 
 XX. VI. — Jummoo the Magnificent 263 
 

 M 
 
 OONTBMTS. 
 
 WAVTBK. PAOn. 
 
 XXVII — Sports in Cashmoro 272 
 
 XX V 1 1 [.- Akbur'B Capital 281 
 
 XXIX.— A Tomb and a To wor 287 
 
 XXX. — Native Courts and PrisonB 297 
 
 XXXI.— An Eastern Paris 306 
 
 XXXII. — Tiger Shooting and a Durbar 317 
 
 XXXIII.—Scindia's Welcome 326 
 
 XXXIV.— Scenes in Gwalior 33« 
 
 XXXV.— Hunting in the Jungle 346 
 
 XXXVI.— Allahabad and its Sights 360 
 
 XXXVII.— English Life in tko Hills 856 
 
 '/ 
 
 r' 
 
PAOB. 
 
 272 
 
 281 
 
 287 
 
 297 
 
 305 
 
 317 
 
 326 
 
 330 
 
 345 
 
 350 
 
 356 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 
 
 A Rhinoceros Fight Frontispiece. 
 
 The Ascent to the Temple of Parbutte, near Poona 77 
 
 An Elephant Fight in the arena, near Baroda 87 
 
 A Captive Tiger led before the Prince, after the Sports in ) 
 
 the arena, at Baroda ( ^^ 
 
 Buddhist Priests exhibiting Buddha's Tooth to the Prince. ) .«w 
 
 at Kandy ' J 127 
 
 Native Princes at the Chapter of the Star of India, Calcutta 177 
 
 The Monkey Temple at Benares 223 
 
 Hunting in the Terai— crossing a Mullah . . 329 
 
 '* I 
 
 . k 
 
 >'] 
 
!i 
 
 II. 
 
THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA. 
 
 »» ♦ «» 
 
 CIIAPTEli T. 
 
 FIRST IMPHESSIONS OF BOMBAY. 
 
 It was a bri£(ht Rutnmn morninf* when we landed in India, 
 — briglit not in tlio sense that you in Kngland undorHtand bright- 
 ness, but with a gleam and a heat w hich you only associate with 
 the midday glare of a hot aumnioi's day, and not at all the cold 
 calmness of an English autumn. Nothing could be pleasanter 
 to all of us, heartily tired as we were of the sea and its belong- 
 ings, than at length to descry the long line of hills which told us 
 of proximity to Bombay. Had we not had the incentive to 
 satisfaction which a three weeks' voyage engendered, the pro- 
 spect which presented itself, as the ship neared shore, would of 
 itself have been sufficiently delightful. Only five minutes ago, 
 and the sky was brilliantly lit with stars; now the sun's rays 
 were shooting up in the east behind the grey mountains, and 
 driving night away with startling rapidity. Like a huge pano- 
 rama Bombay rose before us. Yonder on the right was the island 
 of Elephanta, with its caves and its jungle; away in front of us 
 Trombay Island with its mountains and precipices. Bombay 
 itself, skirting the bay, was thrusting out, so to speak, from the 
 lingering gloom into the advancing sunshine, its white houses, 
 its palm-trees, its pleasant hills and valleys, and its splendid 
 harbour, and drawing forth, from those who now saw it for the 
 first time, repeated exclamations of astonishment. 
 
 It is difficult to say what Bombay looks like. The Bay of 
 Naples, to which this home of Western Indian industry and gov- 
 
 1 
 
10 
 
 IVITH THE PllINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 
 ernmcut has often been comparted, is not at all like it. You fail 
 to see the huge mountain overtopping everything. The lines 
 of hills which skirt the water and shut out the horizon from 
 view, fill you with surprise, but certainly do not remind you of 
 Vesuvius. They are peculiar to the place, and are like nothing 
 to which our Euiopean eyes are accustomed. Boldly out against 
 the sky stand Matheran and the outposts of the Ghauts, some 
 apparently extending for miles in a hard, straight line, as though, 
 by some tremendous convulsion of Nature, the peaks had been 
 sheared off, and a hard road made in the region of cloud-land. 
 Near by are hills with summits, which look marvellously like 
 ruined temples, columns, and monuments, fantastic results of 
 inexplicable forces. There is scarcely a hill with the orthodox 
 cone — nothing half so respectable as Snowdon or Pilatus. As 
 for the town, it is almost as irregular in appearance as are the 
 hills in the distance. Not that this ii-regularity is objectionable; 
 on the contiary, the very absence of sharply-defined streets and 
 regularly laid-out squares adds to the charm which the place 
 possesses. The white houses struggle down to the water's edge 
 in most curious fashion; they are huddled together as though 
 every inch of ground was of the utmost value, and it was neces- 
 sary to crowd as many bricks and stones as possible into the 
 smallest conceivable ►-^•»ce. You wonder, as your eyes move 
 along the strand in the direction of the fashionable suburb of 
 Ma'aliiT Hill, that some one did not suggest wider spaces be- 
 lw>KiL the houses in the valley, instead of leaving the land so 
 e.;'A\[ .i'/>tively unoccupied in the higher ground. But once you 
 iir.ve landed, you find many of your preconceived notions upset 
 The part which appeared to be crowded and close is, in reality, 
 only so down at the water's edge. Right through tue centre run 
 wide roads, flanked on either side by line houses and grand pub- 
 lic buildings, such as on a first sight one could scarcely expect 
 Bombay to possess. Tliere is a magnificent expanse called the 
 Esplejiade, with large trees overshadowing its pathways, an4 
 
 #1?! 
 
'*lii>iJfi<"a>>l'''Tiri"ifi'ii"rr' 
 
 FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BOMBAY. 
 
 11 
 
 some 
 
 edge 
 
 e you 
 ipset, 
 ility, 
 run 
 piib- 
 pect 
 the 
 
 parade and cricket grounds on oiti.or hand. Tliere are trooj)s in, 
 review order on the right, and two cricketing elevens of P]ng- 
 Jishmen bowling and batting on the left, with the old-fashioned 
 scoring tent, the familiar soda-water and brandy bottles peeping 
 out of ice-pails, and a fashionable crowd of English ladies and 
 gentlemen watching the game and applauding the players. One 
 side represents the fleet, lieutenants, sub-lieutenants, and mid- 
 shipmen; the other side is drawn from a club which boasts the 
 title of Gymkhana. When the stumps are drawn, the battle is 
 undecided, the officers go to their ships, the Gymkhana to their 
 homes, and the spectators towards the Apollo Bandar, to listen 
 to the band which plays near that landing-stage before dinner 
 each night. 
 
 The streets which pierce the strange-looking houses wherein 
 the natives reside are crowded to excess. The vehicle, not- 
 withstanding that its driver shouts himself hoarse and strikes 
 fiercely at passers-by, can scarcely move forward at a good 
 walking pace. Mohammedans, Parsees, Hindoos, Mahrattas, 
 Chinese, English sailors from the flying squadron ancho. jd in 
 the harbour, negroes, Lascars, nondescripts from every known 
 place, are all here, and are dressed in their most brilliant cos- 
 tumes. Before every house is hung a festooned wreath of leaves 
 and flowers ; glass lanterns, to be lighted at night, are to be 
 seen everywhere. When darkness comes on, and the lamps are 
 lit, when the coloured fires burn in the courts of the temples, 
 and the light is reflected from house to house by the burnished 
 metal work, for which streets in Bombay are famous, the sight 
 is magnificent in the extreme; even now, in the daytime, it is 
 marvellous to the unaccustomed eye. Robes of vermilion, 
 scarlet, blue, and gold, richly chased jackets and flowing, wliite 
 burnouses, intermingle and blend with the oli/e coloured, naked 
 backs of those who own neither ornament or uress worth men- 
 tioning, but who are come out by tens of thousands to look at 
 each other. Does the eye fix upon the numberless head-dresses 
 
■ft*^--:. 
 
 i ■ 
 
 ii^ 
 
 ■? 
 
 12 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 worn 1 Tlion there are the Parsee hat, the Euroiiean helmet, 
 the Turkish fez and snow-white turban, the turban of green 
 worn by the most favoured of Mahomet's own, and that of red 
 or pink, boasted by the Mahrattas of the hills. All kinds, 
 shapes and colours are passing in view like the varied glasses 
 of the kaleidoscope. How silent is the footfall of this mighty 
 mass of athletic men ! Occasionally a sandal may grate on the 
 hard road ; but, for the most part, the promenaders are innocent 
 of foot covering of any kind, and move along as noiselessly and 
 as stealthily as though absolute quiet were the object of their 
 lives. Ever changing in appearance, the tide of human life 
 rolls on, without the buzz of a European crowd, with scarcely 
 the sound of a single heel. 
 
 The rapidity with which colours melt one into another almost 
 bewilders the spectator : he can scarcely note that more than 
 half of those who are passing have marked their foreheads with 
 red paint, and that the ladies v/ho are in the crowd have, in 
 many cases, very large rings passed through their particularly 
 small noses. The fashion of facial ornamentation is not wholly 
 unknown among sundry of high degree at home, only in these 
 Eastern lands it is brought to further perfection. If a dark- 
 coloured gentleman considers that his complexion would be 
 improved by a patch of yellow on each cheek, in front of the 
 ears, paint is not costly, and a friendly hand will quickly apply 
 the pigment. Should a lady think that a ring in her nostril, 
 and a little patch of crimson on her forehead, would add to her 
 other attractions, she follows out her convictions bravely. Even 
 the Nubian at Aden has the courage of his opinions in this re- 
 spect. His instincts tell him that Nature was not prodigal of 
 beauty when she designed his countenance and hair. Does he 
 rebel ? No; he begins where nature left off, and with a knife 
 makes several delicate slashes on his cheeks, wiiile, with a solu- 
 tion of lime, he rub.^ the top of his head, and colours his curls 
 a brilliant yellow. This is as it should be, and the conclav^v 
 is acknowledged by the dwellers in Bombftj 
 
 H 
 
 •i 
 
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BOMBAY. 
 
 13 
 
 le 
 >l7 
 
 Then there is the additional charm that an act of ornamenta- 
 tion is at the same time an act of devotion. It is combining 
 business with pleasure, satisfying conscience, and pleasing the 
 mind — a two-handed comfort which renders the body a thing 
 of beauty, and morally constitutes it " a joy forever." So the 
 people have very generally daubed their foreheads all over, and 
 thus added to their beauty and their piety at one stroke. The 
 IMohammedans have a reason also for joining in the festivities. 
 It is the first day of Ramadan — a time for best clotlies and, to 
 say nothing of best behaviour, a moment for sanctified exulta- 
 tion and religious hilarity. And with a firm belief in Dr. 
 Watts' aphorism that " Religion never was designed to 
 make our pleasures less," the Mohammedan brings an extra 
 supply of betel-nut, puts on his choicest turban and robe, and 
 does his best to keep the feast. In this way the crowd is 
 recruited, and before the night comes on the roads are impass- 
 able, for the feast of lanterns is an abiding pleasure to the 
 native of India, and the brilliantly-lit houses, temples, and 
 statues may well be gazed at by a people whose faults, whatever 
 they may be, do not include a lack of appreciation for colour 
 and light. 
 
 Just when we arrived Bombay was full of Rajahs ; and, if 
 proof of this were wanted, nothing would be easier than to 
 copy from the ofiicial list a long column of their names and 
 titles. But as at the best life is short, and the cognomens of 
 these dignitaries are not the lightest of reading, 1 will only 
 give a sample. I will not imitate the oflScial report even in 
 this. Under the heading of distinguished arrivals stands a 
 series of extraordinary titles. Were they alone, they would be 
 grand in their very unpronounceability — if I may coin such a 
 word. But an ingenious otlicial has attempted to make the 
 matter clear to the uninstructed jnind, and to that end has 
 prefixed an alias to each name. Thus we find a(1iuiial)le and 
 vvell-ljorn rulers placed on the list, and resp^otivel*^ styled 
 
14 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA, 
 
 :9\ 
 
 :t! 
 
 Gungadharrao Gunput alias Bhaoo Saheb, chief of Meerujand ; 
 llamchundrarao Gopall, alias Appa Saheb, chief of Jamkhundi. 
 
 There is always a pleasure in beholding the inexplicable. 
 Who that has seen them has not gazed with delight upon the 
 Sphinx, the Pyramids, the tablets from Nineveh, or the paint- 
 ings of Gustave Dor6 1 You cannot understand them a bit ; 
 their very mystery makes you happy ; if you knew all about 
 them you would give them no more attention than you do to 
 the lions in Trafalgar Square or the Bethnal Green Museum. 
 Why, then, eliminate all pleasure from a contemplation of the 
 name of Trimbakrao Ram Purandhare by telling in plain Eng- 
 lish who the gentleman really is, or bother people by stating 
 that Luxumon Maharudra Swami is the ruler of Cliafal? It 
 may be pleaded as an excuse that very few know where Chafal 
 is, and that the explanation has merely a look of careful atten- 
 tion about it. But it robs the list of all romance, and makes 
 it a dry statement of unintelligibility. The only consolation 
 under such distressing circumstances was that we were informed 
 with great regularity of the visits of the Chiefs to the Governor 
 of the Presidency, and of his visits to them. 
 
 There is an old but admirable saying to the effect that 
 " every dog has his day." In Bombay, at festival times, every 
 Chief has his ten minutes. According to the Government 
 statement, the aged Governor of Bombay, Sir Philip Wodhouse, 
 began his visiting at eleven a.m. punctually. From that time 
 till 4.30 P.M. he visited six fresh grandees every hour, winding 
 up this pleasant and entertaining diversion by an interview 
 with Triipbakrao Ram Purandhare. We learnt with some 
 pleasure that betel-nut and the leaf called pan was presented 
 by each Chief to liis Excellency, and that in each case the 
 Governor was placed by his host in the place of honour at the 
 right. Bui about the conversation the " Gazette " knew noth- 
 ing; and it did not even state what weight of betel-nut his 
 ^<iw veller*j) accumulated when he had paid the last visit and 
 
 
 M 
 
 
 ft 
 
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF BOMBAY. 
 
 15 
 
 / 
 
 received the last offering. One source of amusement was, how- 
 ever, open to those who put their trust in princes. Every now 
 and then some fresh potentate arrived at one or other of the 
 railway stations or landing-stages, and /as received with more 
 or less friendly effervescence. Among those who thus came 
 into the town was the Maharajah of Tdysore. To heighten ex- 
 pectation, there was a, guard of honour of a hundred men in the 
 little station at Byculla ; a band stood ready to play ; and the 
 Chief Political Secretary to the Government, Mr. Ravenscroft, 
 was on the platform. Presently the train bearing Mysorean 
 royalty puffed into the station. Eyes were strained, necks 
 craned forward, the band struck up, the Secretary advanced, 
 and from the mountain thus in labour there came forth, not 
 exactly a mouse, but a little boy of some twelve years of age, 
 so enveloped in gold and purple as to be all but hidden from 
 view. Nor were his attendants the bold mlUtaires that we 
 looked for. Some were dressed in blue and some in white, 
 some were not attired in very much of anything ; while as to 
 their arms, they were as much the representatives of almost 
 antediluvian days as they could well be. Some had match-locks, 
 others pistols — these being the descendants of the men who, in 
 days gone by, defeated Major Lawrence at the head of a British 
 force, and very nearly prevented our grasping the South of 
 India at all. Twenty-one guns were fired, the troops presented 
 arms, the band played, and the Royal boy waa hurried into a 
 carriage and taken from the station to Cumballa Hill. 
 
 As we returned to Byculla we looked over a gaol — the House 
 of Correction at Byculla — temporarily placed under the super- 
 intendence of Major Prendegast Walsh. The sepoys who stood 
 at the gates, the white sergeant warders who walked up and 
 down the garden, the coloured gentlemen who, with leg irons 
 clanking, were tending the plants and trees, and the bars, bolts, 
 grated windows and guarded doors, with notice to the effect 
 that no admittance is allowed " except on business " — what 
 
16 
 
 WITH TEE FBINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 I; 
 
 '|:fi 
 
 i: i 
 
 hnsiness has a man in gaol ? — were scarcely suggestive of merry- 
 making and rejoicing. You would be puzzled to connect this 
 establishment with the Prince's visit in any way, and yet it had 
 something to do with it after all. 
 
 Received at the doorway by Major Walsh, who is the most 
 courteous of olficials, we mounted to what is called the Euro- 
 pean Hospital. Not to see the sick, however, for, fortunately 
 there were no white men sick in the place, but to see how 
 greatly even prisoners can contribute to the general mirth ; for, 
 in this admirably-managed prison the motto is to make each 
 inmate earn as much money as he can for the paternal Legis- 
 lature which finds him a hiding-place, and, tifrning every 
 opportunity to excellent account. Major Walsh was employing 
 the more deserving and clever of the people under his care in 
 decorative work for the coming festivities. In the room were 
 designs for the saloon in which, a day or two hence, seamen 
 and school-children were to be feasted ; and, albeit that the 
 workshop is a prison and the workers convicts, bright pigments 
 and skilful brushes had formed shields and banners which had 
 merit and beauty — such, indeed, as would please the Prince and 
 the people too. Close by were thousands of little tinfoil ban- 
 nerets of gold and silver hue, specially formed to decorate the 
 edibles on the tables when the mariners might rest and be 
 thankful. Descending a staircase, we entered an open yard, 
 into which a huge shed opened, and here we saw the continu- 
 ation of the decorative work. Artificial flowers of every kind — 
 for Bombay knows nothing of real blossoms in November — 
 wreaths, festoons, and brilliant paper-hangings of intricate pat- 
 tern, but admirable construction, were all before us. Thirty 
 or forty men were working away with all i;heir might, not at 
 the degrading shot-drill or disintegration of oakum knots, but 
 with tinted tissues, weaving them tastefully into all kinds of 
 shapes, and learning from the study of art lessons of tender- 
 ness and care. 
 
FIliST IMFEESSIONS OF BOMBAY. 
 
 17 
 
 It was a hiimanisiiij^f influence to which thoy were anhjected, 
 and if the Royal visit etJects no more than the nuMital improve- 
 ment of these rough, white vagabonds, it will yot have achieved 
 much good. Of course, the whole of the criminals were not 
 under similar training. To provide work for three hundred 
 and fifty of society's outcasts, black and white, is no easy task, 
 and ingenious must be the mind which can make the most of such 
 a mass of labouring power. Major Walsh had done much, as 
 we saw by the carpenters, who were making chairs and tables, 
 the men who were weaving mats and making towels, and those, 
 too, who were on the treadmill driving mills and machinery. 
 Nevertheless, there was a goodly company engaged in shot 
 exercise — an equally large number in cells. For some of these 
 latter a strong bolt or lock seemed to be a very necessary pro- 
 vision. Those villains, for instance, were pointed out whose 
 favourite avocation had long been of the Dick Turpin kind. 
 Their style and title is that of Dacoit ; and in their time they 
 have seen and done much at which men usually shudder. 
 
 Their chieftain stood at his cell door and saluted the Gov- 
 ernor as he passed. A more perfect type of what is known as 
 the brigand universally could not be imagined. He would pass 
 current anywhere for a robber. His moustache and curiously 
 curled beard, his fierce eyes and gashed face, the great sabre 
 cut on his left arm, which he exhibited with some pride — a cut, 
 by the way, given him a short time since wlien he was captured 
 by a cavalryman, and cut down in the midst of his villany — 
 his dress and his very style of turban, all proclaimed him to be 
 an energetic Fcoundrel, who would as soon cut a throat and 
 commit a robbery as eat the food which was just being bi*ought 
 him. His followers were fair imitations, but far behind their 
 accomplished master. Ruffianism such as his was an accom- 
 plishment only to be gained after diligent labours for many 
 years, not an accidental art quickly learnt and easily assumed. 
 [t had been the life-long study of this estimable person, and he 
 
18 
 
 WITH THE FRINGE IN INDIA. 
 
 r 
 
 had gained perfection by perseverance only. He and his two 
 premising pupils had each at various times attempted to escape, 
 and were in consequence the unwilling bearers of heavy irons 
 for the rest of their sojourn in Major Walsh's establishment. 
 Were it not for this, they would probably quit the uncongenial 
 scene without due warning, and recommence their misdeeds in 
 the hills and vales of the Presidency — a very undesirable 
 arrangement for the present. 
 
 Leaving them to their fate, we entered the hospital for 
 natives in gaol, and found two or three dying opium-eaters, a 
 man who was shamming illness because he had to receive 
 twenty-live lashes with the cat-o'-nine-tails and did not like the 
 prospect, and one or two who were suffering from low fever. 
 Then to the cookmg-house, and so cut into the gardens once 
 more, having passed through one of th^ best-managed prison 
 t'stablishments in the Empire. 
 
 ■ I 
 
 ill 
 
 jiti 
 
his two 
 
 escape, 
 tvy irons 
 ishment. 
 ongenial 
 deeds in 
 iesirable 
 
 lital for 
 3aters, a 
 receive 
 like the 
 w fever, 
 3ns once 
 
 1 prison 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 SOCIAL LIFE IN BOMBAY. 
 
 Early in the evening a few days afterwards I found myself a 
 f'uest of one of the most influential Mohamm lans in Bombay. 
 The invited were not numerous, for the notice was short ; but, 
 in place of great formality, there was hearty hospitality. It 
 was my first introduction to the private house of a Moham- 
 medan in India, and it was with no small amount of curiosity 
 that I regarded all about me. 
 
 The carriage-drive through the grounds was simply superb ; 
 such foliage as we have no conception of in Europe made a 
 thick green arch, d"^wn which the light streamed from the 
 windows of the mansion. Sounds of music, too, fell upon the 
 oar ; and at the far end of the avenue, close to the door, stood 
 ;i crowd of servitors gaily dressed, holding lamps in their 
 hands, and receiving the guests with low salaams. 
 
 Once arrived in the reception-hall, the spectacle was even 
 more novel. All round the apartment were velvet couches, 
 with comfortable pillows, on which guests were comfortably 
 reclining. Servants were moving swiftly about, handing iced 
 Water, sherbets, cheroots, and hookahs : at one end of the 
 apartment was a mellow-toned, mechanical organ, which played 
 English airs very prettily and very softly, while through a 
 doorway, })artially covered with a curtain, we could see into the 
 interior of another saloon, and there descry a party of singing 
 girls and instrumentalists. Just then our host, followed by the 
 males of his household, entered the reception-hall, and gave to 
 everybody a welcome ; then, taking one of our party by the 
 hand, he led him through the curtain, and so into the inner 
 room of which we had just had a glimpse, while the rest wtue 
 
f I 
 
 II 
 
 20 
 
 WITH THE FIUNCE IN IXUIA, 
 
 > ! 
 
 1,1 
 
 Mi 
 
 led in liko niniincr Ity thv nioinbors of his I'aniily. In this 
 upiiitnicnt, we now found, two girls were seated on cushions 
 placed on tlie floor, acconii)anied by four male musicians, one of 
 wJiom ] (laved a small desci'iption of ketthnlrum attached to his 
 waist) );ind, two having instruments somewhat similar to a 
 hurdy-gurdy in their hands, while the fourth hiid a tambourine. 
 I do not trouble you with the nntive names of these instru- 
 ments, as the mere concurrence of letters would convey no idea 
 to the mind. 
 
 So soon as everybody was seated, some on couches and some 
 on cushions, a signal was given by the host, the girls and 
 musicians stood up, and at once began. I had been {)reviously 
 told that these were two of the best singing girls in Bombay, 
 and that, in fact, they sang almost as well as the best male 
 singers, which it appeared was a tremendous compliment to 
 pay them. Imagine my astonishment, then, when I found that 
 in singing they absolutely closed the nose from all particij^ation 
 in the sound, thus giving to the music what we very erronecasly 
 call a "nasal" sound of the most extraordinary description. Yet 
 when the ear once became accustomed to the strange thumping 
 of the drum, the harsh noises drawn by the bows of the players 
 from the hurdy-gurdies, the shaking of the tambourine, and the 
 jingling of little bells which the girls wore on their ankles and 
 wrists, it was, after all, by no means an unpleasant sound. 
 Indeed, the song was plaintive, pitched in a minor key, and 
 often sung very softly ; the instruments, albeit that they were 
 apparently somewhat rudely constructed, maintaining all the 
 while a weird, moving sound, wliich harmonised with the sing- 
 ing and sustained the voices. Every now and then the girls, 
 who were very richly dressed in scarlet and gold, whose heads 
 were covered with gauze of gold thread, and whose long dresses 
 were of plaid, also heavily trimmed with golden lace, would dance 
 slowly, continuing their singing meanwhile. Then one would 
 leave off, and the other would begin a slow movement, which, 
 
 
SOdlAL LIFE IN BOMB A Y. 
 
 21 
 
 ily. In this 
 on cuHliions 
 icians, one of 
 tficliod to his 
 siniihir to a 
 tambourine. 
 tJicvse instrii- 
 ivey no idea 
 
 es and sonio 
 10 girls and 
 1 previously 
 in Bombay, 
 3 best male 
 iipliment to 
 found that 
 irticipation 
 3rroneOiisly 
 )tion. Yet 
 thumping 
 ;he players 
 e, and the 
 nkles and 
 [Ht sound, 
 key, and 
 hey were 
 |ig all the 
 the sing- 
 |the girls, 
 )se heads 
 |g dresses 
 fid dance 
 [e would 
 |, which, 
 
 though very griicoful, doublics.s was somowliut monotonous. 
 Occasionally one of tiie men boiiind — a very aceomplisht'd singer, 
 I believe, but certainly the owner of one of the most hideous 
 faces I had ever seen — would catch up the rcfiain, and shout 
 out, in the same nasal tone, a verso or two of tiie song, where- 
 upon the girls would both shuffle about a little — I can scarctily 
 call their movements dancing — and the man with the drum 
 would thump away with increased energy. 
 
 This, then, was the terrible nautcli dance of which wo had 
 heard so much in England. Uut porlia[)S the reader will say 
 that the songs were objectionable. To this I can reply that the 
 most uproarious and most mirthful one that we heard that 
 evening was the Persian song, " Tazah ba tazah, nu ba nu " 
 (Fresh and fresh, new and new), a pleasant chant, in which the 
 hearer is recommended to apply the principles of fresh and new 
 to all he does, whether in drinking wino, making friends, or 
 making love. Rather did the singing incline one to melancholia, 
 particularly when the possessor of the objectionable countenance 
 shouted out, and the drum was beaten more violently than 
 usual. Still, there was no doubt that the Mohammedans — staid 
 old gentlemen, smoking their pipes and cheroots, and occasion- 
 ally sipping cotfee or iced water — enjoyed it thoroughly, and 
 that the entertainment was looked upon as exceptionally lively, 
 and, indeed, as almost a gala performance. And when, now 
 and then, the girls lifted up the ends of their veils, and disclosed 
 fully to view their by no means handsome faces, this digression 
 from ordinary usage was evidently regarded as a mark of great 
 complacency, and was appreciated accordingly. 
 
 At length we intimated our desire to depart ; whereupon our 
 host, after some little remonstrance at our inconsiderate haste 
 — we had only listened to the monotonous dirge for two hours 
 — made a sign to the bearer of atter and pan ; whereupon two 
 men can o up, one carrying a basket of flowers in his h^nd and 
 the other a tray of betel-nuts and ])an-leaves, and in a few 
 
'V' 
 
 22 
 
 WJTII THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 1 ,> 
 
 , i 
 
 s I! 
 
 M 
 
 I 
 
 iiioriu'iils NV(! \vrr(! .siltiiiL,' with p[arlan<ls of liclily peirumnd 
 bloHsoiiis ai'ouwd our iKicks, and hugo bou(|uots in our hand>: ; 
 wliiJn tho host H|)iiiiklod us with scent, presented iks with two 
 l)ottU;s of otto of roses a[>iece, a hMif of i»an and b{!t(d-nut, and 
 tho customary spoonful of sccnited liquid called attar. Then, 
 with many bows, wo were led to tho door, and so disniif-sed. 
 
 Next niornincf, at a very early hour, I sfai'ted, in coui[»any 
 with Mr. Artliur Crawford, several years the IVlunicipal Com- 
 missioner of JJombay, and now political agent, collector, and 
 magistrate with the llubshee, to look at the Grand liombay 
 Markets, which were erected by him, and are still called by his 
 name. To see th(!m in their full swing it was necessary to go 
 tluue betimes ; for, as in Covent Garden the produce is received 
 at a very early hour, so here, as well as there, it is sold quickly, 
 and the dealers dis.qipear. A somewhat lengthy diive brought 
 us to the outside of the building, a large and stately edifice;, 
 covering a wide expanse of ground, and boasting a verdant 
 quadrangle and a fountain such as we have not anywhere in 
 I'jugland. On the outside was the name of Arthur Crawford, 
 " writ large ;" and no sooner did the good people of the market 
 descry their benefactor, than, with great show of respect and 
 even affection, they made a path for him through the hundreds 
 of buyers who were already at the stalls. I have called Mr. 
 Crawford a ben(;factor, not because he spent his own money, 
 but because in six or seven years he disbursed more than three 
 miir-)ns sterling of the public funds in sanitary and public 
 worijs, and because, as a result, Bombay possesses a finer 
 market than London, is cleaner than any Eastern city I have 
 yet seen, has its abattoirs far from inhabited places, and is one 
 of the best administered under our rule in the East. 
 
 Would that I could present these " bazaars " to your eyes as 
 they appeared a few mornings since I A magnificent, double, 
 iron roof, covering fifty-six thousand square feet of space, 
 supported on tastefully-designed, iron columns; and pleasantlv 
 
SOCIAL LIFE IN BOMBAY, 
 
 28 
 
 docomtoil ; l)on(\ifh it Imudrnfls of stulls, displnylug ovorythiii^ 
 edible that Houihiiy can boast for bale. Four thorou^ditairs 
 were api>ortiouLMl to thn sale of fruit alone ; and as we passed 
 between these linos of adniirably-arrani^cd stalls, we found 
 Mussulman and Hindoo sal(>smen squaUing upon cushions in 
 the centre of oranges, plantains, punmielos, melons, ncctt.rines, 
 guavas, and apples. I never saw half such a supply of rich, 
 juicy fruit heaped together bt^fore. Piles of rosy pofnf^Ljranates, 
 luscious apples, shaddocks, peaches, and pistachio nuts, all were* 
 there. They were displayed in pyramids, in circles, in S(piares, 
 with rich, green leaves between them, so that it would be well 
 nigh impossible to pass on and buy nothing. And then, leaving 
 these, we came upon the tlower market, with its jessamines, 
 verbenas, roses, and tro[)ical blossoms of a hundred kinds. 
 Flowers had been precious lately in l>ombay — doubly so because 
 of the demand conscf[uent on the fetes and their scarcity in the 
 Presidency itself at this time of the year — and round the women 
 and men who made the garlands stood a clamouring, heated 
 crowd. Yet, as we went along, bouqu(>t.s of exquisite loveliness 
 were offered us, and were pressed upon our acceptance. The 
 air was laden with the delicious perfume of these Eastern flowers, 
 and the seven thousand square feet of blossoms presented a 
 sight to which our European eyes were wholly unused. But, 
 if these were delightful to the vision, the vegetables and spices 
 which covered thirty-five thousand square feet of stalls were more 
 practical. All kinds of " herbs for the use of man," all sorts of 
 pleasant accompaniments for meat or ingredients for soup, every 
 variety of tuber or edible grass were here. These, also, were 
 stacked with marvellously good taste ; round them the natives 
 swarmed with baskets and cloths, while in charge of them were 
 merchants in most picturesque costume, who laboured hard to 
 be rid of their wares, and to quit the market. Tht,n there were 
 stalls for the sale of tobacco, for the vending of spices, for the 
 servinoj of butter — on green leaves again — and the distribution 
 
it ' 
 
 24 
 
 WITH TUE PRINCE IN IN VIA 
 
 m " 
 
 • 
 
 
 J ! 
 
 ■i: 
 
 til! 
 
 ii I 
 
 Ii 
 
 ii 
 lii 
 
 n 
 
 of flour and ))r(;ad. Round the sides of the market were shops, 
 moreover, in which were retailed European goods and Chinese 
 produce, so that in this great hive of commerce all, save meat 
 and fish, could be procured, even to articles of clothing and 
 ornamentation. Indeed, had we been devotionally inclined, a 
 gentleman was ready to sell us for three-halfpence an offering of 
 incense to the gods, a present, and four kinds of paint where- 
 with to decorate our foreheads, and give ourselves a very 
 religious ai)poarance. 
 
 Crossing the square in the centre of the market-place, we 
 now came upon the stalls in which beef is sold — the abomina- 
 tion of the Hindoo, but the delight of Englishman and Mussul- 
 man. And as to see a slaughtered ox is an offence to the 
 Hindoo, we found screens put up at the doorways, so that 
 passing religionists should not be troubled by the sight of a 
 piece of beet. Only IMussulmans kept the stalls in this market, 
 and they were surrounded only by Mussulmans or Europeans, 
 while over every stall was the name of its owner in English 
 and Hindustani characters. So, too, mainly in the market 
 where mutton is sold, there wei-e nearly all followers of the 
 Prophet, it being a tenet of Brahminism that the destruction 
 of life is a sin. 
 
 But, if the inspection of the market was instructive as show- 
 ing what individual eftbrt and energy could realize, the sights 
 which followed were not less amusing. I have said the day 
 was yet young wlien we started on our tour ; those who know 
 India will be aware that this was just the time for visiting a 
 Hindoo temple. Thus it was that on our turning through a 
 somewhat narrow doorway we found ourselves in a huge court- 
 yard, crowded with people. On the immediate right was a 
 tree, under the shade of which sat a number of " holy men." 
 With the Hindoos holiness and dirtiness are almost synony- 
 mous, and certainly these were th3 worst-washed men I ever 
 saw. With the contents of a great pot of ashes they had be- 
 
 j! 
 
SOCIAL LIFE IN BOMBAY. 
 
 
 smeared not only their countenances, but the whole of their 
 botlies ; with big pieces of rope they had tied their ali-eady mat- 
 ted hair into knots, and tlnis heightened their natural ugliness. 
 Thev had used red and yellow paint wherever those pigments 
 would serve to render them less attractive in appearance, and 
 they had squatted down in a i)uddle ot very holy mud, and 
 were just then eating the ollerings of the faithful. Yet they 
 were apparently greatly revered and beloved. There was a 
 tender-hearted, old gentleman, with a great basket of sweet- 
 meats and cakes, giving them all a good breakfast when we 
 entered. The coi)per cans which lay about on the ground near 
 the puddle were full of annas and pice ; they even had a good 
 supply of pan and betel-nut ; and, as though holiness with con- 
 tentment were great gain, they were as stout as they were godly. 
 I gave the most sacred among them two annas, whereupon he 
 rolled a leaf of pan and oftercd it to me, and, when I declined 
 the tempting morsel, placed it in his own mouth, tinkled a little 
 bell, put his hands to his face and uttered a prayerful groan, 
 and then sat down in the mud once more and looked happy. 
 I should say, at a rough guess, that the holiness on that man 
 was a quarter of an inch thick. 
 
 I have mentioned the tinkling of a bell ; there were a good 
 many bells tinkling just then; for on the side of the entrance 
 opposite that in which the holy men sat was the Tenii)le of 
 iVlomljadevi. In front of the temple doors were a large num- 
 ber of pigeons — some hundreds I should suppose — as fat, as 
 well cared for, and quite as tame as the pigeons of the Piazza 
 di San IMarco in Venice, and as sacred as the gentlemen in the 
 mud puddle ; also five or six sacred buffaloes, a dozen sacred 
 goats, two very sacred but apparently very mischievous 
 monkeys, and a sacred donkey On the steps of the temple 
 the peoi)le congregated, going in, first to one shrine and pray- 
 ing, and then to another. When they had piaycd satisfac- 
 torily and given an offering to a deity, they rang a bell which 
 
 2 
 
26 
 
 WITH THE FlilNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 liimg suspended in front of the shvine, and went away quite 
 pleased. 
 
 I noticfM^ two tilings of interest, the first being that at one 
 shrine they were worshipping a picture — without at all know- 
 ing what it represented — of the Madonna and Child; the second 
 that some of the shrines were more fashiona])le than others. 
 There was a lovely idol, with a head like an ourarig-outang, 
 ears neurly a yard long, four arms, eight legs, and a couple of 
 mouths, which Avas quite deserted, and only got two bundles 
 of piin and a banana during the morning; while a rival, who 
 looked like a tipsy lion, with a moustache resembling Victor 
 Kmmanuers, slightly turned up at the ends, a long Dundreary 
 l)air of whiskers gracefully curled, six eyes placed in good and 
 useful i)Ositions, three tails, and only two legs, was " making a 
 mint of money." The fates were unkind and unjust. There 
 were ])lenty of bells in front of the ourang-outang-like god, yet 
 nobody rang them ; a very holy man sat at the shrine, yet no- 
 body went there. There was even a bench on which the faith- 
 ful could rest while they prepared their offerings, yet nobody 
 sat on it ; while the lion that possessed the moustache and 
 whiskers received the fat of the land, was accosted by devo- 
 tional ladies and gentlemen every minute, and had enough 
 offerings in front of him to warrant the belief that the priest 
 who attended to his shrine must live happily the day through, 
 and altogether enjoy what the Americtais call "a very good 
 time of it." 
 
 This was not all, however, that this religious spot afforded. 
 Past the tree, and still in front of the tem})le, was a huge tank, 
 three hundred yards square, or thereabouts, and in it hundreds 
 of Hindoo women were bathing in honour of their religion. 
 There they were, painting and washing, washing and ])ainting, 
 fuliilling a religious duty and performing a very sanitary act 
 at the same time. A profane person might have i)erchance 
 wished that the holy men under the tiee might have been 
 
 I 
 
 
 m 
 
I. 
 
 SOCIAL LIFE IN BOMBAY. 
 
 27 
 
 it away quite 
 
 g that at one 
 at all know- 
 Itl ; the second 
 than others, 
 irang-oiitang, 
 d a couple of 
 two bundles 
 a rival, who 
 bling Victor 
 g Dundreary 
 in good and 
 s " making a 
 j"st. There 
 like god, yet 
 'ine, yet no- 
 'h the faith- 
 yet nobody 
 istache and 
 d by devo- 
 lad enough 
 the priest 
 y through, 
 very good 
 
 afforded, 
 iiige tank, 
 hundreds 
 ' religion. 
 Jjainting, 
 litary act 
 )erchance 
 ave been 
 
 pitched into the water too. But that would have probably 
 shocked those holy men's nerves, and so rendered them less 
 fifood and admirable than now. Mr. Crawford said that he 
 should like to pull down the wretched shanties which sur- 
 round the tank, and make in their stead a fine public garden. 
 But at present this will not be done, and Mombadevi Tank 
 must be let alone. 
 
 Needless is it to describe two other temples that we visited ; 
 but a word should not be omitted respecting a religious institu- 
 tion through which we passed. I have mentioned that a large 
 number of Hindoos believe in the sanctity of life of every kind, 
 and it was to visit an establishment belonging to this sect that 
 we now entered a gateway not far from the Mombadevi Temple. 
 A curious sight at onco presented itself. Hundreds of cows 
 and bufialoes were enclosed within one set of rails, hundreds of 
 goats within another. All kinds of animals had pens appointed 
 them and people to tend them. We have in London a Home 
 for Dogs, about which a good deal the reverse of complimentary 
 has at different times been written, and not without cause. 
 Stray dogs, unruly dogs, sick dogs, are all received, yet some- 
 how or other they disappear, are sold, strangled, or poisoned in 
 this " Home " of theirs. Here, however, is a real home for the 
 maimed, the blind, the starving, and the old. When a Hindoo 
 has a horse which he finds too ill or too old for work, it is sent 
 here, and thence to pastures in the country ; cows that will 
 give milk no longer, goats that are useless, dogs that are tooth- 
 less, and even monkeys that are too old to chatter or to climb, 
 are placed here, too, and all carefully tei^ded till they die. 
 So sacred is the charge that voluntarily do Hindoos support it 
 by a self-imposed tax; so good is it considered to feed these 
 poor animals that carts of hay are continually coming in for 
 their sustenance, and pious old men attend and distribute the 
 provender. When we were in the place, cows that had re- 
 covered from their illness were eating the sweet hay which lay 
 
28 
 
 WITH THE FlUNi'E IN INDIA. 
 
 near tlunii in profusion, with the greatest satisfaction ; the goats 
 that were pronounced well were feasting and gambolling ; sick 
 dogs had savo^iry messes, dogs that were not sick were equally 
 well fed, and the monkeys were evidently as happy as their 
 cramps and cranks would allow. " I doctor, sar," said a dusky 
 gentleman with a walking-cane, who came up to us while we 
 were looking at his horses ; " and I keep loving animals very 
 much." " Keep loving them as much as you can," was the re- 
 ply of my companion, " and then you'll go straight to heaven 
 some day." " Yes, sar," said the doctor, and forthwith evinced 
 his " love " for animals by stroking a huge buffalo that stood 
 close by, and giving it a great handful of grass." 
 
 I' 
 
 I I 
 
 il 
 
.1, 
 
 'ion; the goats 
 TiboJliiig; sick 
 <: were equally 
 ap])}" as their 
 ' said a dusky 
 ) us while we 
 animals very 
 ," was the re- 
 ?ht to heaven 
 liwith evinced 
 lo that stood 
 
 CHAriEPt HI. 
 
 RECEPTIONS OF RAJAHS. 
 
 "Chairs for the Guicowar and the INIaliarajah ! Make way 
 diere, please !" An official, a very courteous, but very energetic > 
 one, Mr. Lee Warner, Under-Secretary of the P^o^udency of 
 Bombay, dressed in full Court uniform, is directing the move- 
 ments of a slender Hindoo who, besides bearing a huge, red 
 tuil)an, in shape and size very like a lady's sunshade, is struggl- 
 ing alonij under two cane-seated chairs on the outskirts of a 
 most brilliant throng. The locale is the Boree Bunder railway 
 station ; the occasion. Lord Northbrook's arrival in Bombay. 
 To meet the Viceroy are gathered together in that little ter- 
 minus all the rank and power of North-Western India. Should 
 { give you a list of their names and titles you would have a 
 \engthy collection of extraordinai y words. I could t^ll from 
 an official list, which has beeii published, the exact i?uiaber of 
 followers each one has, and the number of " guns " to which 
 each is entitled. But for many reasons 1 forbear. Miaglod 
 with the chieftains and sirdars are a large number of oflictivs 
 \rom the fleet, ail in full-dress uniform, military officers in 
 scarlet, clergymen in their robes, and Political Kesidents in 
 Court dress. 
 
 A picturesque crowd is that which is thus shut in from t.ht> 
 Aont of the platform by a cord of blue, fit subject fof the 
 minutest of painters ; yet, so far as I can see, no })ainter is pre- 
 sent. I am alone on the red carpet on which the Viceroy is 
 presently to stand when he reaches Bombay, without even so 
 much as a railway official to keep me in countenance. Rafl- 
 vv.vy policemen are here, it is true, but they are on the lines. 
 
,i II 
 
 fli 
 
 I 
 
 \ ' 
 
 f 
 
 l-\\ 
 
 III! V 
 it 
 
 lilll 
 
 30 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 LoDi,' lines of soldiery hold the way to the station, but thfy are 
 in the road. Other spectators are looking on beside the fashion- 
 able crowd behind the rope, but they are on the tops of goods ; 
 others on the walls round about, chattering, gesticulating, 
 tighting, wondering — these natives of India waiting for their 
 ruler. 
 
 It was for no idle ])urpose that the chairs were brought for 
 which jMr. Lee Warner begged a way. In the centre of yon 
 brilliant gathering stand two little boys, each dressed in black 
 velvet, grandly ornamented with diamonds, and attended by a 
 large number of followeis. In point of age they seem to be 
 respectively thirteen and nine years old. They are clearly 
 princes in rank, and, indeed, the greatest here. The taller one 
 is as dignified a little ruler as was ever seen. H(? holds his 
 head erect, and stands in front of his followers and by the side 
 of Mr. Daly el, the Commissioner, with all the conscious pride 
 that the greatest potentate in the world could command. And 
 not altogether without reason, for he is the Maharajah of 
 Mysore, has a wide tract of country, and a huge revenue, and 
 succeeds to a stately home and princely inheritance. In facial 
 expression he is almost the very image of Madame Adelina 
 Patti — handsome, sharp-eyed, and graceful. Round his neck 
 are strings of pearls and diamonds of immense value ; his wrists 
 are encircled by bracelets, even his ankles are enveloped in 
 jewels, and from the little turban which has been placed in 
 coquettish style upon his head there shoots an aigrette of preci- 
 ous stones such as Nasr-Ed-Din of Persia would gaze at with 
 amazement. His Royal brother is the smallest specimen of 
 sovereignty I have ever seen, yet he is even more important in 
 vice-regal eyes, for this is the Guicowar of Baroda. If he of 
 ^Mysore is radiant with jewels, this royal seedling from P>aroda 
 is more magnificent still. On his neck and breast, his turban, 
 and his very shoes, everywhere glisten diamonds, emeralds, 
 rubies, and pearls. He is well aware of his own importance ; 
 
 1 * 
 
A, 
 
 RECEPTIONS OF RAJAHS. 
 
 01 
 
 ol 
 
 a, but thfy are 
 de the fashion- 
 tops of goods ; 
 gesticulating, 
 ting for their 
 
 •e brought for 
 centre of yon 
 essed in black 
 attended by a 
 y seem to be 
 y are clearly 
 Che taller one 
 He holds his 
 i by the side 
 tiscious pride 
 rnand. And 
 [aharajah of 
 -evenue, and 
 -. In facial 
 me Adelina 
 id his neck 
 ; his wrists 
 iveloped in 
 a placed in 
 te of preci- 
 aze at with 
 Jecimen of 
 iportant in 
 If he of 
 )m Baroda 
 lis turban, 
 emeralds, 
 portance ; 
 
 and, though not so old as his Mysore; rival, acts his part well. 
 And when the chairs are brought and the two sit down, (,'acli 
 eyes the other with great curiosity — perhaps also mentally 
 placing a valuation on the other's jewels — and then each turns 
 his head away with an expression veiy like contempt. 
 
 At length the Ilajahs, chieftains and sirdars are all in the 
 station, and have taken their places; and the Governor of Bom- 
 bay steps on to the red carpet, followed by his son, who is his 
 i)rivate secretary. The naval officers are also asked to stej) on 
 to the carpet, and some of the principal authorities of the town 
 are likewise invited to this place of distinction. There they all 
 stand for a few minutes, during which the Viceroy's train is 
 sis'nalled from BycuUa. That there should be late arrivals was, 
 of course, to be expected. And I grieve to say that one of 
 them was a judge — not a judge such as we see in England, clad 
 in scarlet, and wearing a long wig, or even dressed in ermine, 
 with a short wig \ but a funny, old gentleman of olive colour, 
 with a red turban Oxi his head, and his nether limbs encased in 
 a starched, white petticoat. Yery stout, very brown, this funny, 
 old man shuftles into the roped space, and, clasping his hands 
 together, awaits the Governor-General. Then a ridiculous, old 
 person, with a Mahratta turban, puts in an api)eai'ance. One 
 wonders why such grotesque, old people should be allowed to 
 spoil the general harmony of the scene. Yet they turn up 
 everywhere — at durbars, at ceremonies of all kinds — just when 
 one is most admiring everything, and tliinking how much more 
 picturesque it all is than any sight in England ; and witli their 
 ugly faces and uglier head dresses, their extraordinary petti- 
 coats, yellow stockings, and bootless feet, lower the scene from 
 the sublime to the ridiculous, and make the beholder alnK)st 
 mad with disappointment. These turbans of theirs are as large 
 as an ordinary umbrella, and contain eiglity yards of thin 
 riband ; they are generally pink or scarlet, have a little emi- 
 nence in the centre, which looks like an intoxicated cone, and 
 
32 
 
 "'"'" '"^ '•'•■^Av.. ,,, ,,,,,^,. 
 
 •" «'-'liol,I «eei„, „„ ort i 'i""'"?""- ^ '■™«""'» once 
 
 ^^ W;m,Ier on the g,;,„a t,. "'°°'^^'^ '""S'-J- >-.t excused 
 Here, h.,„,,,,. j^ J- ^ t "'t^!"'"""" '"eunt well 
 
 ■-■-' the f„„„„ ,,, ;, ;^ -- ; .t « brilli^tly p„i„ted 
 ff" -'<""■«, « the ..o,-aI r' oL V"" "" •*« ^-"t. " 
 
 .' >«■* that fa Wa,.e ti e V IIT' """'""^ ""^ >'°«' *" 
 '« iixeelieney fa stepping o t ,Tt, 7''''"'' '' J"^* ''«'""d, and 
 bow to Lord Nortl,.„ook .nd H '™'-''^°''^ '" """k" « a 
 
 «'>^« at al,. A„j ,,3 2>Tt "'^"■•' ™"'"'S »b°"t the en 
 »° officio,,. pe,.,s„„, L Idd r ""'" "'"' ^ '^'""' --K1 C 
 --'yand p,ea,santV. T e V l""' "'""'""■' ^^^'-Vthin. g^ 
 P»nce«, who have been fel ?^. ^^'^'^ »* «"»<> to the two 
 -*with then,. T^^JZXT :'":'''■'' ->'• «'-•=- 
 »' Oodeypore. wl,o fa ,,„,, l; Ind t ' 7 °'' ''" ''"'-'■-» 
 K .oiapore, and so pas.,e« all d;,™ tJ '""* °' "'« K-'J^h of 
 
 outs,de pla3,s -Qod save L n *! •'^'•■''»". -Me the ban.! 
 -n- Carriages drive Z Z £?' ""' "^ *-ooi« L.e.en 
 
 "iiiui the Prince of W-iIo^ i • , :"" ^'^^*V similar 
 '<<\vs later on. It w.. I . ^nniseJf took part « f« 
 
 r> • , • xc was iate on tho. t" i ^ ^ a lew 
 
 -■•- ,a„ded, wben T .eeeiJU'lI^SSS ^^'^'^ '^^ 
 
 '" I' om tiio secretary 
 
RECEPTIONS OF RAJAHS. 
 
 33 
 
 test avvivnl at 
 ■ wlioJe scene, 
 
 ^n sight, and 
 -^'licJi it is an 
 fnember once 
 who had de- 
 B a j)rofound 
 Jjiit excused 
 meant well, 
 thout beinff 
 'ly painted ; 
 its front, in 
 loes bow to 
 behind, and 
 making a 
 "t the en- 
 'and here, 
 ;hing goes 
 
 the two 
 
 ^ sliakes 
 
 aharana 
 Kajah of 
 tlie band 
 
 present 
 
 an liour 
 
 'liant a 
 
 ng and 
 similar 
 t a few 
 )re the 
 
 3retii!-^' 
 
 ) 
 
 iv. 
 
 m 
 
 of the Viceroy, Captain Evelyn Baring, to breakfast at Malabar 
 Point, the temporary residence of Lord Northbrook, on the fol- 
 lowing morning. There was, however, in the note even more than 
 this, for it contained a postscript with the information that his 
 Excellency would receive the princii)al chieftains at present in 
 Bombay in the audience room of Government House, at seven 
 A.M. Such a summons could not be lightly valued, and I 
 hastened to acknowledge the missive, and pre})ared to obey. 
 
 The daylight had not appeared wlutn I found myself in a 
 gharrj, driven by an ill-tempered Mohammedan — ill-tempered 
 because awakened early — towards the beautiful bay which fronts 
 Malabar Hill. Now and then a streak of sunshine would dart 
 across the sky and the sea, telling of the close proximity of diiy. 
 The surf was breaking on the land with a sullen roar, but not 
 a breath of air could be felt on that sultry morning. On went 
 the grumbling driver, until at length long lines of troops were 
 descried, native inftintry with arms at the '* present," native 
 ?avalry with lances held aloft, pennons dangling in the air, and 
 English constables, clad in white clothes, all drawn up in regu- 
 lar order, waiting the arrival of the great personages who were 
 presently to come to visit his Excellency. A few moments 
 more, when the sun was up, scorching everybody, I was hasten- 
 ing up the steps of Malabar House. On seeing a place for a 
 first time, the eye naturally wanders all round. Let us glance 
 at the building before us. On the broad staircase on either side 
 are soldiers of the Viceroy's body-guard. Some bear halberds, 
 some lances, some swords ; they are broad, strong men — few of 
 them less than six feet in height, and look magnificent in their 
 small, striped turbans, their long, scarlet coats, and golden 
 waistbands. Better soldiers than these cannot be found. In 
 the mutiny Lord Canning held to his native body-guard, and 
 lefused the guard of English troops ; and Lord Northbrook 
 still refuses to believe that anything can be safer than the watch 
 that is kept by his stalwart Punjabees. On arriving at the top 
 
yA 
 
 "■'"^ ^^^' ^-^^^V..; v,v /A-/.,,, 
 
 ^f' «Aio at oiico on a 1„.m.. i 
 
 -1.1.0,. of tke bo.l^.,.,„:,,, "„;_,'« '<«''• Here, „«ai„, ,,^ 
 I-"™ «.l„cl, open, on to tl, v" 1 ! "'^'f ""oe to the State 
 ...to the ye,y eentve of tl... w! '. "^ '^'" '^'^l'^ bring us 
 
 ^'«-t'-» fo.- the roooptio 'of : l: ^"Ti"' -<'^ - «■" 
 n.on>cnt,..iJy .xpectod ^""J"'' °' ^^holapore, who is 
 
 Tiie scene is extnunolv ;„„ , ■ 
 
 ;i". two „.„.,,,.., pi,ia::';t r:r eit^ 
 
 ■:■ »l«oo, a,Kl thus fo„„i„„ 1 k ;;""">»' ««; «»/. a fo„,,h 
 
 truc„dofsi,ve..„nclgoJ,U, vt fi ^'"''"'■<"'^' - ^on- 
 a golden bnll fo.. a„ot,, be,,,.,";:;/ ™ '">" ''♦"• """a-™ and 
 about a foot ai,ove the ba k ^1 .I'",?' ""'' S"^'^™ ---« 
 ft-st «tato el,ai... e.e.- dejii"'*^:.""-; '"■■'»*"'« one of the 
 cla,s one step high. On the ri.ht h..!^^" ,° '' ^''^''^'^ "1»" - 
 a.m-chai,.s, running down h If" '' " '""^ ™^ "^ empty 
 
 Irft an equal „u,„be,. o eh • f ''"'^^ °' "^"^ ™o™ >' on hi 
 
 "«1 K..,.le, the ad,ni,.able ilUi^.^T'' T'^'"'""' '^''^'■''' Colo- 
 son the LWign Sec,.eta,y; ^^'T'' ""''■ ^^ ^- ^''^.i- 
 a"t ;o,.eign .Seceta.y-tt V^ o^:"" "■""' r'"'^ ^ ^-«t- 
 t.e t Inone are g,,the,.od an aZ7 o{' ''"' ^""'- ^^^^ind 
 attnediu b,.ight, red unifo,™, If^^.^f '^T''""' l"otu,-cs.i„el^ 
 2;P -let fans, golden unS ' Tnd l!' ""•^'"'•^' '-''■ 
 En tern royalty. K„.,„d y,e roo,n ' „ ' , ""'''' '"•■^'g"'" of 
 of these attendants, bearing .re twf "' "'"■"'"^ •"■-"o™ 
 heads ansilve,, a,>d halberds. B t bv7'T"' ""' ^'^l'''»"*«' 
 te,n ,n the whole roon., ne.xt to the V^ ' "^ "°-^' ""'^''tant 
 been unnoticx.!, although npo, l d T^ '"""""■' '"'^ «" yet 
 -;e,yed in the st^ngLt tt ,' ,f .!r* T" *'"'" ^™"W be 
 
 "— ever l-ed at Cal.r ,":;:;' ^ ^-'««'-^- 
 
 •''-'^^ to a native prince. 
 
 iJ 
 
A. 
 
 < ('xtcnding all 
 <»y« of tho sun, 
 iias suddeiilv 
 ei'e, a^'iiin, are 
 -e to tJie State 
 icp.s bi-iiig us 
 ^'i'iuly as t]iat 
 apore, who is 
 
 'nee -cli amber, 
 ^ a fourth of 
 
 the throne; 
 ■ook, is oon- 
 ono arm and 
 ^Idon crown 
 ? one of the 
 ced upon a 
 *v of empty 
 m; on the 
 
 by officers 
 fore; CoJo- 
 tr. Aitclii- 
 
 as Assist- 
 
 J^jehind 
 "lo.squely 
 
 ins, hoJd- 
 ^^Si'^id of 
 are moi'e 
 le])hants' 
 n]Jortant 
 IS as yet 
 ^'ouId be 
 ^faction 
 
 pi'ince. 
 
 RECEPTIONS OF RAJAHS. 
 
 3;1 
 
 At liist ^diinco there is nothing very extraordinary about 
 it either. It is a loncf, oval })iece of crimson with a ufol(U'U 
 bordfr, the Royal arms bcinij in the centre. Yet liow far tlu^ 
 Viceroy may advance on that cai-jjct when about to meet a 
 cruest is matter for serious deliberation and special notice in 
 the " Gazette." Beyond the line " Dieu et mon droit," in pre- 
 sence of a Nawab, and his Excellency would raise a thousand 
 jealousies, make said Nawab insan(; with deli^dlt, and lay the 
 foundation for a scries of troubles, the end of whi<.'li could not bo 
 predicted. Stop bnt six inches irom the ed,2je when a Guioowar 
 or a jMaharana enters, and a rebuke would be conveyed and re- 
 ceived of profound importance and meaning. Even the n\mi- 
 ber of steps the Viceroy may take on that wonderful rug-work 
 are defined by a decree in council, and he must no more take 
 five when three are ordered than the ollicer in charge of yonder 
 artillery battery just preparing to fire may let ofi' twenty-one 
 guns in honour of the Chief of Jamkhundee. He may let off 
 two less than that number in honour of the Eajah of Kholapore, 
 and, indeed, is now preparing to do so, for his Highness, 
 attended by nine of his principal sirdars and an escort of cavalry, 
 is just now being driven at a great rate along the pathway to 
 the house. The troops are presenting arms, and the band is 
 playing. Bang go the guns, with a deafening sound. Two 
 officers run down the steps, and the ruler of Kholapore is 
 assisted from his carriage and conducted to the audience-cham- 
 ber without delay. As the sound of approaching footsteps is 
 heard, the Viceroy rises and stands upon the dais, till the faces 
 of his guests are seen in the ante-room. The " Gazette " order 
 for the day states that Lord Northbrook will receive his High- 
 ness " at the edge of the carpet, and conduct him to a seat on 
 bis right hand," and no one knows all this better than the Lilli- 
 putian highness now entering the doorway. Perhaps it is the 
 experienced government of Mr. Aitchison, pe>rhaps the jealous 
 eye of the boy-Prince, which regulates the steps of the Kholapore 
 
I ! 
 
 l! 
 
 
 1^.'' 
 
 f J! 
 
 I r 
 
 I ! 
 
 36 
 
 WITU Til hi rniNi'K IJS JMJIA. 
 
 \ni\ty. Aiiyliow, llio youth only anivoH iit the outer cdgr of 
 the (uiipot lit the precisij inoiiujiit vvlicii tho Viceroy's toe toiioheH 
 the inner e(ltj<;, and tlie Viceroy's Cxtenth'd liiind iciiclies into 
 uncari»etecl H[)ace. With a lajtid bow the litthi Hjijali ^'rasps 
 liis Exi'elloncy's fin^'ers, and is tlien led to tlie chair covered 
 witli goMen clotli — which stands next the (hiis on the riglit, and 
 is to l)(! used for all princes who come — followed by the l^hif^lisli 
 orticer rcsi<hnit at liis Court, and Ins sinhirs, all of them portly 
 men, in singular costumes. 
 
 As soon as tho llajah is sejitcMl. we are at liberty to criticise 
 his dress. I think there are, if i)ossible, more dijimonds lound 
 that little neck than on the previous day — largcn* pearls for 
 laacelets and finer rubies as earrings. The diamond aigrette in 
 the gold turl)an is, moreover, sui)})leMiented by another tuft of 
 biilliants, and tin; tingcr-rings on the Royal hands are more 
 costly than before. The pale-faced child can scarcely weigh 
 five stone — diamonds, clothes, sword, and all , yet there he sits. 
 coolly chatting with the Viceroy, and now and then sending a 
 glance of inefliible contempt round the room, as though it was 
 not a bit more ornate than it should be, considering that so im- 
 [)ortant a personage as himself is in it as a guest. So a '. ,/ 
 minut(!S pass, and then Major Henderson rises, and with a oow, 
 introduces the sirdars to the Viceroy. One by one these portly 
 chieftains rise, and, advancing to the throne, make a low 
 obeisance, and hold out a bag of gold to his Excellency. In 
 times gone by the gold would scarcely have been held out with 
 safety. An emperor of Delhi in the olden time would probably 
 have not only taken that, but demanded a good deal more. In 
 these enlightened times the Viceroy only touches the money, the 
 sirdar shuttles back into his place, and, as coin-carrying is not • 
 pleasant to an indolent person, and one bag of money, which is 
 only to be touched and not used, is as good as twenty, he simply 
 transfers the bng from his own, yellow handkerchief to the red 
 one of his successor in homage, and so the money goes round. 
 
 ^X. 
 
RECEPTIONS OF liAJAHS. 
 
 37 
 
 outer v(\<ti' (,i 
 ^'s toe toucln'M 
 
 reachos in to 
 H.'ijjih ^Musps 
 L'lmir covoied 
 'le ii<,'lit, iind 
 Vthv Ku^^Ush 
 
 tlicin ]»oitIy 
 
 y to criticise 
 
 iionds round 
 
 '•• [marlH for 
 
 d uigrotto in 
 
 itlior tuft of 
 
 ds are moi-e 
 
 rcoly Aveigh 
 
 liere he sits, 
 
 1 sending a 
 
 ough it was 
 
 tliut so im- 
 
 So a '. y 
 
 vith a oow, 
 
 lese portly 
 
 ko a low 
 
 cncy. In 
 
 I out with 
 
 I pj-obably 
 
 II ore. In 
 loney, the 
 ng is not 
 
 which is 
 le simply 
 the red 
 round, 
 
 •' Attr.r and [)iin will then bo given to tim lljijah by tlui Vice- 
 roy hiniselt'/' I'^m^ tlio circular. Attar and pan are given in 
 conse(|uence. Two bearers, clad in scarlet, enter tlu^ room tVoni 
 a sidt! door, the one carrying a glass bottle on a silver stand, 
 the other some [jold and silver leaved packets on a salver, 
 Slowly advancing in Indian fil". they stand at length before the 
 Viceroy, who rises, and, taking from the bottle a silver stick, 
 conveys a drop of attar of roses to the extended handkcsrchiijf 
 of his chief guest. Next a gihh'd packet — it contains the leaf 
 called pan, some betel-nut, a clove, and a little quickliini^, all 
 admirably adapted for cliewing, says the Hindoo — is transfoi'red 
 by Lord Northbrook to the right hand of the Kajah, who, after 
 making a profound bow, hands both handkerchief and packet 
 to an attendant. The sirdars are now treated in similar 
 fashion by the Foreign Secretary and his assistant, according to 
 heir rank, and then, at a signal, all rise, the Viceroy extends 
 his hand to the Rajah, and, leading him to the very edge of the 
 carpet, once more shakes hands with him, and bids him adieu. 
 
 But a greater than he is close at hand. In a few minutes 
 fresh artillery salutes ann.ounce the new comer, and the guard 
 of honour has scarcely stacked its arms, before it has to j)resent 
 them once more. And the promptitude is not without reason. 
 Chamrajendra Hadiar Bahadoor, Maharajah of Mysore, is 
 driving up the pathway — a prince entitled to a salute of twenty- 
 one guns, to be met on the edge of the carpet, to receive attar 
 and pan from his Excellency's own hands, and to be treated 
 with profoundest respect as one of the principal rulers of India. 
 Strange to say, out of all the armed retainers who accom})any 
 his carriages only one ascends the broad staircase with the 
 Prince and his guardian (Colonel Malleson), and this, a fat, old 
 gentleman in a starched petticoat and stockings, wearing a 
 curious turban of yellow calico, and carrying a big bag of money 
 as " nuzzar" for the Viceroy. His Highnf^ss is dressed just as 
 he was on the previous day — in black velvet, with the same 
 
88 
 
 iriTII THE PRINCE IN IN VI A. 
 
 \ 
 
 ! 
 I .. 
 
 It 
 I I 
 
 1 ii 
 
 \ i 
 
 ^1 n 
 
 turban and aigrette of brilliants, tlie same splendid necklace and 
 the same rings ; on his left arm, however, a sparlvling armlet of 
 diamonds, and on his ankles more pearls than before. He is a 
 stately, little fellow, this Maharajah, only thirteen years old 
 though he may be ; and he sto})S at the edge of tlie carpet till 
 the Viceroy roaches it with all the dignity of a great sovereign, 
 takes his place in the chair of honour as thougli it were the 
 throne of Southern India, and converses with the Viceroy with 
 all the affability and ease of an accomplished man of the world. 
 His reception is of the same kind as that of his predecessor; he 
 takes the attar and pan, and is gone. 
 
 The next guest is the Maharana of Oodeypore. I do not 
 know how many books have been w)'itten to prove that this 
 gentleman is the greatest prince in India. He claims to rank 
 above the Guicowarof Baroda and Prince of Mysore, and to re- 
 ceive like them, a Eoyal salute instead of only a welcome of 
 nineteen guns. He is the head of the Rajpoots — the purest 
 race of Hindoos — a sacred person in his own right, and the 
 representative of the only dynasty that successfully withstood 
 the victorious empei-ors of Delhi and lesser warriors for eight 
 hundred years. For the rest, he is a stately, young man of 
 about twenty-three summers, somewhat badly marked by small- 
 pox, but, for all that, kingly in demeanour and not unpleasing 
 in countenance. He, too, is received at the edge of the carjjet, 
 and led by the right hand to the place of honour by Lord 
 Northbrook. His followers, indeed, hold tiieir heads as high 
 and btride along as proudly as though they were all kings in 
 their own right, instead of tributary princes. Their wonderful 
 costumes of bright green and gold, their white turbans, and 
 their jewels, as they follow their master — who wears nothing 
 but white linen, and boasts only two or three large diamonds — 
 are extremely picturesque ; and when they come forward one 
 after another, and are presented to Lord Northbrook, bowing 
 to the earth and kissing the tips of the tiiigers just touched by 
 
EECEPTIONS OF RAJAIfS. 
 
 39 
 
 (1 necklaco and 
 ^Hng urmlot of 
 ore. He is a 
 een years old 
 tlie carpet till 
 eat sovereiirn, 
 li it were the 
 Viceroy with 
 of the world, 
 edecessor ; he 
 
 e. I do not 
 
 )ve that this 
 
 tinifi to rank 
 
 e, and to re- 
 
 L welcome of 
 
 —the purest 
 
 :ht, and the 
 
 withstood 
 
 ts for eight 
 
 Ling man of 
 
 by smrll. 
 
 unpleasing 
 
 the carpet, 
 
 by Lord 
 
 -ds as high 
 
 1 kings in 
 
 wonderful 
 
 'bans, and 
 
 •s nothing 
 
 amends — 
 
 Nvard one 
 
 , bowing 
 
 uclied by 
 
 
 his lordship, their appearance is not less eti'ecti\e. They 
 thought, it appears, that the Viceroy would rise to receive 
 them ; but England's power has grown while theirs has de- 
 creased, and since they last saw the Queen's representative, 
 time<i; have changed, and they now only obtain a gracious nod, 
 and have to be satisfied. 
 
 The same ceremony which dismissed the brethren of Khola- 
 pore sends them away, and the liana of Oodeypore is succeeded 
 bv the Rao of Kutch. This good gentleman, despite his 
 brigand-like appearance, is a very estimable person, rules a 
 large State wisely, and generally steers clear of difficulties with 
 the Government. At first glance he gives one the impression 
 of a very lordly individual indeed — one, in fact, who might be 
 met at the edge of any carpet in the world, with great pro- 
 priety. But not so. The line in the middle which says '-Dieu 
 et mon droit," might so far as he is concerned, read ' Kutch et 
 mon droit,' for it is just there that the Viceroy awaits him, and 
 not an inch nearer. Moreover, the guns outride are only tiring 
 seventeen lounds, and one almost imagines that the band left 
 off playing a little sooner than before. But never mind, llao 
 Pragmul,* you are bravely attired in your dark green velvet 
 habit and light blue riband over the heart ; your red and gold 
 turban is exceedingly becoming, and your step is very credit 
 able. It is a pity that you are only allowed five attendants, 
 however, for more of such dresses might easily be seen with an 
 untired eye. The hundred and one gold mohurs which the Rao 
 presents being touched, and a short conversation over, his 
 Highness is led down to the centre of the carpet once moi-e, and 
 thence to the doorway, by the Foreign Secretary. 
 
 He is not long gone before an unusual stir is noticeable. 
 Arms ! Present arms ! Make way for the Guicowar's horse- 
 men and carriages^ for, to the sound of a Royal salute and a 
 Royal march, the i^roteye of Sir RicJiard Meade is coming along 
 
 * He died soon alter the Prince Icit Bombay. 
 
 i 
 
i 
 
 M 
 
 ■I 
 
 1 1 
 
 i: 
 
 'i 
 
 40 
 
 WITH THE riilNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 tlio pathway. Men of the body-guard stiffen in position, tlie 
 viceregal suite is in its place, and the Viceroy is already past 
 the middle of the carpet ere the little Prince is through the 
 doorway. Led by his guardian, he steps cautiously forward, so 
 as to time his footstej^s to those of the Governor-General ; and 
 just as his Excellency's feet are at the edge, this Royal waif and 
 stra}^ this little King by accident, stretches out his hand, and 
 with complete calmness thus salutes the Viceroy. His stride 
 along the carpet to his chair of state is as remarkable as his 
 dress, which is indeed striking. More jewels than ever glittered 
 round that little neck. Nearly four hundred thousand pounds 
 worth of diamonds, pearls, rubies, and emeralds adorn th« 
 person of this little boy ; such an aigrette was never seen in any 
 other turban. Some English ladies whom I know, and who 
 take delight in jewellery and find pleasure in brilliants, would 
 have been beside themselves with joy at such a spectacle ; even 
 amongst men accustomed to such sights there was a perceptible 
 murmur of applause. I need scarcely say that twenty-one guns 
 saluted this important item of sovereign humanity, that attar 
 and pan were handed him by the Viceroy with all respect, and 
 then at length he was led to the very edge of the carpet, before 
 being handed over to the Foreign Secretary, and taken to his 
 
 carriage. 
 
 Next came Sir Salar Jung, the guardian of the Nizam of 
 Hyderabad. So remarkable is this man that, although he is 
 only an " Excellency " and V)y no means Eoyal, he is honoured 
 with twenty-one guns, and received in the centre of the carpet. 
 His business here is to represent the Nizani, who is actually 
 too ill to come. The resident English i)hysician has declared 
 against the young Prince's journey, a prolonged illness supports 
 the plea, and Sir Salar Jung is here to render homage for him. 
 Take a good look at his Excellency as he sits by the side ol the 
 Viceroy, clad in simple white with only a light blue riband 
 across his breast. In appearance, closely cut hair and short 
 
 I 
 
 .« 
 
1 
 
 1. 
 
 (1 position, tlie 
 s already past 
 3 through the 
 ly forward, so 
 General ; and 
 uoyal waif and 
 lis hand, and 
 . His stride 
 -rkable as his 
 ever glittered 
 isand pounds 
 ds adorn the 
 >r seen in any 
 3w, and who 
 Hants, would 
 ctacie ; even 
 a. perceptible 
 nty-one guns 
 r, that attar 
 •espect, and 
 t'pet, before 
 •'dken to his 
 
 RECEPTIONS OF RAJAHS. 
 
 41 
 
 e ^izam of 
 lough he is 
 s honoured 
 the carpet, 
 is actually 
 IS declared 
 vs supj)orts 
 je for him. 
 ide ol the 
 U(> riband 
 and short 
 
 moustache, he is very like Prince Bismarck ; he has the broad 
 forehead and quick eye of the German Chancellor, and is appar- 
 ently as frank as he. Men who know him well speak in ad- 
 miring tones of his grasp of European politics ; his administra- 
 tion of the wild population of Hyderabad shows his force of 
 character and strength of will. If Madava Rao is the first of 
 Hindoos, Salar Jung is the premier Mohammedan, and as such 
 is esteemed by the Government. 
 
 But, if the reception given to the chiefs by the Viceroy was 
 grand, their reception of him on his paying return visits to 
 them was no less striking. I do not refer to the " no-gun men." 
 They were asked to go to the Government Secretariat, and re- 
 ceive the Viceroy there. But I allude to the Guicowar, the 
 Maharajah of Mysore, the Maliarana of Oodeypore, and such 
 dignitaries. It was at the house of the last-named that, by the 
 courteous request of the Viceroy, I found myself an invited 
 guest a few minutes before his Excellency arrived. It was 
 while looking round on this extraordinary assemblage of chiefs 
 that Colonel Herbert — the Political Resident at Oodeypore — 
 touched me on the arm and introduced me to his Highness, who 
 was pleased to converse in very good English, till the arrival of 
 the Viceroy was announced at the gate. Then the chiefs stood 
 round the hall, the Maliarana advanced to the Viceroy's car- 
 riage, and, taking his Excellency by the right hand, led him to 
 a couch at the head of the saloon, and gave him the seat of 
 honour as to a superior monarch. Of course the English 
 officers were on the right hand of the .Viceroy, this time they 
 being the guests. Colonel Herbert now came forward and in- 
 troduced each chief present by name to the Governor-General, 
 each one advancing as his name was called out, and offei-ing a 
 "nuzzar," or present, which the Viceroy formally touched. 
 Next appeared two attendants with wreaths of flowers for the 
 neck of the Viceroy and his suite, bouquets, moreover, of red 
 flowers for their hands, attar for their handkerchiefs, and pan 
 
 d 
 
 4l, 
 
t 
 
 42 
 
 WITH TEE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 for their months in case it should please them to oat it. And 
 all these being presented in due form, the whole party rose, the 
 Viceroy was again led to the door by the Maharana, the band 
 played, the troops presented arms, and the visit was over. This 
 was exactly similar to all the other return visits of the Viceroy ; 
 and I am particular in thus detailing the incidents, as they 
 were the same as those which befel the Prince afterwards. 
 
 Having on the following Saturday received an invitation to 
 visit the Maharajah of Mysore, an hour's drive brought me to 
 Altamoiit, the house which has been engaged for his Highness 
 during his stay in Bombay, and in a very few minutes I was 
 in company with the highly esteemed Colonel Malleson, politi- 
 cal agent in Mysore, and author of a valuable work on the 
 Native States of India, and Mr. Dalyel, administrator of the 
 kingdom, waiting the coming of the Maharajah in the recep- 
 tion saloon. A more happily chosen spot for the court of a 
 powerful prince could scarcely have been selected. At one 
 end of the hall, which would comfortably seat some hundreds 
 of people, was a magnificently carved screen ; in front of this 
 a yellow satin and gilded couch was placed; on either hand 
 were chairs of state, running down half the length of the room, 
 placed in such a manner as to accommodate all the chiefs of 
 Myc?ore when in council assembled. It was here that the 
 Viceroy was received, and it was here that the Prince of 
 Wales would make his call early the next week. 
 
 On a table to the right of the couch were ranged in tempting 
 array the presants which the Maharajah was aboitt to make to 
 the Prince. A magnificently embossed cup of gold, called 
 " Alexandra," and made many years ago in honour of the mar- 
 riage of the Prince and Princess of Wales, stands in the centre. 
 The history of this cup is somewhat singula)-. A short time 
 ago, before the Prince's visit was talked of, the Maharajah de- 
 termined on giving it as a prize to the best race-horse in his 
 dominions, in honour of the Princess of Wales. The race wasj 
 
 >■ 
 
to eat it. And 
 B party rose, the 
 arana, the band 
 b was over. This 
 of the Viceroy ; 
 iidents, as they 
 ifterwards. 
 an invitation to 
 3 brought me to 
 3r his Highness 
 
 minutes I was 
 ^alleson, politi- 
 3 work on the 
 nistrator of the 
 h. in the recep- 
 the court of a 
 Jcted. At one 
 some hundreds 
 Q front of this 
 3n either hand 
 bh of the room, 
 
 the chiefs of 
 here that the 
 bhe Prince of 
 
 3d in tempting 
 ut to make to 
 gold, called 
 iir of the mar- 
 in the centre. 
 A shoit time 
 /laharajah de- 
 -liorse in his 
 The lace wtm 
 
 llEOEPTIONS OF RAJAHS. 
 
 43 
 
 
 run amid great excitement, but, curiously enough, his High- 
 ness' own horse won the cup, and so here it was, ready to be 
 o'iven to the Prince for the Princess herself. It is engraved 
 with her name, is beautifully worked, as such work can be done 
 only in Mysore, and has for handle to the lid a massive, gold 
 elephant. The value is about <£3,000. 
 
 Round this cup is ranged a gold service for attar and pan 
 There are a gold receptacle for attar of roses, a golden casket 
 for the pan and betel-nut, a golden stand for incense, a rose- 
 s})Outed cup of gold, fov scented water, and other beautifully 
 designed cups and salvers for the completion of the set. But 
 the most beautiful present of all is a belt of gold which is placed 
 on a little table by itself. For long years it has been in the 
 treasury of Mysore, highly valued, much admired, and now it 
 sees light only to leave Mysore forever. Tn size it is too big 
 for any lady, being intended for a very stout king, but in point 
 of beauty it is fit for the most queenly waist in the world. All 
 over its front flash diamonds, emeralds, rubies and pearls — in 
 fact, it contains every kind of precious stone found in Mysore, 
 and is on that account alone a most valuable and interestinsr 
 jewel. In the centre of the back it has a hinge, in front a 
 diamond clasp, and altogether it is one of the most resplendent 
 ornaments that could be designed. Its intrinsic cost was many 
 thousands of pounds, but as a work of art it is still more 
 valuable. 
 
 While looking at these a messenger announced the approach 
 of the Maharajah, and a moment afterwards his Highness came 
 into the saloon, and, holding out his hand, bid me welcome to 
 his house. He was glad, he said, to see Englishmen ; for he 
 hoped some day to go to England himself and learn all about 
 the great country from which they came. Then, turning round, 
 he introduced a bright-eyed, intelligent youth of nineteen or 
 tlierettbouts — who, his Highness said, was hereditary com- 
 mander-in-chief of the army in Mysore. With excellent accent 
 
il 
 
 i: 
 
 ■ ,ii i i 
 ■If ■■■ i 
 
 
 
 
 ■ li : 
 
 1 
 
 ^' \ 
 
 ■ 
 
 ^- J' 
 
 44 
 
 ^VITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 and udiniiable good taste, he spoke English perfectly, and in 
 a very few minutes showed that he looked forward to no sine- 
 cure, although his army might never be large. He knew all 
 about the Franco-German war, was intimately acquainted with 
 Russian movements, understood even the principle of summer 
 drills in England, and expressed a desire to see the troops of 
 all these nations himself. " You Europeans," he said, " are so 
 well disciplined that I could .but learn much by travel, and I 
 shall go to Europe on the very first opportunity." As for the 
 Maharajah, he chatted pleasantly about the sights of Bombay 
 and its relative beauty when compared with his own capital. 
 He was just going to see the caves of Elephanta, and he in- 
 tended to learn all he could while in the Presidency. He dwelt 
 upon the pleasure of cricket, of which game he is very fond, 
 and the advantages of underhand twist bowling, which he finds 
 bothers the Mysorian cricketers exceedingly, and then upon 
 the pleasures of sport. Thus fifteen minutes or so passed 
 pleasantly, and concluded with a kindly invitation to visit him 
 at his capital and see his people. A more intelligent young 
 gentleman I have never seen ; and if such is the result of Eng- 
 lish training and instruction, the system promises well, and 
 Colonel Malieson and Mr. Dalyel have good reason to be proud 
 of their charge. 
 
lA. 
 
 perfectly, and in 
 ward to no sine- 
 He knew all 
 acquainted with 
 jiple of summer 
 ee the troops of 
 ie said, " are so 
 3y travel, and I 
 y." As for the 
 ;hts of Bombay 
 his own capital, 
 iiita, and he in- 
 )ncy. He dwelt 
 le is very fond, 
 , which he finds 
 and then upon 
 5S or so passed 
 ion to visit him 
 telligent young 
 result of Eng- 
 nises well, and 
 son to be proud 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 TUE ARRIVAL OP THE PRINCE. 
 
 On the 8th of November, 1875, "His Honour of High Title, 
 the Star of the Sky of Wealth and Fortune, the Great Star of 
 the Firmament of Glory and Prosperity, the Generous One of 
 the Age, the First One of the Time, the Essence of the Family 
 of Honour and Loftiness, the Prop of the Dynasty of Might 
 and Pomp, possessing the dignity and rank of Sattirn, of ex- 
 alted honour, the Cream of the Princes of the Age, the Glory 
 of the Nobles of England, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales," 
 landed in Bombay. That is the statement of a Persian writer 
 who was good enough ii. read me the beginning of his .admir- 
 able article, and to give me an English translation. Of the 
 fact of the Prince's landing I was a faithful witness ; of the 
 titles which the Peisian has conferred upon the Prince, I say 
 nothing. Yet surely, if banging of artillery and cheering can 
 impress the mind with an idea of the grandeur of the Prince 
 who landed, the Persian may be pardoned for his selection of 
 compliments. 
 
 Never was a heartier or more loyal reception accorded to any- 
 one anywhere. For weeks past Bombay had been in a ferment. 
 In the excess of their loyalty the powers that be, actually 
 quarrelled. Sir Philip Wodehouse got to loggerheads with 
 Bear-Admiral Macdonald, the result of which was that the 
 Admiral requested his officers not to attend the Governor's 
 levee; then the Rear-Admiral, reading his instructions from 
 the A<lmiralty with great exactitude, informed the ancient 
 roprcscntativo of British government in Bombay tliat his orders 
 would not allow ot a salute being given to the Viceroy on the 
 

 f 
 
 46 
 
 WITU THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 occasion of the Prince's landing. " No flag can bo saluted in 
 presence of the Royal Standard," wrote Admiral Macdonald ; 
 whereupon the Governor very nearly went into hysterics, and 
 the local newspapers wrote columns of rubbish. At length the 
 knotty point was settled ; Admiral Macdonald telegraphed to 
 England for instructions, and received permission to salute the 
 Viceroy and the Prince as well ; the Governor received the in- 
 telligence with bewildered gratitude, and has remained in a 
 state of amazement ever since. 
 
 Then, of course, the decorations were matter for serious con- 
 sideration and endless disagreement. Had everybody's sug- 
 gestions been adopted, and each suggester set to work with 
 plenaiy powers, Bombay would have presented in a short time 
 a very singular spectacle indeed. But somehow or other the 
 authorities contrived to repress some and quicken others, so 
 that in the end the pla'^e looked fairy-like in its beauty. Bom- 
 bay is less of an Indian and more of a Levantine city than any 
 other. Within its environs people from every part of the 
 world find a home. There are seventy-two different sects of 
 Mohammedans alone. No one knows how many different 
 kinds of Hindoos there are. Chinamen are numerous, too. 
 There are rej)resentatives of every European country and 
 people who are able to judge, say, of Asia also. Every now 
 and then you come across a Nubian or Abyssinian. Egyptians 
 are here in scores ; Arabs stalk about in the bazaars ; and I 
 believe I espied a Kafiir in a shop near Byculla. With such a 
 variety of nationalities there would very naturally be a diver- 
 sity of colour, and hence the picturesque appearance of the 
 crowd which assembled to welcome or to gaze at the Prince of 
 Wales. 
 
 To most of the inhabitants the Royal visit was very agree- 
 able. The cabdrivers quadrupled their fee*; the tradesmen in 
 tlie bazaars had the most delightful opportunity for fleecing 
 ilajalis — " young men from the country " — that ever presented 
 
THE A Ji RIVAL OF THE PHrNCE. 
 
 47 
 
 bo saluted in 
 Macdonald ; 
 lysterics, and 
 ^t length the 
 ilegraphed to 
 to salute the 
 eived the in- 
 mained in a 
 
 serious con- 
 y^body's sug. 
 
 work with 
 a short time 
 )r other the 
 1 others, so 
 iiity. Bom- 
 py than any 
 
 art of the 
 mt sects of 
 different 
 erous, too. 
 'untry and 
 Every now 
 
 Egyptians 
 ars ; and I 
 ^ith such a 
 )e a diver- 
 ice of the 
 ■ Prince of 
 
 ery agree- 
 desmen in 
 1' fleecinof 
 presented 
 
 M 
 
 itsolf • and as for the Europeans, they were all plact^l on sonio 
 committee or other, saw their names liguring everywhort!, and 
 their speeches reported with unwonted regularity. All this 
 being the case, no wonder Bombay turned out to witness the 
 Royal entry. Great preparations had been made. The gene- 
 alo<Ty of the Prince had been carefully traced and co[)ie(l into 
 the native papers. Poetry such as has been seldom read was 
 written and published. All along the line of route — it is need- 
 less for me to attempt to give the names of the streets — masts 
 called, for want of a better name, Venetian, had been erected ; 
 flags wore flying therefrom ; f(;.stoons connected mast with 
 mast ; coloured lamps, shortly to be lighted, were j)laced in 
 [)OHition ; and triumphal arches, more or less pretty, ap[)eared 
 at every cross road. Then the people came out en masse, and 
 crowded every road, street, and hine. Let it be remembered 
 tiiat in a city like Bombay this is less difficult than it would 
 be in London. Here the inhabitants, as a general rule, per- 
 form their toilettes by the side of the road. Gentlemt;n are 
 shaved while sitting on a kerbstone, ladies clean their teeth in 
 the centre of the thoro^ighfaro, friends adjust each other's top- 
 knots on their doorsteps, and in the street ablutions go on 
 merrily. Witnessing the procession forms nearly the sum 
 total of what the natives did on that — to them — memorable 
 day. 
 
 Visitors to the Dockyard and to the Club windows were re- 
 quested to appear in full dress. But no dress of the white 
 population, "full" though it may be, comes up to the costumes 
 which the natives donned that morning. And when I drove 
 from Parell and saw the gaily-painted houses, the brilliantly 
 green trees hung with coloured Chinese lanterns and long lines 
 of flags, the ti'ophies of banners, the triumphal arches, and the 
 busy road, all teeming with natives attired in bright costumes, 
 I felt that the Prince could have never looked on sucli a scene 
 elsewhere. I cannot say so much for the mottoes wliicli figured 
 over the gateways of the Rajahs and chieftains on the route, 
 
I f 
 
 48 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 Perhaps allowance slioukl be made for the fact that almost 
 all the ingenuity that Bombay possessed had been exhausted 
 on the illumination designs for the next night. To make the 
 place resplendent with light in lionour of the Prince's birthday, 
 every })Ossible design had been adopted. From every tree 
 hung lanterns j over every gateway were archways of lamps ; 
 on each lamp-post designs of crosses, stars, triangles, and 
 circles, glittered — for even in the daytime the glasses glittered 
 in the sun like diamonds — loops, made of bent twigs, support- 
 ing transparent cups full of oil, lined the roads, and great gas 
 jets, such as we sometimes see at home, completed the arrange- 
 ment. But if this was sr^tisfactory — and I fancy that a drive 
 round the town the next evening reminded the Prince of Wales 
 of the fiiiry tales of his youth rather than of anything else — the 
 mottoes were decidedly poor. You saw a fine archway with 
 letters in gilt and plenty of blue paint. You naturally ex- 
 pected something very appropriate to the visit, and set yourself 
 to decipher the pi-inting, when you found that it runs "God 
 bless your Boyal Mother," or, turning in another direction, 
 " Long Live the iloyal Family," or in another the single word 
 " Victoria." Here and there in front of a Parsee house was 
 some such remark as " Very glud to see the Prince of Wales," 
 or on a Mohammedan bungalow the letters " A. E.;" but, for 
 the rest, "Welcome to Lidia," or "Welcome to Bombay," oc- 
 curred very frequently, and then the ingenuity in this branch 
 of display came to an end, with one exception — namely at the 
 Dockyard gates, of which I will speak presently. 
 
 It was quite early in the morning when the " Serapis " was 
 sighted from Malabar Point and introduced to Bombay by two 
 guns, and nine o'clock had scarcely struck ere she entered the 
 harbour. Instantly the yards of the men-of-war, which lay in 
 two long lines, were manned, and so deafening a salute poured 
 out from the ships and the battery on shore that for many 
 minutes' space the very windows rattled. To attempt to see 
 
THE ARRIVAL OF THE VUTNCE, 
 
 40 
 
 ct that almost 
 Ben exhausted 
 To make the 
 ice's birthday, 
 m every tree 
 lys of lamps; 
 riangles, and 
 isses glittered 
 vigs, siipport- 
 and great gas 
 the arrange- 
 that a drive 
 nee of Wales 
 ing else^the 
 rchway with 
 laturally ex- 
 set yourself 
 ; runs "God 
 sr direction, 
 single word 
 house was 
 of Wales," 
 ; " but, for 
 >mbay," oo- 
 this branch 
 nely at the 
 
 apis " was 
 ay by two 
 itered the 
 lich lay in 
 ite poured 
 foi' many 
 ipt to see 
 
 -1 
 
 anything of the "Serapis" at such a time was simply foolish, 
 for tiie smoke in a dense cloud hid not only the coast, the 
 islands, and the distant hills, but enveloped the ships so com- 
 pletely that for nearly a quarter of an hour no part of them 
 could be discerned. When the smoko had gone and the air was 
 clear once more, it was seen that the " Serapis " had taken up 
 a position close by the " Osborne," which had arrived the night 
 before, and that she was not decorated with flags, as w(>re all 
 the ships in the harbour, but simply displayed the Royal Stand- 
 ard from her masthead. 
 
 I have already mentioned the native part of the town ; I 
 will now describe what was going on in the Fort, which was 
 more particularly the English quarter, so far as shops, offices, 
 jind public buildings are concerned. Very soon after seven 
 o'clock, well appointed broughams were driven into the Fort 
 all full of ladies and gentlemen bent on enjoyment. Happy 
 were the people whose offices or shops lay on the line of route, 
 for tliey could and did invite their friends to luncheon — called 
 "tiffin "here — and to a seat in their windows. Happier still 
 were the bachelors who belonged to the Bonil)ay Club, and 
 whose right to windows there and to invite friends was undis- 
 puted. But there was a happier class yet — the people who had 
 space available for the erection of a tasteful stand whereon to 
 place those whom they delighted to honour. All made the best 
 of their opportunity ; all did their utmost to celebrate the event; 
 and the result was that the Fort presented a pleasant picture 
 from the earliest hour in the morning. I have, in a previous 
 letter, mentioned the Esplanade. On this morning it looked 
 more beautiful than ever, a broad expanse of green grass, well 
 covered with trees, intersected by a fine road, and api)roached 
 by a magnificent street, shaded by wide-si)reading banians. 
 In the centre of the Esplanade is a tasteful statue of the Queen, 
 and, for a wonder, the Decoiating C' nmittee had the good 
 judgment not to improve it in any way. JJy night it would \h\ 
 
 
50 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 i I 
 
 1 I 
 
 lit up brilliantly ; but by day it was neither bduhicked with 
 rosettes nor Hags. The statue of tlie Queen, a splendid piece of 
 sculpture in marble, was left alone, and, as a consccjuenco, was 
 an ornament, and not an eyesore. At the moment of our imter- 
 ing the Dockyard in order to take the places which were assign- 
 ed us, the i)athways were full of people, the seats in front of the 
 houses were full, the windows were crammed, the space on the 
 Esplanade was occupied, and that part of Bombay which is not 
 aristocratic or oilicial enough to bo asked to the Dockyard, or 
 to have a seat at club or ottice windows, sat down to see the 
 Prince pass Ott,the way to Parell. 
 
 As an artistic structure the Dockyard shed had undoubted 
 merits ; it was capacious, light, and airy. A great temporary 
 building, thickly roofed, so that the rays of the sun cannot 
 penetrate it, open at the sides so far as is compatible with ex- 
 cluding said rays in those directions also, and of course open at 
 both ends, it was the very model of an Indian shelter. One end 
 looked out upon the sea, where the " Serapis '* lay at anchor, 
 and several of the men-of-war were in position also ; the other 
 terminated in an archway of exceptioiuxi beauty. I have, in 
 regard to the rest of Bombay, complained of a certain lack of 
 ingenuity in respect of the triumphal arches and their mottoes. 
 H(!re, however, was no ground for any such complaint. In 
 broad, English, golden characters on crimson ground, was the 
 word "Welcome;" on either side of this was an inscription in 
 Persian and Hindostanee. And a pleasant thought it was 
 which, in characters unintelligible to the English eye, but well 
 understood by the natives, was thus portrayed. " Worlds of 
 Welcome and Long Life," said the writer in gold upon crimson 
 on this pretty arch, v;liile on another a little way off he varied 
 the phrase, and drew the characters which mean " A Thousand 
 Welcomes to the Prince !" The interior of the shed was in 
 keeping with this idea. Banners were hung everywhere, the 
 seats were tastefully decorated with red cloth, banks of flowers 
 
 I li 
 
 ; 111 
 
THE AUHIVAL OF THE PRINCE. 
 
 51 
 
 0( locked with 
 Jiidid pioco of 
 iO(j[iieiioo, was 
 of our onter- 
 1 were ussign- 
 1 front of the 
 space on the 
 wliich is not 
 dockyard, or 
 tt to see the 
 
 i undoubted 
 
 t temporary 
 
 sun cannot 
 
 ble with ex- 
 
 urse open at 
 
 'I'. One end 
 
 at anchor, 
 
 ; the other 
 
 I have, in 
 
 ain lack of 
 
 )ir mottoes. 
 
 plaint. In 
 
 was the 
 
 cription in 
 
 :lit it was 
 
 !, but well 
 
 Worlds of 
 
 )n crimson 
 
 he varied 
 
 Thousand 
 
 id was in 
 
 vhere, the 
 
 of flowers 
 
 rose in what would otlK^rwiso bo vacant Hpacos, and th(^ air was 
 laden with perfume. Nor was thon^ any scramblo for place or 
 prot'odenco. Maharajah and Maliarana, CJ iiioowar and HubHlu'o^ 
 all luid their seats. Oouncilnuni and Couucillors, (.'ouhuI.s and 
 n(!W.s[)aper correspondouts, had all their appointed [jositions, 
 and sat quietly awaiting the advent of the Prince. On the 
 right-hand side of the passage facing the town, sat tho Guicowar 
 of Daroda, covered with jewels and surround(;d by attendants. 
 En the next corner, half reclining, half leaning on his sword, was 
 the Maliarana of Ood(^ypore. Oi)posite His Highness Prince of 
 Haroda, sat the Maharajah of Mysore, and separated by a tall 
 llowor-bush from him, was the Rajah of Kholapore. The other 
 and less important chieftains, all clad in marvellous drcjssos, all 
 glittering with jewels, and all accompanied by vast numbers of 
 retainers, were in seats api)ointed for them, and waited with 
 curiosity the arrival of the Prince. 
 
 They had not long to wait, for it was now 4 o'clock, and al- 
 ready a gun is fired. Let me draw the remarkable scene which 
 follows as it actually appeared to me. The Viceroy and Governor 
 of Bombay have severally boarded the " Serapis " and bid the 
 Prince welcome ; the yard-arms have been manned and the 
 guns of the lleet discharged in honour of Lord Northbiook ; and 
 the cannonade will soon begin again, for His Ifoyal Highness is 
 about to land. Steadily looking through a glass, we can see 
 the boats of the navy getting into line ; we notice close by the 
 " Serapis " a larger boat than the rest, with the Royal Standard 
 at the stern, getting into position at the Royal gangway, and 
 immediately afterwards, figures in red descending the steps. 
 Still there is no firing, no noise, when the boats all start off in 
 line, their oars dropping into the water and then glistening in 
 the sun. As they come towards land, considerable excitement 
 pi-evails in the shed. Political officers in their gold lace coats, 
 Maharajahs and Rajahs in dresses of velvet and diamonds, 
 Tliakoors, sahebs, and chiefs are all standing up ; the ladies, bril- 
 

 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 • 
 
 liantly dressed, are leaning forward ; Parsees — one old gentle- 
 man has a most portentous-looking address under his arm — are 
 gathering together ; the troops for the last time have their arms 
 at the "present." On tlie landing-stage the municipal corporation 
 has gnthered, and the Governor of Bombay, with his staff, is at 
 the extreme end of the little pier. Onward come thb boats, the 
 oars flashing and dipping. As yet it is too early to see who are 
 in them, and attention is once more diiected to the interior of 
 the shed. Then we notice that the Maharana of Oodeypore has 
 a shield ; that the Maharajah of Mysore has left all his diamonds 
 at home, and only wears strings of pearls ; that the Guicowar 
 has brought all his 1)rilliants with iiim ; and that after all, Sir 
 Salar Jung, in a black velvet dress, trimmed handsomely with 
 gold lace, is by far the most important native present, so far as 
 api)earances go. Let it not be forgotten that there are notable 
 Englishmen here also. See Sir Richard Meade in his full-dress 
 uniform, as he stands holding the Guicowar's right-hand ; notice 
 !Mr. Dalyel and C'olonel Malleson, on either side of the Malia- 
 i.ijah of Mysore; look at Colonel Herbert, with the Maharana 
 of Oodeypore, and Mr. Crawford — he who built Bombay market, 
 and made himself a name — with the Hubshee. These are all 
 renarkable men, worthy of admiration, seeing that on such as 
 these our Empire in the East depends. Nor should a curious 
 row of native journal) ';s be overlooked — gentlemen in turbans 
 or Parsees' hats, starched, white petticoats or red dresses, some 
 with bootS; and some witli no boots at all — the representatives 
 of native opinion in India, all of them literary persons of merit, 
 ^n tb.eir own estimation at least. 
 
 But, while yov are looking at these, the Prince's boat is ap- 
 proaching :ha shore, and the band, which erewhile was playing 
 a march, now ceases ; for the cannonade has begun, and a tre- 
 mendous din is being made, wliich would drown ten bands, or, 
 indexed, a liundre (. For u few minutes this thunder continues, 
 and then, as il i ; .silenced, " (rod save the Queen " is iieard ; th(! 
 
 .« 
 
 I ,1 , '• (^" 
 
I. 
 
 ne old gentle - 
 his arm — are 
 we their arms 
 al corporation 
 his staff, is at 
 the boats, the 
 see who are 
 le interior of 
 odeypore has 
 his diamonds 
 he Giiicowar 
 after all, Sir 
 'somely with 
 )nt, so far as 
 ) are notable 
 lis full-dress 
 and; notice 
 f the Maha- 
 - Maharana 
 bay market, 
 hese are all 
 on such as 
 i a curious 
 in turbans 
 esses, some 
 esentatives 
 IS of merit, 
 
 boat is ap- 
 as playing 
 and a tre- 
 bands, or, 
 continues, 
 uard: th(; 
 
 THE ABRTVAL OF THE PRINCE. 
 
 53 
 
 foremost boat touches the pier, the Prince springs to land, 
 and a loud cheer arises — a cheer which is taken up on the sea, 
 carried to the men who are on the yardarms of the vessels, 
 and by them sent back again to the shore. It is a welcome dt 
 for a Prince and worthy of a great Empire. Followed by Loid 
 Alfred Paget, the Duke of Sutherland, Lord Carington, Canon 
 Duckworth, Lord Aylesford, Colonel Owen Williams, and the 
 less important members of his suite, accompained, moreover, by 
 the Viceroy and the Governor of Bombay, the Prince passes the 
 guard of honour, dressed in white, and only stops when he 
 comes to the Parses with the address. Then he makes signs 
 of readiness ; without delay the address is unfolded, and the 
 Parsee begins. It is not so portentous as it looks, but is well 
 written, being the handiwork work of W. Maclean, the editor 
 of the " Bombay Gazette " ; and it is short, which is, indeed, 
 another undoubted merit. In general terms, it wis an expres- 
 sion of welcc. 3 and an assurance of loyalty to the Crown. 
 The Prince's reply follows, and is as short as the address. His 
 Royal Highness acknowledges the loyalty of the people, and 
 thanks them on behalf of the Queen. He notes what they say 
 of religious and political freedom, and congratulates them and 
 himself on the establishment of this freedom in England. Then, 
 in reply to some kindly words, about the Princess of Wales, he 
 remarks that she, too, would gladly have visited India, and con- 
 cludes by expressing his determination to convey to the Queen 
 the assurance of their good- will. This ends the speaking ; the 
 Prince at once moves forward, followed by his suite, and, as he 
 passes along, shakes hands with each Maharajah and Rajah. 
 Of course Sir Salar Jung is the first thus complimented, for he 
 has the post of honour ; the rest follow in order of precedence. 
 And thus the door is reached, when his Royal Higlmess enters 
 his carriage and drives away. Thus the streets are reached, 
 and the crowds of people are treated to the sight of the Heir 
 Apparent of England — a sight they acknowledge with loud and 
 continued cheerinir. 
 
F^H 
 
 I ! 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 ROYAL P ETES. 
 
 ' 
 
 l<! '' i 
 
 11 
 
 I shall always associate the illumination of Bombay with a 
 singular sight which was witnessed in the very centre of the 
 Mohammedan quarter on the fallowing night. The Prince, 
 having gone on board the " Serapis " to cut his birthday cake, 
 was expecced to land a little after six o'clock and drive round 
 the town. In honour of the ev^int the inhabitants, Moham- 
 medan, Parsee, and Hindoo, had done their utmost to outvie 
 each other. I have already stated that a characteristic trait of 
 the native mind here is the intense love of glass and light. 
 When in doubt as to the ornamentation of a room, the Hindoo 
 hangs up a huge chandelier ; if still in doubt, he adds another, 
 till sometimeL< he gets eight or ten in an apartment which would 
 be admirably lighted by a single gas jet. By this time he is 
 perfectly happy. He may have no chairs and no table ; the 
 noor can take care of itaelf — a mat and a pillow are quite suffi- 
 cient for that, but lie is well satisfied if plenty of glass hides the 
 ceiling. If he is very wealthy and very reckless, he makes 
 another addition, which adds to the beauty of the apartment 
 from his own point of v^iew. From a dealer in the bazaar he 
 purchases a large number of the cheap v^erman portraits, some 
 eighteen inches square, highly coloured and heavily framed and 
 glazed, and at a distance of half a foot from the ceiling he hangs 
 thirty or forty pictures of ladies with green hair and yellow 
 lips, gentlemen with blue cheehs and pink eyes, with pride and 
 satisfaction. He has no prejuc ice in the matter. He admires 
 the portrait of the Pope as much as he does a likeness of the 
 Emperor William, and he will put Napoleon III., Henri 
 
ROYAL FETES. 
 
 65 
 
 Bombay with a 
 7 centre of tlie 
 The Prince, 
 birthday cake, 
 td drive round 
 'ants, Moham- 
 nost to outvie 
 eristic trait of 
 tss and light. 
 '> the Hindoo 
 adds another, 
 which would 
 is time he is 
 
 table; the 
 ■e quite suffi- 
 ass hides the 
 ', te makes 
 
 ' apartment 
 i bazaar he 
 ti'aits, some 
 framed and 
 ^8 Jie hangs 
 md yellow 
 
 1 pride and 
 fe admires 
 loss of the 
 ^'f Henri 
 
 4 
 
 Rochefort, and the Crown Prince of Prussia in a line without 
 the slightest care. As a rule he does not know for whom the 
 pictures are intended. That is not at ail necessary. Like some 
 of us at home, who have in our rooms " A Portrait of a Gentle- 
 man," he values them simply because they are plentifully 
 painted, and because, when he lights up his chandeliers and sits 
 on the floor, he can see the gas glittering in the glass . 
 
 Nor must it be assumed that he will rest here. If lie chances 
 to have a verandah — and most likely he has — he will hang a 
 few chandeliers out there as well, with a dozen pictures or so 
 of the Napoleon and Rochefort sort, so that his friends and 
 acquaintances may admire his taste for art, and envy his pos- 
 KC'isions. And, besides all this, he will hang a lamp outside 
 nearly every window, so that on festivals he can light them up 
 too, and thus be happier than ever. Possessing such a taste, 
 then, there is no need for wonder if he can illuminate when 
 requested to do so, It is a labour of love — a pleasurable task, 
 which he understands much better than hanging out bunting; 
 and the way in which he proved this on the night of the illumi- 
 nations has placed the matter beyond a doubt for the future. 
 Bombay, however, is peculiarly fi^tted for such a display. Long, 
 picturesque streets, composed of quaint, Oriental houses, with 
 over-hanging gables, and gaudily-painted fronts of mosques, 
 Hindoo temples ornamented with all kinds of images, shrines, 
 churches, and noble public buildings abound — the genius of the 
 people did the rest. 
 
 I question whether such a sight as that which met the Prince 
 when he landed at the Mazagon pier and joined in the proces- 
 sion was ever seen before. It was not that he was in a gold 
 and silver chariot of immense value. Nor was it that the 
 troops drawn up in the fitful flashing glare appeared like giants. 
 The real spectacle was the town and its inliabitants. The peo- 
 ple thought the reverse, and ifithered to gaze at the Prince ; 
 uud the most wonderful sight o; all was the populace, VVlier- 
 
": I 
 
 , — «) 
 
 I' 
 
 i: 
 
 I. I 
 
 
 ill 
 
 \^ i^ 
 
 A I 
 
 h 
 
 III ( 
 
 I' 
 
 56 
 
 WITH THE rHINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 ev(3r tlioy could stand or sit they occupied a place. Wherever 
 they could put a light they fixed one. Not garish stars, crowns, 
 or flames of gas, but hundreds of thousands of tinted oil-lamps, 
 burning with a subdued light, yet marking out every line of 
 architecture in this extraordinary place. From the pavement, 
 starting out from the people who sat thickly on the paths, 
 rose pyramids and clouds of fire ; the steps of public build- 
 ings were covered with myriads of glasses, all full of burn- 
 ing oil, fed by women, who with cans in their hands flitted 
 hither and thither, and kept up the blaze. The great Govern- 
 ment buildings were marked out in the same fashion along the 
 roofs and the lines of windows, over the doors, and even to the 
 tops of the roofs, without regard to trouble or cost ; and if pub- 
 lic places were thus radiant, the private dwelling-houses of the 
 natives rivalled them with their chandeliers, lamps, and trans- 
 parent devices. 
 
 It was one of these that I specially noticed, and it told more 
 about the native character than volumes specially written could 
 have said. Under a glittering canopy, closely packed together, 
 with their best turbans on their heads and their finest linen 
 robes, sat a cluster of Mohammedan patriarchs. Their childish 
 glee was immense, and they waited with pardonablv^ pride for 
 the advent of the Prince. But it was not their delight or dress, 
 nor, indeed, was it the arch under which they sat. High over- 
 head, i'^ great, square letters brilliantly lighted from behind and 
 plain U- ?ew for nearly a quarter of a mile, was the inscription 
 on Will \ xliey had set their hea}'ts. It was a quaint expres- 
 sion, one probably that will be read with a smile by the edu- 
 cated aiid refined people at home : but it was the heartfelt 
 exclamation of these simple folk, and ran thus : ''Tell mamma 
 we're happy." No one that looked for a moment at the collec- 
 tion of ugly but contented faces under that archway could have 
 had the slightest doubt that their transparency told the truth, 
 and that in view of the visit of the Prince, the Mohammedans 
 of Bombay are happy. 
 
I. 
 
 ROYAL FETES. 
 
 57 
 
 B. Wherever 
 stars, crowns, 
 ited oil-lamps, 
 every line of 
 he pavement, 
 on the paths, 
 public build- 
 full of burn- 
 hands flitted 
 jreat Govern- 
 ion along the 
 d even to the 
 ; and if pub- 
 houses of the 
 )s, and trans- 
 
 l it told more 
 written could 
 ked together, 
 finest linen 
 heir childish 
 )lv? pride for 
 ght or dress. 
 High over- 
 behind and 
 inscription 
 aint expres- 
 by the edu- 
 ■le heartfelt 
 ell mamma 
 the collec- 
 could have 
 the truth, 
 lammedans 
 
 In Bombay the native is not only acknowledged as " a man 
 and a brother," but he is a constant companion. You meet him 
 at receptions ; you tread on his sliot;les.s toes at levees ; you sit 
 next to him in the councils ; and if you chance to be an evil- 
 doer, you may make his acquaintance, first of all, in the garb of 
 a policeman, and, secondly, in the robe of a judge. He takes 
 the chair at meetings, regulates your gas and water supi)ly, 
 probably stands toward you in the relation of a landlord, and 
 occasionally in that o*" a creditor — in wliich latter case, I am 
 told, he is a little less relenting than Portia, who, it will be 
 remembered, first recited an ode to Mercy, and then pursued 
 the misguided Shylock. But at the Byculla Club you only see 
 him in the guise of a servant ; he eats no dinner in the grand 
 saloon ; his residence is not in the chambers which skirt the 
 racecourse ; the American chairs in the reading-room are not 
 for him ; and if he were to venture to come there, he would 
 probably meet with much such a reception as a stranger in the 
 London Stock Exchange. Thus at the ball which the Byculla 
 Club gave to the Prince of Wales next evening, the Parsee's 
 inefiably ugly head-dress as well as the hideous turban of the 
 Mahratta were alike absent. 
 
 A great many uncomfortable prognostications had been 
 hazarded about that ball. The Prince would not come, there 
 would be only seventy ladies to seven hundred gentlemen, no- 
 body of any importance would be there ; it would be a failure, 
 and nothing else. But, to the confusion of the croakers and 
 the delight of the club, all this was reversed. The Prince not 
 only came, but danced nearly every time the band played ; the 
 ladies were very nearly equal in number to the gentlemen, the 
 night was one of the merriest on record, and the whole thing 
 was a grand success. The club deserved it. To make a supper- 
 room they had erected a huge booth with palm leaves and 
 canvas, and decorated it so beautifully with flowers that it 
 resembled the garden which Aladdin saw when he found the 
 
 4 
 
58 
 
 WITH THE FRINGE IN INDIA. 
 
 • ''.' 
 
 ! n 
 
 i I! 
 
 ;!' ! 
 
 liuiiji more than a temporary structure of a day's growth ; and 
 for the dancers the diniiig-hall of the club had been beautified 
 without any regard to cost. Artificial fountains had been placed 
 in adjoining rooms, leafy bowers constructed, and even a wall 
 of ice blocks fixed behind these bowers, so that, when sitting in 
 them, tlie heat of Bombay was forgotten, and the climate found 
 to be that of the temperate zone. 
 
 I remember once hearing a lecture on dancing. The speaker 
 was a melancholy man, whose chief objection to the diversion 
 was that its votaries unconsciously waste a great amount ol 
 time in pursuit of wh;it, after all, was an evanescent and unsatis- 
 factory pleasure. What that unhai)py person would have said 
 of the Byculla ball, it is impossible to conceive. Whether it 
 was the eftect of a good, Euro})ean, military band, or the novel 
 fact of a large gathering of ladies, or the presence of the Prince, 
 or the determination to maintain the character of the club, it ia 
 impossible to say. But, whatever was the cause, the hours were 
 made to fly by with such extraordinary rapidity that when six 
 o'clock came, they were still waltzing, regardless of daylight and 
 the clock-hands alike. Did the Prince dance? Ask any lady 
 in the room. Without favour of any kind, and determined only 
 to give happiness to everybody present, his Royal Highness led 
 first one and then another into the space reserved for himself 
 and suite, till at last he oi-dered that even this restriction should 
 be done away with, and to the amusement of poor old Sir Philip 
 Wodehouse, who looked on with undisguised astonishment, 
 galloped round the room as though he had lived in Bombay all 
 his life, and was not the observed of all observers. How the 
 various sets were formed it boots not to say. English readers 
 would not recognise many names, and, indeed, would gain but 
 little information if they did. Suilice it to say that all went off 
 satisfactorily, that the supper was a great success, and that, 
 when at length the dancing was over, the Byculla Club had to 
 congratulate itself on having given one of the most admirable 
 fetes in Bombay. 
 
BOYAL FETES. 
 
 69 
 
 growth ; and 
 en beautified 
 i been placed 
 even a wall 
 len sitting in 
 limate found 
 
 The speaker 
 
 he diversion 
 
 t amount oi 
 
 and unsatis- 
 
 ild have said 
 
 Whether it 
 or the novel 
 P the Prince, 
 lie club, it ia 
 p hours were 
 at when six 
 laylight and 
 sk any lady 
 rmined only 
 fighness led 
 
 for himself 
 3tion should 
 d Sir Philip 
 
 ;onishment, 
 Bombay all 
 How the 
 
 isli readers 
 
 Id gain but 
 
 ill went off 
 and that, 
 
 )lub had to 
 admirable 
 
 Cut if the Byculla ball was a success, the Masons of Bombay 
 can boast of having achieved something exactly the reverse. 
 Tlio first thought which strikes a stranger on arriving at tliis 
 gate of India is one of amazement at the butter tlicy offov you 
 at table. How it can be made so nasty, by what ingenuity 
 cream can be so terribly sjioiled, and who first found out the way 
 of producing such an unsavoury mess, are questions that occur 
 to the mind in succession. So with the ceremony attendant on 
 laying the foundation-stone of the Elphinstone Dock, an incident 
 on which the inhabitants of Bombay had set great expectations, 
 one marvels how such a strange jumble could have been 
 contrived. It was certainly not the result of lackadaisical 
 managers. Everything was arranged with the precision of 
 norapany drill. How the Europeans were to dress, what would 
 be required of Parsee brothers, what Hindoos might not wear, 
 and what was expected of Mahammedans, were all detailed with 
 marvellous minuteness. 
 
 As to the programme, it was a document quite a yard in 
 length, and explicit in every particular. Not only did it 
 regulate the procession, but it provided for everything that it 
 should do. Who were to carry drawn swords, and who wands ; 
 who should have the plans in his pocket, and who should carry 
 the coins; where the visitors "of distinction" should walk, 
 and where those who were not " of distinction " should come ; 
 who should bear the trowel, and who should mix the mortar, 
 were all specified by name, with long strings of letters after 
 their cognomens, and the designation of their lodges. Even 
 the lowering of the stone was to be achieved, not to the lively 
 tune of a waltz, not to some unconsidered air from Lecocq, nor 
 even to a " song without words," though a Mendelssr>hn might 
 have written it, but " to slow music." The very movements of 
 the " brethren " who guarded the banners and the brethren who 
 had no banners to guard, but wore aprons and sashes, were to be 
 regulated by brethren who had long white wands, whose 
 
i.l 
 
 if 
 
 60 
 
 WITH THE FBINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 
 » 
 
 fl 
 
 1 ',' 
 
 ■ 1 
 
 fi 
 
 I 
 
 fi! 
 
 I 
 
 
 r- 
 
 Ml 
 
 f i 
 
 1 1 
 
 discretion might be relied upon. The prayer was ready, the 
 address was written, the corn, wine, and oil were in their places, 
 to be poured upon the stone at a certain stated moment, and 
 even the " brethren " drawn up on either side of the carpet, 
 upon which the Prince in entering would walk, had their toes 
 in the exact position indicated, and their banners in the places 
 signified by the instructions " in such case made and provided." 
 I will not trouble my readers with an account of the position 
 occupied by the Grand Pursuivant, the Grand Zend-Avesta 
 Bearer, the Grand District Chaplain, and the Ionic light. It is 
 of more importance to know vdiere the specially invited specta- 
 ,.-:r wore. Under a beautiful canopy, tastefullj'- decorated and 
 ple-isantly ornamented with green foliage, tiers of seats were 
 placed on either side the central ave^^ue, all numbered and 
 ticketed. Where the Pajah of Kholapore and where the Chief of 
 Jumkundi should sit, how many followers' the Khan of Jinjeera 
 might bring with him — the gentleman who wears a gilt Euro- 
 pean chimney-pot head-dress upside down — and what was to 
 be done with them, had all been arranged. When they came 
 in, therefore — those of them that did come — they were taken 
 to the seats apportioned to them, and placed there — not allowed 
 to go nearer to the foundation stone or further from it, but 
 fixed in the numbered seats, as though In the stalls at a theatre. 
 At length a drum-and-fife band outside announced, by the 
 nearest imitation to "God save the Queen" that it could de- 
 vise on t>e spur of the moment, that the Prince hp.d arrived, 
 and thon the regulations began to work. His Pcyal Highness 
 was met at the door by what a local paper calls a " brilliant 
 throng." It was a throng, certainly; of its brilliancy I am Vy no 
 means so sure. If, however, sashes of an uncertain blue and 
 collars of a dingy red constitute brillinncv, the gathering was 
 what the newspaper called it, without doubt. AIol^ the 
 avenue formed by the brethren whose backs we had been con- 
 templating, moved the prooession- 
 
 -grand 
 
 stewards. 
 
 grand 
 
ROYAL FETES. 
 
 61 
 
 ready, the 
 heir places, 
 3ment, and 
 the carpet, 
 I their toes 
 the places 
 provided." 
 lie position 
 ind-xivesta 
 ght. It is 
 ted specta- 
 orated and 
 ?ieats were 
 bered and 
 he Chief of 
 )f Jinjeera 
 gilt Euro- 
 lat was to 
 hey came 
 ere taken 
 )t allowed 
 m it, but 
 a theatre. 
 , by the 
 30uld de- 
 arrived, 
 i^^hncss 
 brilliant 
 m hy no 
 liie and 
 ting v:as 
 )L <: the 
 3en con- 
 grand 
 
 deacons, grand organists, grand bibhvboarers, some scores of 
 grand olHcers with sticks and banners, and all the ini[tlements 
 of architecture on cushions. And behind all came the Prince 
 of Wales, preceded by grand sword-bearers and a gentleman, 
 who, whatever his technical name, should bo called grand 
 candle-bearer. 
 
 Proceeding to the throne, which was close to the foundation 
 stone, the Prince sat down, and was immediately surrounded 
 by the *' brilliant throng " and the brethren who had kept the 
 line. From that time we saw no more, except a long row of 
 badly matched, and in many cases indifferently clothed, backs. 
 The Rajahs are usually patient men when they come into 
 contact with English officials. They will wait almost any 
 length of time, walk almost any distance, and go in almost any 
 order. But they could not stand the slight put upon them at 
 the docks, and they quickly rose in a body and moved off. The 
 backs of Parsee hats and European coats were, after all, not 
 sufficiently interesting to detain them any longer. I am told 
 that speeches were made ; that an address was delivered to 
 the Prince ; and that his Royal Highness replied in the follow- 
 ing terms : 
 
 " Right Worshipful, Worshipful, and other Brethrta, — I thank you for 
 your address. I have learnt with great pleasure the flourishing condition 
 of the Craft in this part of India, and the elliciency with which lodges 
 annually increasing in number fulfil the objects of their institution by 
 unitir,;^ together nrien of various races an'l creeds in the bonds of fraternal 
 brotherhood, by giving them common objects of exertion for extending 
 the knowledge of our ancient Craft, and for promoting the good of all 
 mankind. It is a great pleasure to me to join the brethren in Bombay in 
 a work which will tend to the protection of life and property, to the ex- 
 tension of trade, and to add to the prosperity and happiness of large bodies 
 of our fellow-men." 
 
 I was also informed that at length the stone was declared well 
 and truly laid, but I cannot, vouch for this. The continued 
 view of five hundred and fifty-two backs was, after all, some- 
 what tedious. 
 
 ...-)JLl.lJL.^.l'i^J^ 
 
" 
 
 li I 
 
 '1 
 
 1 ! 'I 
 
 ' i 
 
 ^ 
 
 1, 
 
 r,2 
 
 WITH THE riilNCE IN INhlA. 
 
 I wish that tlioso who would deprive our uiuiineis of beer 
 couhl huvo Hoen tlio sailors of the fleet at the entoitainmcnt 
 which be<^an betbre the Masonic festival, and lasted lonj^ after 
 it was over. With that hospitality which is so characteristic 
 of the Anglo-Indian, the people of Bombay had determined to 
 feast the men of the fleet ; and accordingly invited them — two 
 thousand in number — to a great banquet in the booth where, 
 on the day before, the children were feted. I have already 
 told you how the decorations of the booth were made in prison ; 
 how goldfoil and tinfoil flags were manufactured by the de- 
 tained ones ; how wreaths and garlands of artificial flowers were 
 contrived, and how even great efforts in the way of painting 
 were made. Would that the reader could have seen the berth 
 when finished, with its avenues of palm leaves and its coloured 
 festoons ; the table s})read with roast sucking-pigs, plum-puddings, 
 ducks, fowls, great pieces of beef, and all the rest that the 
 sailor loves. I have hinted that there was beer on the table, 
 and so there was. By each plate stood a bottle of Bass' ale 
 and a bottle of Guinness' stout — not tiny pint bottles, contain- 
 ing only a draught, but the large vessels of delight known as 
 quarts. Besides this, there were pipes — clean, white clays — 
 and cakes of tobacco, lemonads and seltzer water for the tee- 
 totallers, and an illuminated card as a souvenir of the festival. 
 No wonder that as the bands played " Unita " the sailors and 
 marines marched bravely in ; no marvel that, to the tune of 
 "The Roast Beef of Old England," they grasped their knives 
 and forks with the air of determined men. I never saw food 
 disappear with half the rapidity before. Sucking-pigs divided 
 into quarters, fowls into halves, great heaps of salad filled every 
 plate, and very soon every mouth too ; and for a time there 
 was a silence, only broken by the clatter of knives and forks. 
 It was a moment of action, not talking, and the sailors kne\v 
 it. Little need was there for their officers to walk up and 
 down to encourage them to make themselves at home. They 
 
 
 *!... 
 
-;» — 
 
 ROYAL FETfCS. 
 
 63 
 
 )VH of beoi" 
 3rtaininciit 
 . lon<j alter 
 iractoristic 
 LTiiiined to 
 hem — two 
 oth where, 
 ve already 
 in i)rison ; 
 by the de- 
 Dwers were 
 'f painting 
 . the berth 
 ;s coloured 
 i-piidilings, 
 ; that the 
 the table, 
 Bass' ale 
 contain- 
 known as 
 clays — 
 )r the tee- 
 festival, 
 ilors and 
 tune of 
 ir knives 
 saw food 
 :s divided 
 led every 
 me there 
 [id forks, 
 ors knew 
 f up and 
 3. They 
 
 were quite at home, and for lialf an hour ate continually, un- 
 abashed by the crowd of ladies who lo(jked on and envied their 
 appetites. 
 
 But even sailors cannot eat foi-ever, and at length the knives 
 and forks were heard no more, although more jiigs were on the 
 table, and reinforcements of ducks were being brought up ; the 
 mariners w(;ro obliged to fall back upon their pipes and beer. 
 This they did, and it was just in the midst of all this hilarity 
 that the band played *' God Save the Queen " and the Prince 
 of Wales entered, Down went the pipes, up jumped the 
 sailors, and out went such a cheer as was surely n(3ver heard 
 in Bombay before. And then they ran for a form on which 
 the Prince might stand and look at them, whereupon his Royal 
 Highness jumped up in the most good-natured fashion possible, 
 and, with a glass of lemonade in his hand, shouted out in a 
 clear, strong voice : " My lads, I am very glad to see you. I 
 hope you are all enjoying yourselves. I drink to the health 
 and prosperity of the Indian and Flying Squadrons." It is 
 superfluous to say that the sailors were excited. They cheered 
 again and again, and would by no means sit down till his Royal 
 Highness had gone the round of the tent and taken his de- 
 parture in a carriage. Then the noise somewhat subsided ; 
 there was more smoking, and after that came singing. 
 
 One song almost deserves to be given, for it was the compo- 
 sition of a Jack Tar. It was sung by a Mr. Spry, the captain of 
 the forecastle of the " Serapis," and capitally did he sing it. 
 The tune was the well-known air of " God bless the Prince of 
 Wales," and the men joined in the chorus, as though it were 
 their very last opportunity. 
 
 " Look at youi' noble vessels in buntir"; dressed so gay ; 
 The sight is grand, their yards widl manned — yes, 'tis a glorious day. 
 And skimming o'er the water, like birds upon the whig, 
 Are boats, brave hearts containing, to greet their fut.ure king." 
 
i) 
 
 ! i'l 
 
 t 
 
 .. » • U 
 
 J; 
 f 
 
 i! 
 
 ; i: 
 
 i 
 
 64 WITH Tilt: rUINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 CuoiiUH : *'('om<*, all y« British Hoamen ; with .shouts thi; iiir 
 shall riiij,' ; 
 Three loiul huzzas, my hearty tars, for England's 
 future king." 
 
 "Liong may such cries of welconu', be heard from India's shore I 
 May IIiuivcu pour down on P]ngland's crown its blessings evermore f 
 Our tars upon the ocean, long may their pennant wave, 
 Our troops maintain their glorious name — the bravest of the brave." 
 
 Chorus, &c. 
 
 When this was done, the band played polkas, and the sailors 
 danced on the green, with the tinfoil flags in their caps and 
 green leaves in their button-holes ; and in this way the festivi- 
 ties were kept up long after the moon had replaced the sun, 
 and lit up the scene with silvery in place of golden rays. 
 
 As a country noted for struggles and battles, India may, I 
 think, fairly claim to hold its own from time immemorial, and 
 it has now another battle to add to its abnormally lengthy roll. 
 It had been announced that "the first Royal lev6e ever held in 
 this country " would take place at the Secretariat. Those who 
 wished to be presented to the Pj'ince were to send in their 
 names ; those who were selected went, of course, in full dress. 
 Of the three thousand or so who desired to come a third received 
 tickets, and prepared to go. Now, full dress meant a singular 
 variety of costumes. To the Parsee it signified wide-spreading 
 starched petticoats; to the Hindoo a wliite dress with less 
 starch ; to the military man full uniform, sword and spurs ; to 
 the civilian Court dress or the claw-hammer coat. I am parti- 
 cular in specifying the swords and spurs, as they were destined 
 to play an important part in ths day's proceedings. I have 
 mentioned the dress of the Parsees and Hindoos for a similar 
 reason. The Secretariat is outwardly a fine, handsome build- 
 ing. Inside, too, it has a vast number of rooms, in which 
 native clerks and European oUicials transact the business of the 
 Presidency with more or less despatch. But it is not fitted for 
 
 ■t I 
 
 i -i' 
 
ROYAL FETE Hi. 
 
 65 
 
 outs tli(! !iir 
 Englund'H 
 
 I 
 ermore I 
 
 brave. " 
 
 he sailors 
 caps and 
 le festivi- 
 the sun^ 
 ys. 
 
 a may, I 
 
 3rial, and 
 
 jthy roll. 
 
 r held in 
 
 liose who 
 
 in their 
 
 1 dress. 
 
 ■eceived 
 
 singular 
 
 ;)re;iding 
 
 ^ith less 
 
 )urs ; to 
 
 n parti- 
 
 estined 
 
 I have 
 
 similar 
 
 3 build- 
 
 which 
 
 of the 
 
 ted for 
 
 a lev6e, especially when a thousand persons are invitetl to 
 " assist" thereat. The; afternoon was terribly hot ; scarcely tlu^ 
 faintest breeze came from the sea, when the crowd in *' full 
 dress" arrived at the Secretariat. 
 
 To make tlui position clear to the English reader, it is neces- 
 sary to say that a dais had been erected at the side of one room, 
 and that it had been arrangcid that the Prince, accompanied by 
 his .suite, .should occupy this, wliile the happy holders of cards 
 marchcid V)y and bowed. To })n!vent anything like a rush into 
 the Royal i)resence, the room innnediately leading into the re- 
 ception-saloon had been very judiciously divided into several 
 comj)artments by stout barriers, over wiiich policemen k(!])t 
 guard. But similar precautions were not taken with regard to 
 the library which preceded this — the room into which the card- 
 holders were shown. H«'re was an apartment capable of hold- 
 ing a hundred people without serious discomfort on a 
 moderately cool day, say for ten minutes. In such a cas(; no 
 particular discomfiture need have been experienced. But here 
 was a broiling day, the hottest to which Bombay has been 
 treated for some time, and by way of making amends for this 
 additional inconvenience the crowd, as it arrived, was allowed to 
 press into the room without let or hindrance. It is almost need- 
 less to say, that in a very few minutes the place was so full 
 that not another individual could gain foothold, and that the 
 result was a very pretty and instructive scene. I omitted to 
 mention that special directions had been given to the invited to 
 be at the Secretariat very early. Let me now add that by some 
 misunderstanding or other the Prince came very late, and the 
 situation will be understood. 
 
 In that heated room four hundred persons were crushed 
 together with all the f'^ "^vj that as many more coming up the 
 staircase could employ; and for half-an-hour this state of things 
 continued without relief But it was when the first barrier at 
 length opened, and a dozen or so of the perspiring courtiers 
 
V 
 
 W 
 
 I 
 
 Ih 
 
 if 
 
 !l 
 r 
 li 
 
 11 
 
 r: 
 
 !;i 
 
 
 i 
 
 11 
 
 
 I* 
 
 ! (; 
 
 i I 
 
 tH. 
 
 66 
 
 M^iVii THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 wore admitted, that the fun began. No sooner did the barrier 
 rise for an instant than a rush took place from all sides of the 
 room, the convorqing force of the crowd bearing upon the unfor- 
 tunate ones in the centre. F'or a few minuter Parsees, Hindoos, 
 and Englishmen were pushing alike with a]l their might. But 
 presently there was a movement for which ] could not account. 
 The nativeji appeared to be directing their efforts to getting 
 away from the militar}' men, of whom there wera scores m the 
 crowd, rather than to reaching the barrier. There was a stout 
 Parsee with his hat on the very back of his head, making a 
 series of grimaces for which no mere pressure could account ; 
 there was a grim smile on the faces of officers which could 
 scarcely be caused by the crush and the fray. Was it the full 
 dress that had done it 1 Yes ; those military men wore spurs, 
 and the Parsee dress was thin. Need I say more? What the 
 hard sword-handle failed to effect — and that was a powerful 
 agent in persuading neighbouring natives to move a little fur- 
 ther off — the spur achieve I with ease. No Parsee would ven- 
 ture to place his unprotected ankle against the uncomfortable 
 appanage of the soldiers' full-dress, but struggled hard to place 
 a trousered European between himself and the warriors ; so the 
 crowd swayed backward and forward; coat-tails were torn off; 
 cravats an,^. collars became limp ; starched gowns were tangled 
 and rent ; and in the end the steam:^\g, rumpled crowd passed 
 by the Prince in a dishevelled, disreputable condition, such as 
 might be expected of men, who, for nearly an hour, had been 
 mangled in such a tLiong on sucli a day. 
 
 Once in the reGei)tion-hall, however, everything was well 
 arranged. To the right of the Prince stood Sir Philip Wode- 
 house ; on the left of his Royal Highness were the Duke of 
 Sutherland, Lord Alfred Paget, and Loid Charles Beresford, all 
 in uniform. Behind them ,vere ranged the Government ser- 
 vaiits, attired in scarlet coats, and wearing turbans of white 
 and gold. These took it by turns to wave the huge gilt pun- 
 
ROYAL FETES. 
 
 67 
 
 :he barrier 
 
 ides of the 
 
 the unfor- 
 
 1, Hindoos, 
 
 ight. But 
 
 )t account. 
 
 to getting 
 
 )re3 m the 
 
 ^as a stout 
 
 making a 
 
 I account; 
 
 lich could 
 
 it the full 
 
 ore spurs, 
 
 What the 
 
 . powerful 
 
 I little fur- 
 
 i^ould ven- 
 
 )mfortable 
 
 to place 
 
 s ; so the 
 
 torn oflF; 
 
 e tangled 
 
 vd passed 
 
 such as 
 
 had been 
 
 was well 
 ip Wode- 
 Duke of 
 sford, all 
 ment ser- 
 of white 
 gilt pun- 
 
 kahs, or fans attached to the ceiling, and so stirr(>d the air, 
 and rendered the heat less op[)ressive than it would otherwise 
 have been. As for the Prince, it is almost needless to say that 
 he received those who were presented, pleasantly, bowing grace- 
 fully to them as they went by, and now and then bestowing 
 some particular mark of approbation upon well-known and 
 honoured members of the community, 
 
 Immcidiately after the leA-^^e the Prince was conducted to a 
 wide-stretching piece of grass-land near the Esplanade, where 
 some thousands of the children of Bombay were being feasted 
 and amused. It is impossible to imagine a prettier sight than 
 that which these little ones presented. A huge bower of leaves 
 and coloured bunting, divided into compartments in such a 
 manner as to resemble a miniature forest, had been erected for 
 them, and inside this the children had been treated to tea, ices, 
 fruit, and cakes. By the time the Prince arrived, however, they 
 had all left the booth and taken up their position in long lines 
 opposite a kind of stand erected for the reception of his Royal 
 Highness, and hbLO they patiently waited the coming of the 
 Prince. The great characteristic of a Bombay crowd is the 
 variety of colour which is massed together, and in the case of 
 the children this was especially noticeable. Nearly all the 
 Parsee boys wore gold or silver caps, black velvet jackets 
 trimmed with gold lace, and little silken knickerbockers of 
 various hues. The girls had light shawls over their heads — 
 cerise, light blue, bright green, yellow, pink, purple, and white 
 being the most common. The effect was exceedingly striking, 
 and could not have been produced in any other country. Sud- 
 denly a signal was given, and all the little ones jumped up and 
 began to cheer. Simultaneously the carriage of the Prince, 
 escorted by a body-guard of Dragoons, entined the enclosure, 
 and hastened up to the stand. Witnout any delay his Royal 
 Highness alighted, mounted to the place assigned to him, and 
 bowed repeatedly to his tiny a.buirers, who testified in every 
 
68 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 
 i'\l 
 
 'I I 
 
 possible way their delight at thus seeing the Prince. But, if they 
 cheered when he thus bowed to them and smiled, their voices 
 rose to the shrillest pitch when a pretty Parsee girl, stepping 
 lightly up to his Royal Highness, made him a deep curtsey, and 
 then threw a garland of white flowers over his neck. They 
 jumped on the forms and waved their hands ; they shouted, and 
 stamped, and clapped their hands together, and danced for very 
 joy at thus seeing the distinguished stranger accepting their 
 gift, and actually standing in front of them with the garland on. 
 A moment later, another little girl ran up the steps of the stage 
 and presented the Prince with a bouquet of flowers ; whereat 
 the children cheered again. 
 
 But the ceremony of the evening, so far as the little ones 
 were concerned, was yet to come. A lane was formed in front 
 of the stand, and thither a num jer of pretty girls and bo3\s were 
 conducted. Then, amid perfect silence, these young people 
 struck up a song in Guzerathi in honour of the Prince. First, 
 the girls would sing, clapping their hands together now and 
 then in a rhythmical manner ; then the boys would reply, and 
 presently all would join in a strange chorus. Sometimes their 
 song was low, almost in a whisj)er ; then they would shout out 
 with all their might, and make the air ring again. Perhaps 
 their chant was a little long, and, to those who could not under- 
 stand it, a little tedious ; but his Boyal Highness looked graci- 
 ously on, and, when it was finished, thanked his little admirers, 
 and so drove away amidst more cheering than ever. These 
 were the words of the song : 
 
 J i 
 
 "All hail to thee ! most noble Prince ; this day 
 To tliee in song we would our homage pay ; 
 Tliough far away thy mother's splendour streams, 
 These distant realms are gladdened by the beams, 
 When thou, her empire's heir, our Prince, art found 
 Here, in our mid.st, upon the Indian ground, 
 While all the nation rises up to greet 
 
 , iMv, 
 
ROYAL FETES. 
 
 69 
 
 But, if thoy 
 heir voices 
 1, stepping 
 irtsey, and 
 !ck. They 
 Louted, and 
 Bd for very 
 iting their 
 jarland on. 
 >f the stage 
 } ; whereat 
 
 little ones 
 
 ed in front 
 
 boj^s were 
 
 mg people 
 
 ce. First, 
 
 now and 
 
 reply, and 
 
 imes their 
 
 shout out 
 
 Perhaps 
 
 ot under- 
 
 ed graci- 
 
 admirers, 
 
 These 
 
 Our Royal guest. But for a welcome meet 
 What can we render but our loyal love. 
 And hope that all thy life may noble prove !" 
 
 As the sun was setting, fireworks were sent up for the 
 amusement of the little singers and their companions, and then 
 they dispersed. 
 
 Perhaps the most enjoyable fete at which his Royal Highness 
 was present in or about Bombay was the visit to the Caves of 
 Elephanta. It had been previously announced that the trip 
 would take place at evening, that the caves would be illumi- 
 nated, that the fleet would be lighted up, that fireworks would 
 be let oflT, and that a pic-nic would take place ; and to gain invi 
 tations half Bombay excited itself. They would have given up 
 the receptions, their seats at the dock stone-laying ceremony, 
 and even sacrificed their tickets for the Masonic ball, for the 
 sake of the Elephanta Caves and its delights. But it was all to 
 no purpose — only 160 were invited, and these started from the 
 Apollo pier. It was a particularly bright afternoon when we 
 assembled on the pier, ready to embark on board one of the 
 three steamers which were in waiting for passengers. The 
 ships in the harbour were gay with bunting \ over the purple 
 hills which skirt the water could be seen a dark blue sky of 
 which you have no idea in England ; the sun's rays danced 
 merrily on the waves ; while, through the crevices in the rocks, 
 where light did not penetrate so readily, and which thus enabled 
 the eye to overcome the glare, could be seen the round moon 
 rising. A few more minutes and we were all on board ; a very 
 few minutes later and the sun had suddenly disap})eared below 
 the horizon. 
 
 There are certain sights which remain impressed on the 
 mind ; such a one shortly presented itself to us who were bound 
 for the Elephanta Caves. Let me say that these caves are situ- 
 ated in the centre of a huge hill which rises abruptly from an 
 ibland, and may be seen for miles. All over the sides of the 
 
t>- » 
 
 70 
 
 ^VITll THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 hill is jungle — thick, impassable bush : rumour says, full of 
 snakes — a grand spot being left here and there for those who 
 love pick-nicking and a day in the wild parts of the island. 
 To reach the temple or cave in which the Hindoos many years 
 ago worshii)ped, it is necessary to ascend a long flight of stone 
 steps ; and here it Avas tliac the ingenuity of those whose busi- 
 ness it was to arrange the fete had first exerted itself. All 
 along these ste[)S, reaching nearly to the top of the mountain, 
 were brilliant lines of light, thousands of tiny lamps suspended 
 from arched supports all along the line of passage, rigiit up to 
 tlie very mouth of the caves. It is needless to say that we 
 greatly admired all this, and were not long in going up the 
 ascent, and ranging ourselves in lines, in order that the Prince 
 might pass through to the banqueting-hall for the caves were 
 arranged for a banquet of no unimportant character — not a 
 mere "snack" of refreshment, but a substantial repast, such as 
 people need at six in the evening who have come a considerable 
 distance on the sea. When his Royal Highness came the band 
 struck up merrily, the guests went to their places, and the feast 
 began. 
 
 The native religion and the native temple may ordinarily be 
 dark, but we certainly had light enough. From the rocky ceil- 
 ing hung large chandeliers , from the floor rose pyramids of 
 light in the shape of devices in lanterns; the dais on which the 
 Prince sat was glittering with wax candles, and evfii the 
 smaller caves, which boasted curious histories, were illuminated 
 in like manner. It is unnecessary to detail the banquet ; and 
 as for the speech, it was comprised in a single sentence by Sir 
 Philip Wodehouse, who murmured : "Gentlemen, I propose the 
 health of 'The Queen,'" and then sat down; whereupon the 
 Prince rose, and dei)arted to view the caves, the company fol- 
 lowing. A short inspection sufficed, and the steamers were 
 quickly filled in anticipation of the return voyage. A few 
 minntes eflected a start, and then one of the finest pyrotechnic 
 
 ' 
 
1, full of 
 lose who 
 e island, 
 ny years 
 of stone 
 Dse busi- 
 Blf. All 
 lountain, 
 ispended 
 ht up to 
 
 that we 
 ^ up the 
 e Prince 
 ves were 
 • — not a 
 , such as 
 siderable 
 the band 
 
 le feast 
 
 larily be 
 vy ceil- 
 mids of 
 fch the 
 fvii the 
 oainatcd 
 et; and 
 by Sir 
 )ose the 
 )on the 
 xny fol- 
 s were 
 A few 
 technic 
 
 ROYAL FETES. 
 
 71 
 
 displays ever seen was witnessed. On the top of the hill rose a 
 great blaze; down the steps the light of the lamps was changed 
 successively from white to red, blue, and green; the line of fire 
 was continued to the water's edge, and even blazed brightly on 
 the water. It was a volcanic mountain in eruption, with the 
 huge crater in full play and the red-hot lava running down the 
 sides. And as for the ships in the harbour, they suddenly sprang 
 into light, too, and from stem to stern, from yardarm to yard- 
 arm, from masthead to boom-point, blazed with illumination. 
 As the Royal steamer and those containing the T'lests passed 
 between the lines of men-of-war, ))lue portfires were burned, 
 thousands of rockets went up, and altogether the energy of the 
 sailors was so great and the supply of rockets so plentiful, that 
 one might readily have imagined a great naval action to be tak- 
 ing place, or have supposed that the bombardment of Bombay 
 was in full swing. We moved along quickly, wondering greatly 
 at the grand display, but perhaps a little glad to be out of reach 
 of the /ailing sticks, till we reached the Apollo Bunder, and 
 there searched till after midnight for carriages that had strayed 
 or drivers who had gone 
 
 Of minor incidents there were many — the visits paid by 
 the chiefs and the return visits to the chief, the receptions at 
 Government House, Parell, and the Masonic ball on Thursday 
 night, all aiding to fir up the time which remained after the 
 major ceremonies had been arranged. 
 
 Up to this time the Prince had not given away any of his 
 fire-engines or organs. Whom they were intended for re- 
 mained yet to be seen ; books, swords, and rifles mainly repre- 
 senting his Boyal Highness' gifts up to this period. Of course 
 these gifts were selected with a view of suiting the particular 
 tastes and needs of the recipients. Thus the Rajah of Khola- 
 pore, aged fourteen, had a goM snuti'-box, with the Prince's 
 monogram on the outside of tl)e lid, a silver medal commemo- 
 rative of the visit, a large swovd, and some English books of 
 
 iSrirft 
 
T- i; 
 
 ' i 
 
 I' f' 
 
 72 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 if, 't 
 
 pictures. The Maharaiah of Oodeypore, aged eighteen, got a 
 suufF-box, a book of English coronation ceremonials, a sword, a 
 rifle, a medal, and a riding- whip. The Guicowar, aged nine, 
 received a particularly large snuff-box, a sword longer than he 
 is tall, an album of photographs, a book of engravings, a medal, 
 and a watch and chain. A very irreverent person suggested 
 that a handsome whistle, a top, and a box of the best building 
 bricks would have been more suitable ; but he was very pro- 
 perly suppressed. Somehow or other, the Nizam of Hydera- 
 bad's representative received no snuff-box, but in place of that 
 got, for his Royal but youthful master, a huge silver flagon of 
 the time of Marlborough (teetotallers mark that !), three rifles, 
 a ring, some " valuable " books, and a scabbard belt. The Ma- 
 harajah of Mysore, who has nearly reached the mature age of 
 fourteen, found himself the proud possessor of a snuff-box, a 
 silver flagon — also of Marlborough's time — a sword and scabbard 
 belt, three books (" valuable," of course), a riding whip, and a 
 pair of field-glasses — at which extraordinary miscellaneous 
 assortment his Highness seemed somewhat amazed. 
 
 The presents made to the Prince already would fill a large 
 museum admirably. Daggers, Cutchee guns, tea-services, 
 rhinoceros-hide shields, swords, lances, glass, necklaces, ank- 
 lets, bracelets, shawls, carpets, ancient guns, suits of armour, 
 jewels, and cups only represented part of the things — they were 
 almost as diversified as the selection the Prince's advisers made, 
 and almost as useless. A white elephant, a mangoose, a box of 
 snakes would complete the collection. 
 
 ,w^ vv 
 
en, ^ot a 
 
 sword, a 
 ?ed nine, 
 I" than he 
 
 a medal, 
 suggested 
 
 building 
 /ery pro- 
 
 Hydera- 
 e of that 
 flagon of 
 fee rifles, 
 The Ma- 
 re age of 
 iff-box, a 
 scabbard 
 p, and a 
 Uaneous 
 
 a large 
 services, 
 ?s, ank- 
 irmour, 
 ey were 
 s made, 
 I box of 
 
 CHAPTER VT. 
 
 LIFE IN POONA. 
 
 Kow the Prince was received at Poona, how he listened to 
 an address and made a suitable reply, and how he afterwards 
 drove to the Government House, which is called Gunnesh 
 Khind, and then gave a ball, needs no description. I propose, 
 however, to give you some idea of what kind of place it was 
 which his Royal Highness visited, and how the time was spent. 
 
 Poona is, without doubt, a lovely city. High up among the 
 hills, some three thousand feet above the level of the sea, 
 though actually situated on a wide plain or expanse of table- 
 land, it is refreshed by brisk breezes, which greatly temper the 
 heat of the sun. If the days are sultry the evenings are cool ; 
 even when the sun is highest there is a shade under the wide- 
 spreading trees which fill its gardens and overhang its roads. 
 Its houses — I refer, of course, to those occupied by Europeans 
 — are half hidden by the foliage of plantain, mango, fig, and 
 tamarind. Beautiful shrubs with bright scarlet leaves, roses 
 by thousands, and myriads of convolvuli are on every hand, 
 and even the hedges of prickly pear lend their own, wild grace 
 to complete the scene. Such a place needed but little decora- 
 vion. It was like attempting to ornament a conservatory j and 
 this the good people of Poona saw, and very wisely noted. No 
 festo'^ns of artificial flowers, therefore, spanned the road, no 
 mimic branches of palm were made into imitation bowers. 
 Triumphal arches there were, buo they were in keeping with 
 the idea of an Eastern city, and one was especially worthy of 
 notice. A light, semi-circular structure spanned the road. Its 
 centre was a huge glass square, surmounted by a, dome, such as 
 
 5 
 
74 
 
 H'ITU THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 ' 
 
 m 
 
 you see at; the top of every mosque. On either side this was 
 supi)orted by another ghiss square and four minarets. The 
 whole was coloured a rich blue, and then further ornamented 
 with gold and silver leaf. On the lower part of the arch itself 
 was written in Persian, " A thousand welcomes to the Prince," 
 also in letters of gold ; flags hung from Venetian masts at its 
 sides, the whole being flanked by large trees '.overed with great, 
 green leaves. 
 
 But, if no |/.iper roses or ^inen iilien ilco vatod the road, the 
 place had been made to assume a er\ lioiiaity Uke appearance; 
 for from the branches of the trees were suspciidtd many thou- 
 sands of Chinese lanterns, like brilliantly-painted fruit; from the 
 pathway rose pyramidal stands for the support of lamps and 
 glasses, and wherever colour could lend its aid it was enlisted 
 in the work. Leaving all this pleasant view behind, the cool 
 bungalows in their luxurious retreats, the splendid trees, and 
 the well-built arches, I drove into the native quarter, which 
 was preparing, in its way, too, to receive the Prince. Poena 
 Euroi)ean, Poona fashionable, may change every day. Wealthy 
 Parsees from Bombay, well-paid civilians, strangers and so- 
 journers though they may be in the land, will come up and 
 build new houses, enclose new gardens, and decorate new bunga- 
 lows, and the face of Poona where Englishmen live will alter 
 continually. Native Poor a, the city that was captured by the 
 English half a century ago, is the same forever. If it existed 
 in the time of Abraham, it was much in the same condition 
 then as now — the manners of the people and their dwelling- 
 places, their temples and their bazaar. 
 
 I thought it would be interesting to see whether these ancient 
 streets and thoroughfares had any welcome for the Prince, or 
 whether the inliabitants, having come out into the high road 
 and stared their till, had gone back to undecorated homes to 
 forget all about the great Sahib who had just made his entry. 
 My first glance augured badly. In the street upon which I 
 
• '^^ 
 
 
 this vvjiH 
 bs. The 
 amented 
 •ch itself 
 Prince," 
 ts at its 
 th great, 
 
 oad, the 
 
 earance; 
 
 tiy thou- 
 
 from the 
 
 mps and 
 
 enlisted 
 
 the cool 
 
 ees, and 
 
 ', which 
 
 Poena 
 
 Vealtliy 
 
 and so- 
 
 and 
 
 bunga- 
 
 alter 
 
 by the 
 
 xisted 
 
 idition 
 
 elling- 
 
 LIFE IN POONA. 
 
 Id 
 
 came a ' r/iple was open, the jj ople werii pouring in, a pricjsl 
 was out "'e inviting wo sliippcrs to entov, and a band of four 
 tomioras and five icjed-pipes was maki.ig a terrible din. The 
 only de< f-atiou visible \ms a pain+ing upon a wall rei)resenting 
 the god- less Parbuttee w''h four arms and a spear, seated in a 
 chariot mounted on live wheels, killing a tiger witli seven legs, 
 a blue head, and a rod tail. As a work of art it was incom- 
 parable, but from the loyal point of view it was just then 
 worthless. Parbuttee may have been the dread of tigers of 
 this description, and very properly so too ; but the pictorial 
 record of her killing them had nothing to do with the entry c* 
 the Prince of Wales. My disappointment was but momentai ) . 
 A corner turned, another street entered, the line of route whiich 
 the Prince must take if he wished to touch upon the bazr , 
 and thi. decorations sprang up on every side. 
 
 Pray do not imagine for a moment that gilded trophies of art 
 or massive archways of highly-decorated and well-stretched can- 
 vas were numerous, or that Defries had been called in and given 
 unlimited instructions to decorate the place according to his 
 latest designs. There were flags ; but they were mostly of the 
 pocket-handkerchief size, and in many cases were actually small 
 pocket-handkerchiefs ; there were triumphal arches, but they 
 were generally composed of three very rough scaffold-poles, a 
 couple of sheets, and a pendant portrait of his Royal Highness 
 as sold in Germany for half a thaler. Festoons and wreaths 
 were there ; but nothing half so funny had ever been seen before. 
 Decorations were made with ragged blankets, strips of red cloth, 
 pieces of coloured paper, and old curtains, at which the tiniest 
 English boy would have laughed, had he seen them ; and alto- 
 gether the decorations of the streets, setting aside the lamps for 
 the illuminations, which were very numerous, could scarcely 
 have been worth many shillings. Yet, worthless as were the 
 materials, these simple offerings of loyalty were more valuable 
 than many a splendid monument in the outer town. No wealthy 
 
), t 
 
 Hi'! 
 
 'Ill 
 
 'i ■. I 
 
 41 
 
 ii'li 
 
 i-'} 
 
 11' 
 
 i\ 
 
 76 
 
 Jr/77J THE rmWJE in INDIA. 
 
 Pavsco (Icpondciit on the continuunce of British ruh' for very 
 cxistonco had sui»))Iio<l these decorations; no rich civilian, 
 drawing higli pay from Government, had paid for these Hags. 
 They wen; tlie frcM-will-otfering of a well-governed, satistic^d, 
 ha})py people — the once conqueied but now loyal Mahrattas ; the 
 once formidable but now friiaidly Mohamiiu^dans and Hindoos. 
 They did not cheer a great deal when they saw the l^rince ; the 
 reception they gave him was coi'dial, though not enthusiastic ; 
 but they went away to their homes and testified that they were 
 glad to see him by doing what they could to make their hovels 
 and temples, their tanks and their shops, look pleasant, in case 
 his carriage should chance ^o drive that way during his stay in 
 Poena. 
 
 It was about three o'clock on the Sunday afternoon when I 
 drove from Poena to tiie hill and temple of Parbuttee. On the 
 road some scores of pilgrims, carrying tlowers, bags of rice, and 
 in some cases little bags of money, were toiling along in the 
 direction of the sacred staircase and the shrine of Shiva. Some 
 were walking ; a party of five had chosen camels as a means of 
 transit ; one gentleman, who, by the way, presently said one of 
 the longest prayers on record, was going on a bullock ; and 
 three or four were moving along on their knees. These last 
 appeared to be very holy men, for their hair was very long, 
 their faces were very dirty, and their costume, to use the mildest 
 term, was insuiiicient. At length we reached the foot of the 
 staircase which leads to the top of the sacred hill. This cele- 
 brated temple, pei-chf"-! or. {^^ jg q^ i\^q ^^p Qf ^^^ eminence over- 
 looking a vast champain, with its towers, walls, and steps, 
 reminded me very much of Windsor Castle. 
 
 After some toil the summit was reached, and a man whose 
 head was clean shaven, all but a small top-knot, introduced 
 himself as the second priest. The chief, who was eighty or 
 thereabouts, was just then engaged in counting the rupees, 
 annas, and pice which the faithful had brought during the day, 
 
 HM 
 
lor very 
 3ivilian, 
 so flags, 
 atistiod, 
 ;as ; the 
 lindoos, 
 ICO ; the 
 isiastic ; 
 ey were 
 r hovels 
 , in case 
 I stay in 
 
 when I 
 
 On the 
 
 ice, and 
 
 in the 
 
 Some 
 
 eans of 
 
 one of 
 
 ; and 
 
 se last 
 
 iJ long, 
 
 nildest 
 
 of the 
 
 s cele- 
 
 over- 
 
 steps, 
 
 Iwhose 
 Idiiced 
 Ity or 
 
 [ipces, 
 day, 
 
 L' 
 
 'lilK ASCKN'I TO Till; Ti:.MI't.i; (II I'AUIJ'ITKK, M-AK ICO.NA. 
 
''» 
 
 i 
 
 ' li 
 
 li 
 
 
 '\. . 
 
 *:,i 
 
 r 
 
11 • 
 
 LIFE ly roONA. 
 
 77 
 
 li 
 
 juul mentally ii}>j>oiti()iiing tlu^ aiim lit? had to dividt*. The col- 
 lection of coins a})i)(!!irc'd valuublo ; and, when this old teacher 
 and i»n(!.st did i)reHently condescend to si)eak, it was money 
 that formed his princii)al topic. Not so the priest who volun- 
 teered to conduct me through the temple. "I'm a Jirahmin," 
 he remarked, " and a priest here. 1 dare say you wonder," he 
 continued, " at the way I speak English. There is no need for 
 wonder. I was educated j«t the Deccan College in l*oona." 
 Educated he certaiidy had boon, for his diction was as good as 
 that of most Englishmen. ** Yes," he said, aa -ve entered the 
 shrine, " education is a good thing. It ex))ands tlie mind. 
 There's the god of learning, you see" (pointing to an extra- 
 ordinary image with ever so many animals' heads). " And 
 there," continued the educated man, directing his index-finger 
 towards another indescribable figure, " is the god of light." 
 " Do you think the Prince will come here 1, " enquired the priest, 
 as we mounted another short fiight of steps, and looked out of 
 the window from which the last Peshwa watched the defeat of 
 his troops in the battle of Khirkee ; ** because, if he does, I 
 dare say he'll make us a nice present. What with illuminating 
 the place last night and white- washing it throughout, I've spent 
 a good deal of money. The Governor of Bombay came and 
 gave us 80 rupees, the Viceroy sent a letter with 120 rupees in 
 notes the day after he came, and I think his Royal Highness 
 would behave handsomely. I certainly hope he will come." 
 
 It was a singular pic^ire which presented itself at this 
 moment. Over the plain, i.n the centre of which Poona lay, 
 half hidden by the trees, could be seen still coming, worshippers 
 by the hundred. At the very moment when the bells in the 
 shrine were tinkling in honour of Shiva, the bells in the church 
 steeples of Poona were ringing the Sunday chime ; and the 
 worshippers of the Genius of Destruction were passing on their 
 way to thoir devotions, the Votaries of tlie Genius of Love. I 
 enquired how many pilgrims visited the shrine, and learned 
 
 i 
 
I'll 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 ;i 
 
 ii , 
 
 lf 
 
 i? 
 
 H'i 
 
 hi 
 
 l.v V 
 
 :ii 
 
 78 
 
 fVITH THE PEINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 about 2,000 a day was the usual number. Moreover, I found 
 that eighty priests live on the corn, vt^ine, and oil that the de- 
 vout bring thitlier, and that, to enable them to eke out their 
 religious existence. Government grants the temple an annual 
 subsidy, which was till lately 30,000 rupees, but is now 24,000. 
 '• Kverybody that comes here gives something," thoughtfully re- 
 marked the priest as I turned to go, and he held out a box. in 
 \% hicli I de|>ocitod a rupee ; whereupon a horrible crew of de- 
 formed ones folio sved me down the steps uttering loud cries for 
 relief, and a score of f liildren whose knowledge of English was 
 confined to " Sahib, give," continued the cliase for a quarter of 
 
 a mile. 
 
 Next morning, a little before eight o'clock, the Prince, ac- 
 companied by his suite, rode to Parbuttee, and visited the 
 shrine. Breakfast was provided by Sir Philip Wodehouse at 
 the foot of the steps, and there were actually elephants ready 
 to convey his Royal Highness up the ascent ; with such aid, 
 the Prince at length stood on the summit, and looked at the 
 shrine. The educated Brahmin was there, and did the honours 
 of the place with due form ; and in the end he got the antici- 
 pated present from the Prince in the shape of a large bog of 
 rupees (200, I believe), wiiich he afterwards shared with the 
 amiable old gentleman whose peculiar province appeared to be 
 the care of money and valuables. 
 
 The review at I^oona was a decided success. By four o'clock 
 in the afternoon the troops were on the ground. The site 
 chosen was the race-course, a few miles from the spot where the 
 celebrated battle of Khirkee, which decided the fate of the 
 Mahrat ba nation, was fought. Over the very ground on which 
 the 1st Division of the Bombay Army now stood, Mahratta 
 cavalry were wont to manoeuvre daily, and, as though the in- 
 tention was to show the difference between the old order of 
 things and the i.ew, jiot a single horseman, except the few vviio 
 kept the ground, was placed on parade. Let us iQok at the 
 
I 
 
 
 found 
 }lie de- 
 t their 
 annual 
 24,000. 
 ully re- 
 box, in 
 T of de- 
 riea for 
 ish was 
 arter of 
 
 nee, ac- 
 ited the 
 bouse at 
 ,s ready 
 [ich aid, 
 at the 
 onours 
 antici- 
 bag of 
 ith the 
 (d to be 
 
 I o'clock 
 
 le site 
 
 lere the 
 
 [of the 
 
 which 
 ^iratta 
 
 the in- 
 [der of 
 |\v w]io 
 
 I at the 
 
 LIFE IN POONA. 
 
 71) 
 
 
 picture which is presented for the Prince's inspection by the 
 troops under that admirable soldier, Lord Mark Kerr. 
 
 In the centre of a plain, surrounded by hills, are two long 
 lines of infantry soldiers, flanked on either side by artillery. 
 Nearer inspection shows these foot-soldiers to comprise seven 
 battalions of native infantry and two English battalions. The 
 white men, belonging to the 7th Fusiliers and the 15th of the 
 Line, comprise the right wing ; the 1st Bombay Grenadiers, 
 distinguishable by their red caps, are in the centre ; while on 
 Ulc left are the rest of the native regiments, dressed similarly 
 to English troops, save that in place cf the helmet they wear a 
 white puggaree. They are drawn up in close order ; the guns, 
 on the right, are ready to salute the Royal jiarty when it shall 
 arrive ; and Lord Mark Kerr, with his suite, as general of the 
 division, is the centre, just in front of the band. 
 
 Ti> see the pleasant show the Mahrattas of all the country 
 round, to say nothing of Poena its(!lf, have come in many thou- 
 sands, and, as is their wont on such occasions, are squatted on 
 their haunches, and are chattering with all the glee of children. 
 There is little need of the policemen with whips to keep them 
 in order ; they are far too deeply interested in the spectacle to 
 be troublesome, as their simple faces and clasped hands clearly 
 indicate. Besides, they have on their very best turbans, and 
 the starchiest of white gowns they can boast — to say nothing 
 of the fixct that every papa amongst them has brought all his 
 sons, and that hundreds of these little people are seated with 
 their elders, munching sugar-cane and plantains, and adding 
 their share to the general hubbub. Up in the grand stand the 
 elite of the town are perched — the collectors, revenue officers, 
 officials of all kinds, and military men, together with ladies 
 whose brilliant dresses add to the pictiii'esqueness of the scene. 
 Then there is just such a long line of carriages as one sees on a 
 lashionablc race-coui'se in England, extending to a great dis- 
 tance, and constituting altogether a v(!ry creditable turn-out ior 
 .iu Indian city. 
 
 m 
 
80 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 M, 
 
 Presently, Sir Charles Staveley, who is just now Communder- 
 in-chief of the Bombay Army, comes upon the ground, and 
 rides about as nervously as he used to do in the days at Alder- 
 shot, when he was trying to discover the whereabouts of Carey 
 and Lysons. Sir Charles Staveley has very good reason to be 
 anxious, for time is flying, and there is no sign of the Prince. 
 At last an orderly gallops across the groimd, waves his hand to 
 the artillery, and the guns on the left begin to fire the Royal 
 salute. A minute later the Prince arrives, followed by his 
 suite, and, preceded by General Mark Kerr, at once gallops 
 over to the artillery and begins an inspec*-ion of the line. All 
 of a sudden a horse is seen to rear and throw its rider. Tl: ': 
 animal dashes across the plain, and is making for the crowd, 
 when a native officer rushes pluckily up and stops it. He has 
 scarcely done so before a rider is seen spurring his charger to- 
 vvards the grand stand, calling for a surgeon. "Somebody's 
 hurt ; who can it be 1 " is the question anxiously asked, and 
 field glasses are turned towards the Royal party, v/hither the 
 doctor is r.iaking his way. The i it is seen that Lord Charles 
 Beresford is being lifted into a palanquin, and that he is in- 
 sensible. The Prince must needs go on and inspect the troops ; 
 but the sufferer is left in very good hands, and is slowly 
 brought up to the grand stand, where a carriage is procured 
 and waits for him. Dr. Fayrer and Dr. Close lift their charge 
 very carefully into the carriage, and, on examining him, find 
 that, though shaken, he is after all not seriously hurt. They 
 give him a glass of champagne, which so revives him that he 
 forthwith takes a cigar, and is conveyed home. 
 
 Meanwhile the troops are forming up on the left, the Prince 
 has returned to the flagstaff, and the artillery are coming past 
 at a walk. Steadilv, in half-batteries, well-trained and with 
 admirable precision, these t'tmous gunners go by, the spectators 
 applauding their soldierly appearance. Following them, come 
 the men of the 7tli, the band playing a caj»ital march and the 
 
I 
 
 aancler- 
 id, and 
 
 Alder- 
 f Care)'' 
 )n to be 
 Prince, 
 hand to 
 e Royal 
 
 by his 
 
 gallops 
 le. All 
 % Tl:-. 
 3 crowd, 
 
 He has 
 arger to- 
 nebody's 
 ced, and 
 ther the 
 
 Charles 
 lie is in- 
 
 troops ; 
 slowly 
 
 rocured 
 charge 
 
 lui, find 
 
 They 
 
 hat he 
 
 Prince 
 
 ig past 
 
 [1 with 
 
 [ctators 
 
 come 
 
 ln<l the 
 
 A 
 
 m 
 
 LIFE IN POONA 
 
 81 
 
 troops stepping out admirably. They are followed by the 1st 
 Bombay Grenadiers, whom we just now saw in line — a fine 
 battalion, well drilled, dressing well, and going by in grand 
 divisions almost as steadily as the P^uro})ean regiment which 
 preceded it. Three more battalions of native infantry follow, 
 also in grand divisions, and also in good order. This closes the 
 first brigade, and the. second is not far behind. But just at this 
 mom(*nt there is a snort, and at a terrific pace, with a terrified 
 man on his back, another horse shoots across the jdain, and 
 darting through the Prince's suite, only clearing the Prince by 
 about a yard, dashes in amongst the crowd. To all appearance 
 there must be great loss of life, for the people cannot get away, 
 closed in as they are by carriages, when it is seen that a mounted 
 officer has stopped horse and rider by a swift jerk, and prevented 
 what threatened to be a fearful disaster. All this is done in 
 much less time than it takes to tell, and the Australian horse 
 is in safe keeping side by side with the animal which threw 
 Lord Charles Beresford. The troops having gone by are now 
 re-formed, and come past again in close column of battalions, 
 the artillery rattling along at a quick trot and keeping good 
 time. Just as it is getting dusk, the whole are brought into 
 line again and advance, the bands play *' God save the Queen," 
 the troops present arms, the review is over, and the Royal 
 l)arty leave the ground. 
 
 Immediately Poona is in a blaze of illumination and pyTotech- 
 nic display. Rockets spring up in every direction, set pieces 
 appear suddenly on the right hand and the left, coloured lights 
 are burned, and all kinds of fireworks splutter and bang, while 
 the happy MahrattJis in long strings, hand in hand, walk about 
 incessantly, and forget all their fancied troubles. " Tlje}' have 
 been a good deal excited," said a political agent who chanced 
 to be at Poona, "about the JNIulhui- Rao affair lately ; but these 
 firevyorks will overcome all thul." I tliink lu^ was ri^jlit. 
 
 ^«5»l 
 
 # 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 GAMES AND SPOUTS AT BARODA. 
 
 Tlie Prince was well received at Baroda. The scene which 
 presented itself at the railway station the morning he arrived 
 was in keeping with his previous receptions. 
 
 The city of Baroda proper lies far from the embodiment of 
 science which we owe to George Stephenson. The inhabitants 
 are as singular in their costume, and I should say as objection- 
 able in their habits, as they were when tea-kettles, to say 
 nothing of steam-engines, had yet to be invented. And as the 
 railway has not, for maniiest reasons, come to them — that is to 
 say, to tlieir very doors — they have declined to come in their 
 corporate capacity to the railway. Individually they come by 
 thousands ; but tliey have not extended their buildings nor 
 enlarged their borders so as to embrace the line and its belong- 
 ings. Three tradesmen, more enterprising than the rest of their 
 countrymen, have established shops au which stores to the value 
 of about eighteenpence are regularly kept. But, beyond this, the 
 unsoaped, semi-nude native prefers the bazaar to the open countiy 
 road, and sits quite contentedly there, far from steam- whistles 
 or the noise of railway-trucks. As a consequence, there is a 
 fine open space in front of the station, fringed with pretty 
 Eastern trees, p ' mgst which figure three or four palms, plenty 
 of banyan and pL,n^•un tree), and a goodly number of large- 
 leaved and heavy-fohagcd specimens such as can only be found 
 in a climate lik/» lhi.>- 
 
 With a view r- at«;liinc:" .soijiewhat closely the behaviour of 
 tlie people on t»;j < • .s'-^ion of his Royal Highness' entry, I 
 Htarted for Baroda uu < jc way ; revious to the Prince's visit. 
 
GAMES AND SPORTS AT BAllODA. 
 
 11 • > 
 
 i 
 
 arrived 
 
 iient of 
 
 ibitants 
 
 ijection- 
 to say 
 
 d as the 
 
 lat is to 
 
 in their 
 
 come by 
 
 ngs nor 
 
 belong- 
 
 of their 
 
 lie value 
 
 this, the 
 
 countiy 
 
 L whistles 
 
 [here is a 
 
 111 pretty 
 Is, plenty 
 of large- 
 |be found 
 
 laviour of 
 
 entry, I 
 
 je's visit. 
 
 Tlirongh tlie kindness of Sir Madava Eoo, the distiiiguishcnl 
 Prime Minister of Baroda, a resting-place had been {>rei)ar('d for 
 me — no small boon in a district which is innocent of hostel ries 
 and knows nothing of inns. By some mischance, however, I 
 missed the carriage that was sent to me, and as a result made 
 my first acquaintance with the eccentric vehicle known as the 
 Baroda bullock-gharry immediately upon my arrival. It has 
 always been my practice to " speak well of the bridge that car- 
 ries me over." But the Baroda bridge, or, rather, Baroda 
 bullock-carriage, must be the exception, and prove the rule. 1 
 will not attempt to describe that doleful ride ; yet it was in the 
 progress of this experience that I saw first the preparations 
 which were being made to receive the Prince. Thousands of 
 natives were hard at work all along the line of route from the 
 railway station to the British Residency, also outside the town. 
 Triumphal arches — notwithstanding that Mr. Hill, the resident 
 chief engineer, had only received a few hours' notice — were 
 springing up as rapidly as though it had been the soh; business 
 of his life to construct ornamental spans of leaves and bunting, 
 instead of building excellent roads and bridges. On either side 
 of the road were miniature arches and festoons of green leaves. 
 Flags, too, made literally on the «|M for they were being cut 
 out on the roadside by Mahratta WOfhf/f/'f^ were being hung, 
 and places arranged for Chinese Iftnterns aiiA fho little lamps 
 with which it is the practice to illuminate h.er^\ li ^nnst be 
 remembered, too, that if the very situation of Baro<i(*», wUUih ». 
 placed in a lovely grove of trees, aided in the work, no cuno'Hf^/ 
 contractor with tons of material was at hand to command the 
 thousands of labourers and furnish them with carefully planned 
 and elaborately prepared devices. On the contrary, all had to 
 be done in a day, with whatever was ready to hand ; and if the 
 Prince congratulated Mr. Hill on arrival, and expressed sur- 
 l)rise, as he did, it was no more than the merest justice to a 
 (iiost energetic and ingenious man. Hufiice it to say that, wliivn 
 
 r\ 
 
II 
 
 n 
 
 I? 
 
 I'l i 
 
 f\ 
 
 i; 
 
 
 ¥ 
 
 ^ I 
 
 I • 
 
 iM f' 
 
 H 
 
 ,1 : ' 
 
 ir^ 
 
 \rn 
 
 y; 
 
 84 
 
 ^i'fii T77i!; PlilNOE IN INDIA. 
 
 tlio eventliil morning airived, lUiroda was fit to receive a 
 King. 
 
 It is not of the decorations that there is need now to speak ; 
 it was the spectacle which Sir Madava Rao had, with character- 
 istic ability, prepared for his Royal Highness. " I will show 
 the Prince," said the amiable Premier, " a sight such as he will 
 noli see anywhere else in India," as we stood on the railway- 
 station steps and looked upon the space in front. And certainly 
 the picture presented was perfect. Drawn in a long line exactly 
 in front was a regiment of the Guicowar's infantry, neatly at- 
 tired in buff. Behind them, in uniforms of light blue, with 
 light blue turbans and long, shining pcnnon-siipporting lances, 
 were the Guicowar's cavalry. A.ii round were natives by thou- 
 sands, in costumes of every kind and colour. In the centre of 
 the square were, however, the chief figures of the scene, for 
 there fifteen magnificent elephants, splendidly housed and 
 caparisoned, stood side by side. Every elephant was painted 
 all over with some bright pigment — light yellow, light blue, 
 light red, light green. On the forehead and down the front of 
 the trunk were painted devices of most intricate description, 
 singularly clever and curiously effective I have said that they 
 carried their housings and trappings. The howdah on the 
 elephant which was to carry the Prince was of fine gold, in 
 value worth forty thousand sovereigns. Cloth-of-goid hung 
 down his sides, anklets of gold were round his legs — even his 
 tail was ornamented ; his ears were brilliantly painted, and his 
 tusks were encircled with huge rings of red-coloured ivory. As 
 for the other elephants, they, too, had valuable seats for their 
 riders, railed cars of silver fixed on silver cloth, fastened in 
 their places with silver buckles. 
 
 Presently the Guicowar drove up in a pretty, little carriage, 
 made wholly of silver and gold — a wo) k of art, indeed, such as 
 can hardly be surpassed — and on his arrival he was received 
 with the English National Anthem by the band, with " present 
 
 r 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
3ceive a 
 
 o speak ; 
 haracter- 
 Arill show 
 IS he will 
 railway- 
 L certainly 
 ae exactly 
 neatly at- 
 blue, with 
 ng laDces, 
 s by thou- 
 » centre of 
 scene, for 
 Dused and 
 as painted 
 ight blue, 
 le front of 
 escription, 
 that they 
 ih on the 
 lB gold, in 
 lold hung 
 -even his 
 [d, and his 
 /ury. As 
 for their 
 listened in 
 
 carriage, 
 
 Id, such as 
 
 received 
 
 I 
 
 F 
 
 GAMES AND SI'OUTS AT liAlH>lK\. 
 
 85 
 
 a 
 
 pr 
 
 esent 
 
 arms" by tlie soldiors, and a vast amount of bowing from tlie 
 crowd. His retainers, the cliiefs and sirdars of the kingdom, 
 in number r:early a hundred, ranged up in two liii(\s a little 
 lower down the road tlian the place where the elopliants stood. 
 Suddenly a number of fog-signals, which had Ijecn placed upon 
 the line for the purpose of indicating the apj)roach of the Koyal 
 train, were fired, whereupon the two comi)anies of the 83rd 
 regiment of English troops, drawn up on the })latform, presented 
 arms. The Resident of the Station, the Assistant Resident, the 
 English officers, and the officials of the place, stood round the 
 Guicowar and Sir Madava Rao, and the band struck up " God 
 save the Queen." As the engine approached the Prince was 
 seen standing outside the saloon carriage, looking on the ])lat- 
 form with evident interest, and, as soon as the train stc>)})C;(i, 
 his Royal Highness descended and shook hands warmly Hi?, ; 
 with the Guicowar and then with the Premier. 
 
 Sitting down on a couch, the Prince conversed for some 
 minutes with his Highness, who afterwards led him outside the 
 station, where the elephant with the golden howdah was kneel- 
 ing. Taking the Prince of Wales by the right hand, the little 
 Guicowar asked him to ascend the ladder to the howdah, which, 
 albeit that the elephant was kneeling, was yet six or seven feet 
 from the ground. To this the Prince assented, and, being fol- 
 lowed by the Guicowar and Sir Madava Rao, was hoisted into 
 the air, and so sat high above everybody, on the right of the 
 youthful ruler of Baroda. The staff of the Prince followed, 
 four sitting in each howdah, till all were in their places, where- 
 upon a procession was formed of javelin men, banner-bearers on 
 horseback, chieftains, hussars, irregular cavalry, Royal Artillery, 
 and the elephants, the whole being brought up in the rear by 
 the Guicowar's soldiery. Slowly moving along, the Prince 
 passed by the gates of the city towards the cantonments, where, 
 under Colonel Thompson, the Brigadier of the district, and a 
 distinguished officer, the excellent native Dth and 22nd infantry 
 
-i 
 
 8G 
 
 n ITR THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 h . 
 
 'Vu 
 
 I .■ . i" f 
 
 iCj^imcuts \vcr(^ tbuiul drawn \i\). Hocei\'ing their salute, the 
 lloyul l>Hrty made i\)V the Rt^sidency, where a durbar was shortly 
 afterwards lictld, at which the Guicowar and the Prince sat to- 
 gether in the sight of the principal men of the State. 
 
 It had been announced that in the afternoon there would be 
 an elophaut fight and other sports, and I made the best of my 
 way to the arena to see the sports of which I had heard. This 
 was ii large, oblong space, strongly walled in, entered through a 
 gateway, across which three thick bars of wood were thrown. 
 Jnside this s[)ace were three structures, which were at once 
 noticeabh; — a huge grand stand of four storys ; a circular 
 structure of brickwork, about five feet high, with a tree in the 
 centre, and two flights of steps cut in the stone ; and a circular 
 wiil^ ^ 'structure, looped with holes just large enough to allow 
 oi tlie ingress of a man — particularly a flying, terror-stricken, 
 elephant-huntec, man — should such a one need its hospitable 
 shelter. Overhanging the walls were trees rich in foliage, 
 forming a splendid background from whatever side you scanned 
 the picture. On the tops f the walls thousands of Mahrattas, 
 in all kinds of costumes, w^re perched, their faces full of glee, 
 and their arms full of children ; on hills, which overlooked the 
 arena were thousands more of them ; peering in at the various 
 gates between the bars were hundreds again ; and inside the 
 arena, about one hundred athletic men, some with spears, others 
 with flags, and the rest with nothing save ropes and chains, 
 were standing aboiit waiting to take part in the promised fun. 
 Outside the gates were cages full of tigers, rhinoceroses, buf- 
 faloes, and rams. Two huge elephants were fastened to the walls 
 inside, about twenty painted and decorated elej)hants were 
 ranged in a line opposite the grand stand, where was assembled 
 a brilliant gathering of English ladies and gentlemen — the for- 
 mer in gaily coloured silks, the latter mostly in uniform — wait- 
 ing for the Prince. They had not long to wait, for, just after 
 wt; entered, a blast of trumpets announced his Koyal Highness' 
 
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 I at once 
 I circular 
 L'ee in the 
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 h to allow 
 i--8tricken, 
 hospitable 
 n foliage, 
 |u scanned 
 ahrattas, 
 |ll of glee, 
 ,ooked the 
 e various 
 nside the 
 ,rs, others 
 d chains, 
 ised fun. 
 roses, buf- 
 the walls 
 nts were 
 lassembled 
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 The first <'utorta;nment on tli,. H.i 
 between Wf a <loa,.„ coui.Ioh , f ™" " "■'•^'Unff umteh 
 
 Tl.e..e wa. a bald .nan "hn """'"'""'° """«"''»-• >«>va-.os 
 
 a Nubian, who. e. r;:;,.: wj:: ,::::'r"^ ^ -^ °- -..;■-; 
 
 hm, a tall man. who evo,.v 'ow . ' "'''"""■"' «"' " ™ 
 
 t>.e air, an,, tried to tln-o^h?::,;:' 'T ''""' ''" ■'-' '-" 
 , for tlu. cla.s of the ,s,,o..t3 • a„ it .' '''""'■" ""''^'-"^ o"* 
 
 toe reputation of beii„ tl,: C ' .r sTL • " r 'T' '^''" ™i"-™ 
 ve.y proud of the title. Two ,Tr '" ^"'"''' '""' '^>>o « 
 
 notice-one that each athlete ia 1 "■ \"''""' "'■« ^ort'^X of 
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 tl-t the „«e of the feet in wre ' '"■'"" '''™ ^ *''« o^'-' 
 
 and that the French hu. round Th """■' "'""^ '"■^'■^=""''<"'. 
 Petuion, rather than the Cumbedrnd T" ""^ ■'"■^'« "^ «— 
 ture twelve particularly .tro"g^ :',""''« ?^ --«-.. «_ 
 hrow each other; now st.us:C^wT ' '" ""■<"*'^ '""1 
 ™t of their heads, and now ToinZ, 1 '^'■' "^"'-'-^ *"•* 
 
 dust, emerging at length fro" hf V"^ °™^ '" *''" ''-^k 
 reared, and only vex'ed to find thalTh '"''"'"''' '""' I^- 
 make way for the elephant, a\^'^ """' 8° ^^-7 and 
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 sti-uggle. P>epa.at,ons were being made for a 
 
 I rather suspect that these elpni, . 
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 fVlTH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 tugged for a few moments, and then stopped. At this juncture 
 a Mahratta came out with a stick ; whereupon one of the ele- 
 phants rushed at him, chased him into one of the recesses in the 
 wall, and pulled a lot of the brickwork down. This diversion, 
 however, lasted but a minute. Entwining their trunks with 
 quite as much care as the wrestlers who had preceded them in 
 the ring had joined hands, and adjusting their tusks in such a 
 I^osition as would give the greatest leverage, the elephants once 
 more began the tug of war. And a terrible tug it was. Two 
 huge beasts, of almost fabulous size, straining, pushing, groan- 
 ing, strove for the mastery. The younger of the two elephants 
 was the better formed and the more courageous, and very soon 
 he had worsted his opponent and driven him against the wall. 
 No sooner had the larger but weaker elephant run to the wall 
 for shelter than the conqueror lowered his head, gave a roar of 
 defiance, and charged with terrific force. The tusk struck the 
 conquered one with a fearful thud, the wall and the miserable 
 elephant's head had a sharp collision, and a moment later the 
 bars of the gateway close by were on the point of being forced, 
 when two men ran out with rocket tubes, discharged the con- 
 tents at the elephants, and separated them in a moment. Away 
 ran the victor across the arena, followed by the vanquished one, 
 and for an instant there was quiet. Immediately after another 
 encounter took place, and was going on merrily, when ham- 
 pering irons were slipped round the hind legs of the infuriated 
 animals by the Mahrattas employed for the purpose, stout ropes 
 attached thereto, more rockets discharged, and eventually the 
 animals were led into captivity. 
 
 Meanwhile a very wily old elephant was being prepared for 
 the arena. His business was to attempt to catch a horseman, 
 who, mounted on a wJiite Arab and armed with a spear, was 
 already within the precincts of the arena. For a moment or so 
 the huge beast walked slowly about, as though he were in his 
 native woods taking a gentle stroll after dinner, and not within 
 
 ii 
 
 I 
 
 4 
 
GAMES AND SFOBTS AT BAKODA. 
 
 89 
 
 ncture 
 he ele- 
 in the 
 ersion, 
 :s with 
 liem in 
 such a 
 ts once 
 Two 
 groan- 
 sphants 
 ry soon 
 le wall, 
 he wall 
 roar of 
 uck the 
 Lserable 
 iter the 
 forced, 
 ihe con- 
 Away 
 led one, 
 ,nother 
 haih- 
 ariated 
 it ropes 
 ,lly the 
 
 Ired for 
 
 [seman, 
 
 was 
 
 It or so 
 
 I in his 
 
 Iwithin 
 
 i'l 
 
 a hundred miles of horsemen or footmen either. But, just when 
 he looked most unconcerned and careless, he gave a sudden 
 rush, got his trunk in the saddle of the rider, and only missed 
 by an inch or two unhorsing the Mahratta and making him pay 
 for his temerity. Had that Arab steed stumbled, or had the 
 man lost nerve, the elephant would have ended the contest in a 
 very summary manner. 
 
 The next contest on the list was between two huge rhinoceroses, 
 and, as the beasts were led in, all necks were craned forward and 
 all eyes strained to look at tliera. One had a long, shar[) horn, 
 and wa'' a fearful animal to behold ; the other, thickly set, had 
 a blunter horn, but, if possible, a more powerful back. So 
 soon as they were loosed, they rushed at each other with tre- 
 mendous determination. For a time they struggled hard to 
 push their respective prows into each other's necks, but to no 
 purpose. In vain two men on each side patted their horny 
 sides and invited them with loud cries to continue the battle ; 
 their encouragement was useless. Still one was a little afraid 
 of the other, for suddenly the owner of the blunted horn turned 
 round, and, with snorts like the magnified grunts of a frightened 
 pig, rushed from the struggle. Onlookers held their breath, for 
 the keepers were not far from being run over, and consequently 
 crushed. But, as luck would have it, they ran away, and " live 
 to fight another day." More than this, men procured buckets 
 cf water, and emptied them over the backs of the gladiators, 
 stroked and patted them, prodded them with long spears, and 
 in other ways urged them to deeds of valour. As soon as ths 
 animals came close together again and felt each other's weapons 
 of war, they simultaneously snorted and scampered off, and 
 positively refused to fight. It was clearly a drawn battle, and 
 Sir MadavaRao ordered the creatures to be led away forthwith. 
 
 Then came the turn of the buffaloes; two of them were 
 ushered into the arena — one a young, light-coloured animal, 
 and one a dark beast. A perfect crowd of rapscallions accom- 
 
 6 
 
90 
 
 WITH THE PBINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 to the fiijht, Jind, with 
 
 sticks, and 
 
 piiniod them to tne ngnt, ana, witn spears, 
 tists, onc'OuiMU«'d them very consideraoly. The butlalocs, how- 
 ever, needed veiy little incentive. Rushing at each other at a 
 tremendous pace, they strugi^led violently for a moment ; and 
 the young one was winning fast, when one of his horns broke 
 off short, the blood spurted out, and it was foiced to retreat. 
 Away rushed the poor brut«^, chased by its enemy. Fortunately 
 the gate bars were suHiciently wide open to admit of escape, and 
 the vanquished, bleeding bull Hew through, scattering the spec- 
 tators in every direction, and mingling the turbans in almost 
 inextricable confusion. Another couple of buffaloes followed 
 and fought, one of them being thrown by the other, which at 
 once attempted to rip it oi)en. Ha})pily, its horns were blunt, 
 and before it could do more than inllict a deep flesh-wound, the 
 beasts were separated, and another couple introduced. 
 
 This third conflict was not, however, a severe one, and it was 
 scarcely over before several couples of rams were introduced to 
 the ring. Rams with peculiarly hard heads and strong horns 
 have for long years been the especial pride of Baroda down to 
 the uproarious days of Mulhar Rao, the man now living quietly 
 at Madras. Some of the strongest pates ever discovered were 
 brought to the show, for the delight of his ladies and subjects. 
 Then the rams were allowed to fight till they killed each other, 
 the sight of blood being by no means distasteful to the gentle- 
 man who was accused of having attempted to kill Col. Phayre. 
 But more human days have dawned, and in the presence of 
 the Prince, at least, no very desperate encounter was allowed. 
 The plan of action was simply this : Two animals were brought 
 within about ten feet of each other and then let slip : in- 
 stantly with tremendous force they rushed at each other, and 
 their skulls met with a tremendous crash. If by this first 
 thud either ram was knocked down, it was at once deciaicd 
 beaten and led away. Sometimes, however, victory was not so 
 easily decided, and it was not till after a dozen sharp blows at 
 
 I 
 
 ( 
 
 iJWP 
 
ks, and 
 )s, how 
 lior at a 
 it ; and 
 IS broke 
 retreat, 
 lunately 
 ape, and 
 ihe spec- 
 1 almost 
 followed 
 ivhich at 
 L'e blunt, 
 und, the 
 
 id it was 
 duced to 
 Iff horns 
 down to 
 quietly 
 •ed were 
 lubjects. 
 ;h other, 
 gentlo- 
 Phayre. 
 ssence of 
 allowed, 
 brought 
 slip : in- 
 [lier, and 
 this first 
 declared 
 lis not so 
 blows at 
 
 ( 
 
I 
 
 • 
 
tlillMMilWii ■I liiiWi'MliWliiiiiMfi-i'''' 
 
 GAMES AND SrollTS AT DAROhA, 
 
 •Jl 
 
 the least tliat one of the nims gave in ; while in one case a 
 sleepy fellow, who clearly saw no fun in the whole proceeding, 
 allowed himself to be knocked over without making the 
 slightest resistance. Another, as though perfectly aware of 
 the rules of the game, looked round for somebody to take him 
 away. 
 
 In this way several battles were decided, and then a long 
 string of men, in all kinds of singular costumes, entered — eight 
 leading a huge tiger, which was so encumbered with chains as 
 to be helpless ; one riding in a little carriage drawn by two of 
 the black bucks for which Baroda was so celebrated ; another 
 leading two white does of surpassing beauty ; a third with a 
 tame sloth ; and the rest, some twenty or thirty in all, carry- 
 ing birds* cages all filled with feathered curiosities of the rarest 
 descriptions. This spectacle concluded the entertainment. In 
 a few minutes the Prince and suite drove away, highly delighted, 
 and the huge crowd dispersed. 
 
 It was announced that the Prince would go out hunting 
 with the cheetahs next morning, and that a vast quantity 
 of deer had been beaten up for the sport, and that those 
 who desired to see the sport must be astir before even 
 the lark would dream of rising. The stars were, conse- 
 quently, the only light which such huntsmen as did not quite 
 belong to the Prince's party had as they drove through the 
 sleeping city of Baroda, its deserted bazaars and empty streets, 
 and along the road which leads to a country palace of the 
 Guicowar, boasting the euphonious name of Muckinpoora. If the 
 huntsmen were thus early, the cheetahs and their keepers were 
 even earlier, for when the rendezvous was reached, some two 
 miles on the other side of the palace, away from the city, they 
 were found , the cheetahs, five in number, sitting hood- winked 
 and tied on the top of flat, open carts, while their keepers stood 
 around them and stroked them. Close by were a number of bul- 
 lock carts, each drawn by two animals, each intended to hold 
 
02 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA 
 
 till (!o people, albeit that they had no seats whatever, but simply a 
 cushior on which wo were expected to sit cross-legged. The 
 Princ(! had a bullock cart of silver and gold, with seats in it, 
 and even a spring, which, considering everything, was an im- 
 mense concession for the Barodians to make, even to royalty. 
 All was thus ready very early ; but, unfortunately, the Prince 
 was not very punctual, and the sun hal risen some height in 
 the heavens — a condition almost fatal to the skill of the 
 cheetah — when he arrived. Once there, a start was quickly 
 made ; and then, behold the following procession : A pilot cart 
 with three enthusiastic sportsmen in it, kneeling ; the Prince's 
 wagon, containing his Royal Highness and the Duke of Suther- 
 land, 3ach in Indian hunting costume, namely, the huge sun 
 hat, tweed coat, and white trousers, each person carrying a 
 rifle and a hunting knife ; five carts with cheetahs, each animal 
 attended by three keepers ; and about twenty small wagons, 
 their occupants in almost every conceivable position compatible 
 with the arrangement of three stout men on a square yard of 
 cushion in a springless vehicle passing over rough ground. 
 
 Presently, as we came into some very English-like scenery, 
 we espied in a wide field, not a quarter of a mile distant, 
 several hundred deer quietly feeding. Now was our time, and 
 the hearts of all beat high. As quietly as might be, we ap- 
 proaclied the herd, and soon came within a hundred and fifty 
 yards of them, when a cheetah was unheeded and let slip. 
 Stealthily creeping along through the grass, this terrible beast 
 bounded into the very centre of the deer, and for a moment it 
 seemed as though he must certainly capture one of the terror- 
 stricken, beautiful creatures, with such tremendous springs did 
 he urge the chase. But this time the deer were too fleet, and 
 bounded along with such wonderful rapidity that, after a chase 
 of two hundred yards, the savage beast sat down and waited 
 for the keepers to come up and hoodwink him again. Almost 
 immediately afterwards another herd was descried in an op 
 
 J. *.#(' 
 
■'ij^mi,fM'i:''\trTi-'ff^'^.f^'f''''^'i^'''^^'''^* 
 
 GAMES AND SroliTH AT HA ROD A. 
 
 93 
 
 imply a 
 I. Tho 
 ts in it, 
 an im- 
 royalty. 
 Prince 
 eight in 
 of the 
 quickly 
 ilot cart 
 Prince's 
 ' Suther- 
 iiige sun 
 i-rying a 
 h animal 
 wagons, 
 mpatible 
 yard of 
 md. 
 
 I scenery, 
 distant, 
 ime, and 
 I, we ap- 
 Ind fifty 
 [let slip. 
 )le beast 
 )ment it 
 terror- 
 lings did 
 [eet, and 
 a chase 
 waited 
 1 Almost 
 an op 
 
 , * 
 
 I 
 
 
 I 
 
 M 
 ■ '■« 
 
 '■Hi 
 
 a- 
 
 po.site direction, and it was then resolved that wo should be 
 divided into two parties, the one led by the Prince bearing 
 away to the left in chase of tho herd that h^d just escaped, and 
 taking throe cheetahs ; the other, under the guidance of Lord 
 Aylosford and Lord Charles Beresford, going to tho right. 
 
 That this arrangement wtis a good one wtis proved very 
 shortl}'. A mile had scarcely been traversed by either pai-ty, 
 when each came within easy reach of herds. Of the two, the 
 Prince's party was just then tho more fortunate, for in the very 
 centre of the deer they chased were two large bucks with re- 
 markably fine horns, fighting with great vigour. To let the 
 cheetah go at these two rivals was the work of an instant ; to 
 catch the largest one by th^ neck and drag him to the ground 
 after a short struggle was an act which involved no great ex- 
 penditure of time. On the other side a beautiful doe had been 
 chased by a cheetah, caught by the neck, and after a sharp 
 struggle been brought to the ground. The sport had now begun 
 in earnest, and for the next two hours we were taken over ruts 
 as deep as ordinary ditches, over hillocks and th»-ough hedges, 
 sometimes almost shaken out, and in the case of one cart turned 
 out with a veritable capsize, letting the cheetahs slip frequently, 
 sometimes getting game and sometimes not. To those who 
 had never before seen the action of these savage animals the 
 sight was undoubtedly full of interest ; but, from an economical 
 point of view, I should say that cheetah hunting is not a suc- 
 cess. In two hours and a half five cheetahs killed four bucks 
 and four does. Two rifles in experienced hands would have 
 killed forty in a like time. So, indeed, the Prince appeared to 
 think, for he presently left the cheetahs altogether, and went 
 shooting on his own account, and succeeded in getting a fine 
 pair of deer, the buck having horns of very satisfactory size. 
 After this there was breakfast at Muckinpoora, and at night 
 the Prince dined at the mess of the 22nd Regiment, com- 
 manded by the gallant and amiable Colonel Nuttall. 
 
r 
 
 94 
 
 ll'JTIl TUE riilNCE IN IMHA. 
 
 Tlioic w«ro many inton'sting tliin«i;H to b(» notod iil)Out Biir- 
 odn. Tlie piiliico in wliicli MuUmr Rtio porpetnittMl untold 
 wickeilnoss ; the narrow stroets, with open sewers running on 
 botli sides, and open troughs of bad drinking water — made 
 still worse by crowds of naked children who [mddled therein, 
 and mixed mud paste with tli(! licpiid intended as the drink 
 of their excellent parents — not a foot from the sewers ; the 
 strangely built n'.id houses, boasting no doors, and very fre- 
 quently no roof either ; the hideous paintings on the outsides 
 of the temples, the shrines in the streets, the gates, and the 
 celebrated clock-tower, built in the form of a Chinese joss- 
 house, and painted light bhu;, were all worthy of a prolon^i^ed 
 inspection. 
 
 It was worth th(; journey to Bai'oda to see the holy men who 
 lived there. For Baroda, you must know, is a peculiarly reli- 
 gious place, and possesses more deformities and burlesques on 
 human nature, more unwashed fakirs, and more objectionable 
 devotees, than any other city of its size. It was thore that, 
 not long since, a very pious person roasted the calf of his leg, 
 in the presence of a number of admiring Hindoos. On the road 
 leading to the Motee Bagli I had pointed out to me another 
 relijnous gentleman who, in addition to wearing for many years 
 a thick coating of mud, carefully renewed every morning, and 
 only relieved in its monotony by two or three streaks of brick- 
 red paint on the forehead, had lately cut off a couple of his toes 
 and a linger or two, in honour of a god that looked exactly like 
 the representation of a frantic monkey with two tails and fouv 
 arms. But there was no necessity for seeking these superla- 
 tively good people. They turned up in every direction and 
 every moment. They were as numerous as the dogs in the 
 street, and that is saying a great deal, when it is remembered 
 that Baroda has more and uglier specimens of the canine breed 
 than even Constantinople. The sanctified tribe marched along, 
 with their shrivelled arms, earless heads, mud-begrimed faces, 
 
iiilil 
 
 (JAMES A XL) »S7W>7,'7>' AT DA HOD A. 
 
 [)o 
 
 it Biir- 
 untoUl 
 ling on 
 — niado 
 therein, 
 drink 
 
 ■iVH ; 
 
 the 
 /ery IVe- 
 outbiiles 
 and tlic 
 L»se joss- 
 rolor'»'ed 
 
 men who 
 Lirly reli- 
 aqiies on 
 itionable 
 )re that, 
 his leg, 
 the road 
 another 
 ,ny years 
 ing, and 
 f brick- 
 his toes 
 [Ctly like 
 nd fouv 
 superla- 
 ion and 
 in the 
 mbered 
 e breed 
 ilong, 
 d faces, 
 
 I 
 
 and long, niattotl liair ; tlicy ai)i>eared at the corners of the 
 streets antl in front of the Hlirincs, and just when you were hop- 
 ing that the hist of thv'ni had gone, you foun<l them at your 
 t'lliow. N t that th«'y wIsIhmI to b(!g ; on the contrary, I did 
 not in any instance see a fakir con(h;scend to do anything but 
 soowh Blind men might ask for alms — and there were many 
 blind peoph; in Baroda ; beggars might clamour for money at 
 tlie gates of the; arena ; but these holy men simi)ly regarded us, 
 from the Prince; <lownwar<ls, with profound contenipt ; for, in 
 addition to the luxury of being allowed to wear as little cloth- 
 ing as they pleased and as much mud as they liked, they had 
 many of them the assured right, in consideration of their sutier- 
 in^^s and virtues, to have at any moment and forever, twenty 
 times as much enjoyment as anybody else — the gods willed it, 
 and the iniests declared it. Ask for alms 1 If, in admiration 
 of tlieir inherent and singular goodness, you felt constrained to 
 press half a rupee upon their acceptance, they would doubtless 
 take it, for they live upon such tokens of esteem and affection. 
 But they would certainly not implore a gift, and if it were 
 offered, would return no thanks. I doubt whether a more im- 
 pudent set of scoundrels exists on the face of the globe. They 
 even escape the })oliceman's whip, an instrument which is ap- 
 plied pretty unsparingly to the rest of the populace, and which 
 works wonders in a crowded street, when authority and power 
 want to pass quickly. 
 
 But it was not of the fakirs, nor the streets, that I just now 
 intended to write. My intent was to speak more fully of the 
 palaces of Baroda and their occupants — not the old building in 
 which Luxmabae's baby was enthroned and dethroned, all in 
 the space of ten minutes, the residence of the last Guicowar, and 
 his agreeable circle of male and female acquaintances ; but the 
 two suburban jialaces of Motee Bagh and Mukinpoora, and Sir 
 ^ladava Rao, the^rime Minister of Baroda. 
 
 It was at the first named mansion that I called on my arrival 
 
j 
 
 96 
 
 njTU iHE riiJNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 in tlio State. A courtoouH noto from the Proinior demanded 
 jKsrHonal anHwrr, and it was with no reluctance I faced even the 
 mid-day Hun. It ho chance<l that the moment wan an exception- 
 ally favourable one. The place waH en fete for the Prince's 
 reception ; his Royal Highness was expected to drive thither 
 from tho lic^sidency very shortly, and not only the hall of state, 
 hut all i\w apartments wore prepared. I have already spoken 
 of the golden howdah, the golden carriage, and the golden 
 V)ulloek-gharry of Baroda. You have heard of the diamond 
 aigrette which adorns the Guicowar's turban, and the diamond 
 necklace which encircles his neck. Be prepared, tiien, for 
 plenty of magnificence on entering Motee liagh. Yet look at 
 the same time for the tawdry and tinsel. You will not be dis- 
 ap|)ointed in either. India everywhere presents the same 
 si)ectacle, and Motee I3agh is no exception to the rule. 
 
 As you pass through the streets an unclad imp is playing in 
 the dust. You look closely at the unkempt hair, and behold a 
 cap that is worth half a sovereign at the very least. The coolie 
 who brings or carries messages two miles for sixpence, probably 
 wears a rich, purple silk jacket, fit for a prince. That and an 
 excessively dirty rag complete his clothing. You enter the 
 house of a native, and find on the rough, earthen floor a carpet 
 of surpassing beauty. Wares of great value are exposed for 
 sale in shops compared with which a bam is a mansion ; and if 
 you want to find a palace, your quickest and best plan is to pro- 
 ceed in the direction where hovels are most numerous and 
 streets are narrowest. So at Motee Bagh. The troops drawn 
 up in the garden are well dressed and well armed, yet the 
 sentry in the corridor is in rags and tatters, and carries an old 
 flint fowling-piece in his left hand. The fountains, too, are of 
 white marble, very beautiful basins, altogether admirable, till 
 you see that the jets are crooked, and will not throw more than 
 a cupful of water a foot high. 
 
 On your first entry into the palace itself you find in almost 
 
ttWi 
 
 mm 
 
 1m,^.m>.-Jt. 
 
 (JAMES AND sroliTS AT HA HO U A, 
 
 9 
 
 i 
 
 nmndod 
 ven the 
 ception- 
 Prince'B 
 thither 
 of Htate, 
 ' spoken 
 5 golden 
 iiamond 
 tliamond 
 (len, for 
 t look at 
 >t be dis- 
 he same 
 
 almost 
 
 ovrry room clmndoliorH enough to Htock a \viut»h(>UHe. At 
 Muckinpoora tln!r(( wore inonc xcrandah aloiu', TOf't. long by 'J4 
 wide, eiglitt'on larg«^ chandclicrH witli thirty-two lights apiece, 
 seventy-two boiKjuotH of light with three jct.s to oach, hesidrH 
 other reccjitacles for Iaiu|>s and candle.'.. Here the lighting 
 airangeuients have het-ii made in the same proportions. 
 You would think you were in a slK)p of chandeliers and 
 looking gla.ss(,'s, and that tin; dark genthiman who comes up 
 the room to meet you intended to iuvtugle you int'^ buying one 
 at the very least. But he lias no such intention. I do not 
 suppose he would part with a single burner on any con- 
 sideration. There would be a vacant space in the ceiling if he 
 did, and no Hindoo with any pi-etence to taste could tolerate 
 that. He would probably be happier than he now is, and would 
 possibly smile still more, if he knew how to hang a few more 
 chandeliers up in the saloon where the Prinjo will be presently 
 received, and into which we have just entered. Facing the 
 door, and with its back turned to a large window from w Jch a 
 magnificent view of the surrounding country can be obtained, is 
 a sofa of solid silver — legs, arms, back, all pure silver ; and on 
 each side of this a silver chair. You do not look at the other 
 chairs in the room, as these wholly engross your attention \ and 
 thus it is that, without in the least intending to be rude, you 
 involuntarily notice that the seats of these 8i)lendid chairs and 
 couch are very shabby. The same story over again. You turn 
 round, look at the pictures on the wall, and find that, with the 
 exception of their frames, which are very thick and costly, they 
 are not worth a pound, even to a German printseller. Portraits 
 of celebrated chiefs, and pictures of the Madonna and child, 
 three prints of " a lady," and German-produced " likenesses " of 
 the English Royal family complete the collection. Close by, in 
 a cabinet carefully locked and guarded, were a tin engine and 
 two little trucks, such as you may purchase in the Lowther 
 Arcade, and in an ante-room, on a handsome marble table and 
 
98 
 
 WITJI THE tlilM'E 1^ INDIA. 
 
 a silver stiiiul, was a toy donkey which wagged its li(?ad when 
 touched, and wliich, in any London repository, is valued at 
 exactly ninepence. 
 
 Still it must not be imagined that the man whom we had 
 come to see wns in any way like the palace in which we found 
 liim. Nothing but the severest simplicity was noticeable .about 
 him. Excepting only the huge medal which the Prince gives to 
 every native of distinction, and wliich is about as ugly and un- 
 meaning a decoration as it is possible to conceive, Sir Madava 
 Rao wore no ornament of any kind. Like Sir Salar Jung, the 
 great Mahommedan Minister, he dresses in plain black or white. 
 On this particular occasion he wore white garments. At the first 
 glance I was greatly impress(;d by this celebrated Hindoo. His 
 English was perfect, lacking anything like a foreign accent. 
 His manner was that of a man who had seen the world rather 
 than of one who had never left India. And when he sat down 
 and began to talk, his conversation was in harmony with all 
 that has o 3en said of him. The uppermost thought in his mind 
 appeared to be the possibility of war and the consequent speedy 
 return of the Prince, and he proceeded at once to discuss the 
 situation. The position of England, the relative strength of the 
 great Powers, the aims and ambitions of Russia — all seemed to 
 be familiar to him, and for some minutes he chatted away with 
 all the easy flow of thought of a European statesman. From 
 what I have since heard. Sir Madava Rao's theories about good 
 government are being carried into effect in Baroda ; and there 
 is, therefore reason to believe that before long the city will lose 
 its open sewers, and possibly some of its holy men, and become 
 more like a tit residence for a civilized prince. 
 
MJ iltlWil'l " "'il' 'i' ^" '-' 
 
 il when 
 lued at 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 
 we had 
 e found 
 le about 
 cives to 
 and un- 
 Madava 
 ung, the 
 )r white. 
 , the first 
 100. Hia 
 I accent, 
 d rather 
 sat down 
 with all 
 lis mind 
 t speedy 
 icuss the 
 :th of the 
 lemed to 
 ;vay with 
 From 
 lOut good 
 ,nd there 
 will lose 
 become 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE VOYAGE TO CKYLON. 
 
 As is well known, a painful uncertainty as to the route likely 
 to be followed attended the first part of the Prince's trip in 
 India. For nearly a fortnight not one of the Royal suite, save 
 only Sir Bartle Fiere, had any idea of what their future move- 
 ments would be. Would the Prince go to Mysore I No one 
 knew. Would he reach Madras 1 No one could tell. Would 
 he go to the North-West 1 Perhaps. Would he go home 1 
 Possibly. There wore rumours of cholera in the south, and 
 fears of war at home ; and these, coupled with the intense love 
 of Sir Bartle Frere for mystery, wcie sullicient for all parties. 
 So it resulted in the Prince going ofi" to Baroda, after twenty- 
 four hours' notice, and next setting sail in an equally hurried 
 and secret fashion for Southern India, without anybody know- 
 ing wliere he was going, except one or two favoured ones. 
 
 In this way we all set sail, and were at sea fully a day before 
 we were told where we were going to; and when the intelligence 
 that possibly we should touch at Trivanderam was at length 
 im]^.arted to us, the majority of us were about as wise as ever ; 
 for, although in guide-books and gazetteers, Trivanderam was 
 stated to be the capital of Travancoro, all that we could leaui 
 besides was that it possessed no harbour, that ships had to 
 anchor in an open roadstead, and that the beach boasted a 
 surf such as European boats would never resist for a moment 
 — with which pleasant and comfortable knowledge we beguiled 
 the time while the voyage lasted. It now appears that had we 
 been learne».l in astronomical lore wo should lia\'e known that at 
 Ti-ivanderain there was erected, forty years ago, an obs(irvato)y 
 
(f 
 
 100 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 I 
 
 I ■ 
 
 of no mean importance, with transit clocks and instruments, 
 telescopes, refractors, and reflectors, and that it had since then 
 been allowed to fall into disuse and dilapidation. But we were 
 not astronomically inclined, and, with the exception of now and 
 then straining our eyes in search of the Southern Cross, which, 
 after all, never appeared, cared no more for observatories and 
 telescopes than the present Rajah of Travancore does. Beyond 
 this, too, it seems that had we been well instructed in heraldry, 
 and knowing in things pertaining to ceremonies and chapters, 
 we should have been aware that the Rajah who built the obser- 
 vatory was the same sensible and liberal-minded potentate who, 
 in 1851, presented to the Queen the ivory chair in which she 
 would sit were she to hold a Chapter of the Garter at Windsor. 
 This knowledge, however, came too late> all that could be 
 gathered was that game of all kinds abounded in the Rajah's 
 territory ; that the Prince wanted a little shooting, and that it 
 was to be got in the neighbourhood of Trivanderam. 
 
 It was early on a Saturday morning when, by nautical calcu- 
 ation, an inspection of the shore, and consideration of the 
 charts, we were judged to be opposite the long-looked for place. 
 Now, naval men are %r from averse to going on shore. Their 
 ship is undoubtedly their home ; they take great pride in her, 
 from masthead to keelson ; but give a jungle-full of tigers, and 
 a plain -full of bison, the prospect of a good day's sport, and a 
 good dinner, and the most ardent sailor will begin to burnish 
 his express rifle, fill up the cartridge-case, and prepare to land. 
 Gradually Trivanderam was approached, and then was seen the 
 beauty of this southern part of India. Our glasses made out 
 that the inhabitants of this favoured land were actually enjoy- 
 ing a shower of rain. What would we not have given for a 
 shower just then, with the thermometer in the shade at 94 deg., 
 and no breeze ? Pleasant, doubtless, is the bright Indian sun, 
 pleasant the clear, blue sky and the grand expanse of purple- 
 coloured sea ; pleasant also an escape from the November fogs of 
 
iiiiMm 
 
 THE VOYAGE TO CEYLON. 
 
 101 
 
 ruments, 
 nee then 
 ; we were 
 ' now and 
 js, which, 
 ories and 
 Beyond 
 heraldry, 
 
 chapters, 
 the obser- 
 itate who, 
 which she 
 
 Windsor. 
 
 could be 
 he Rajah's 
 md that it 
 
 :ical calcu- 
 lon of the 
 for place. 
 Ire. Their 
 |ide in her, 
 dgers, and 
 |ort, and a 
 ;o burnish 
 •e to land. 
 is seen the 
 made out 
 lly enjoy- 
 Lven for a 
 it 94 deg., 
 idian sun, 
 lof purple- 
 Iber fogs of 
 
 London, the chilly, wintry blasts, and the all-pervading mud; 
 but, oh, for one hour of pelting, soaking rain ! I don't believe 
 a man would have raised an umbrella. To be drenched to the 
 skin would have been a positive luxury. However, we did not 
 land at Trivanderam, and we consequently got none of the rain. 
 How provokingly near we came to the land ! Cables were 
 ready, the town could be distinctly made out, the observatory 
 with its sightless old telescope and the residence of a Rajali, 
 long groves of palm-trees, little fishing boats, and, at the back 
 of all, towering mountains, round the heads of which clouds 
 whirled madly, as though the wind, rushing through the crevices 
 in the rock, was throwing them at each other for the sheer fun 
 of the thing. There was clearly a pleasant breeze ashore, what- 
 ever we lacked at sea. Still, it must not be supposed that the 
 water was still. We could see the surf beating madly on the 
 strand, and our ships rolled about on the swell, till we had to 
 hold on by both hands to avoid being capsized. It was a warn- 
 ing what to expect if we cast anchor, and apparently the 
 Admiral took it, for, with a good deal of sail on, to catch what 
 little wind there might be, we steamed away south, and pre- 
 sently left Trivanderam behind us. 
 
 On we went, hugging the shore and marvelling at its beauty. 
 Rich, tropical vegetation covered the plain right down to the 
 seashore. Palm, plantain, mango, and banian crowded together 
 in one vast jungle. Nor was this splendid foliage confined to 
 the plain. Far up the sides of the towering mountains, it 
 formed a rich, green covering, under which game of all kinds 
 might repose, and the natives of the place be happy. If the 
 peaks of the hills were bare rocks, showing terrible precipices, 
 the lower portions of the eminences were, at any rate, covered 
 by a grateful shade. And every now and then some pretty, little 
 village or lonely Portuguese church would peep out from the 
 trees, or a little fleet of fishing boats would come from the 
 shore. Then we would come in view of a red coral retjC, or 
 
•irrr 
 
 ) t 
 
 I ' 
 
 i ; 
 
 102 
 
 WlTfl THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 some well-niarked place on the chart, such as Moottam Point, 
 witli its sandy face and bleak, bare top, till at length we were 
 off Cape Coraorin, the Land's-end of India, and by the declining 
 light of the fast disappearing sun, gazed with awe upon the 
 huge, white rock and the far-stretching shoal. We had not 
 landed at Tiivanderam, but such an excursion to the extreme 
 point of Southern India had well-nigh made up for all our dis- 
 a[)pointment. 
 
 Meanwhile, the Prince had landed at Goa, the Portuguese 
 settlement, and the place whence come all the Portuguese ser- 
 vants who make life a burden to the traveller. You heartily 
 wish them at Goa, or indeed anywhere else, a hundred times a 
 day ; yet they are indispensable. In such a climate, and with 
 such a systt m as prevails in India, you must, wherever you go, 
 take your own servants, or you will get nothing to eat, nothing 
 to drink, and will lose your luggage. Then comes the question, 
 What kind of servant is best ? The native of Madras is a pro- 
 verbial rascal, and I am able to say, without prejudice, that he 
 deserves his character. The Hindoo is a perpetual bother in 
 travelling, for he can only eat in a certain way, at a certain 
 time, and cannot go to sea. As for the Mohammedan, the ex- 
 perience of an Englishman out here speaks volumes. Temper- 
 provoking, crafty, troublesome, full of excuses for laziness, and 
 frequently dishonest, you are in constant danger of being pro- 
 voked to use your cane upon them, in which case the chances 
 are that you will be fined by a local magistrate, and have your 
 name published in the newspapers. Such being the case, you 
 are driven to employ the inhabitant of Goa, partly because 
 he speaks English fairly, partly for the reason that he washes 
 himself occasionally, and can upon a pinch present an appear- 
 ance bordering upon respectability, though that is not often ; 
 and partly also because he distinctly understands the inadvis- 
 ableness of stealing your clothes, and confines his operations to 
 cheating you out of small sums in paying your bills — an achieve- 
 
THE VOYAGE TO CEYLON, 
 
 103 
 
 m Point, 
 we were 
 declining 
 upon the 
 ) had not 
 5 extreme 
 11 our dis- 
 
 >ortuguese 
 iguese ser- 
 )U heartily 
 ed times a 
 }, and with 
 ^er you go, 
 at, nothing 
 le question, 
 as is a pro- 
 ice, that he 
 I bother in 
 b a certain 
 an, the ex- 
 Temper- 
 .ziness, and 
 being pro- 
 [he chances 
 have your 
 e case, you 
 ily because 
 he washes 
 an appear- 
 not often ; 
 [le inai'vis- 
 lerations to 
 [an achieve- 
 
 ISC 
 
 .-fa 
 
 ment which affords him infinite satisfaction, and is possibly less 
 annoying to the victim than are the vagaries of the native 
 servant. 
 
 There are many ways of decorating a place, but the most 
 ori;_,lnal method I ever witnessed was adopted at Baroda. It 
 was getting dark in the evening on which the Prince was to 
 drive through the native town when I passed over the britlge 
 that led to the railway station. Across the bridge was a tri- 
 umphal arch of palm leaves ; on both parapets oil lamps had 
 been placed in such a fashion as to illuminate the road very 
 grandly. But it was neither the arch nor the lamps that sur- 
 prised me. There was nothing very extraordinary in the 
 arrangement of the foliage or tlio situation of the lamps. Nor 
 was the bridge itself worthy of any great attention. On that 
 bridge, however, was a sight to be witnessed v/hich I had not 
 seen before. The decorators were manufacturing angels. It 
 has probably not oeen the fortune of many among che British 
 public to see the youths of Baroda. They are mostly Hindoos, 
 who never wander from home ; and just as they do not go to 
 the outer world, so the outer world very seldom goes to them. 
 I may therefore mention, by way of information, that a Baroda 
 boy is one of the most ill-favoured in the land. He has a face 
 like a Hottentot, arms like a chimpanzee, a dark-brown skin, 
 and bloodshot eyes. Anything less angelic it is impossible to 
 conceive. Yet it was out of material like this that the Gui- 
 cowar's decorators were making angels. 
 
 Two ideas were prominent in the mind of Sir Madava Rao's 
 decorators ; first, that his angels must be white ; next, that 
 they must have wings. Whether he had read of Pope Gregory 
 and the Saxon slaves, or had borrowed his ideas from Milton, I 
 do not know. There was a society that Hood wrote about, 
 which, finding that it was impossible to rub negroes white, 
 determined to gild them ; but the Baroda artist was far cleverer. 
 With a huge pot of whitewash and a collection of properties 
 
I : 
 
 f 
 
 i 
 
 
 104 
 
 WITH THE FEINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 which would have done credit to the store-room of a London 
 theatre, he set to work furiously. Ten boys were fixed at 
 different i)oints of the bridge, and the position known in the 
 army as " eyes right" once obtained, the angel-maker proceeded. 
 With a great brush, such as is used by bill-stickers in London, 
 this ingenious man whitened each young Barodian from top to 
 toe. Then to white cords passed round their breasts he attached 
 golden wings of the most approved pattern. On their half. 
 sliuven crowns he fixed long, flowing, auburn wigs, and sur- 
 mounted this piece of decoration with gilt coronets; in each 
 hand he placed a long white wand, and the picture was com- 
 I)lete. You need not be told the result ; how in the flickering 
 glare of the lamps these angels more closely resembled white- 
 washed imps than seraphim ; how now and then some urchin 
 more mischievous than the rest would take off his locks and ex- 
 pose a bald, black pate ; or how, as he passed by, the Prince 
 was thrown into convulsions of laughter. I only mention the 
 incident to give you an idea of the pitfalls into which native 
 decorators are apt to stumble when to their care is confided the 
 beautifying of a place. 
 
 Mr. Gregory, the excellent Governor of Ceylon, had fortun- 
 ately no such helpers, and in spite of the extraordinary diflficul- 
 ties he experienced, fast turned the beautiful city of Colombo 
 into fairyland. I believe it was Bishop Heber who remarked 
 that in Ceylon " Every prospect pleases, and only man is vile." 
 About the villainy of Cingalese man I cannot say much. He is 
 not good-looking ; he wears long hair done up in a chignon at 
 the back, with a tortoise-shell comb to keep it off his forehead ; 
 he chews more betel-nut than the Hindoo of the mainland ; he 
 delights in a long, bright-coloured petticoat, and, unless he is a 
 Mohammedan, wears no turban ; but whether he is vile or not, 
 I cannot say. The Cingalese cabman knows well that you must 
 ride when the thermometer is 100 deg. in the shade, and he is 
 a trifle exorbitant, almost as much so as his London cousin 
 
TUE VOYAGE TO CEYLON. 
 
 105 
 
 I London 
 
 fixed at 
 ffn in the 
 iroceeded. 
 L London, 
 3m top to 
 e attached 
 heir half- 
 , and sur- 
 ij in each 
 
 was com- 
 ) flickering 
 3led white- 
 »me urchin 
 cks and ex- 
 the Prince 
 lention the 
 lich native 
 
 infided the 
 
 lad fortun- 
 Iry difficul- 
 |f Colombo 
 remarked 
 m is vile." 
 Ich. He is 
 bhignon at 
 forehead ; 
 Inland; he 
 less he is a 
 \t\q or not, 
 you must 
 and he is 
 Ion cousin 
 
 would bo under similar circuiiistances ; but that is not villainy, 
 it is human nature. Yet I will not quarrel with the writer of 
 the hymn. He is right as to the prospect ; the men may take 
 care of themselves. 
 
 Ceylon is certainly a lovely island. We descried — when a long 
 way at sea — a land of orange and cinnamon groves ; a land of 
 the date and the bread-fruit ; where plantains have the largest 
 leaves, the banyan tree most foliage, where the palm spreads 
 widest, and lovely singing-birds are most numerous. For, 
 doubly-favoured isle, it has the rain of the Temperate Zone in- 
 termingled with the heat of the Tropics. The ground is con- 
 tinually fci'tilised, the plants and trees see the sun always ; the 
 spice-laden air is full of richness, and the surrounding sea makes 
 night cool and refreshing. Colombo from the sea is a fine 
 picture of architectural beauty in a deep setting of green. 
 Vistas of pleasant retreats and leafy shades, of a wide beach 
 and handsome buildings, meet us at every turn. And when 
 we landed we found the view from the distance excelled by the 
 sight which a closer inspection gave us. Truly it was a wonder- 
 ful place to which we had come. 
 
 With such natural advantages and so energetic and loyal a 
 Governor as Mr. Gregory, what might not have been made of 
 Ceylon on the occasion of the Prince's visit ? I am afraid to 
 say what orders were given by the Decoration Committee, and 
 what arrangements were made for utilizing the natural beauty 
 of Ceylon. All that was wanted was that the time should be 
 specified, or, failing that, sufficient notice to allow of an altera- 
 tion in the plans. Yet, strange to say, the gentlemen who 
 managed, or rather mismanaged, the Prince's tour, although 
 they knew perfectly well more than a fortnight ago that the 
 Neilgherry trip was impossible in consequence of cholera, failed 
 to make the fact known to the Council at Ceylon, and, indeed, 
 only mentioned that the visit of the Prince would take place 
 earlier than at first arranged. Fortunately, His Excellency the 
 
 7 
 
i 
 
 \(f 
 
 lilt 
 
 106 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA, 
 
 Governor did not resent this cavalier treatment, as less amiable 
 and sensible men might have done, but addressed himself to the 
 task of preparing to receive the Prince. The result was mag- 
 nificent. Triumphal arches — one of which, close by the land- 
 ing-place, is a marvell of skill, erected in the form of a castle 
 and pavilion — sprang up as though by magic. The Queen's 
 House — for so the Governor's residence is called — was ready for 
 the Prince j the fleet was in the offing ; and all that was want- 
 ing was the " Serapis," with her Royal traveller. 
 
 Within an hour of landing at Ceylon I learned from the 
 Governor that England had practically become owner of the 
 Suez Canal ; and as the notes of one who but lately passed to 
 the East by way of this wonderful route may be of interest, I 
 venture to give my own experiences of the canal. I do not 
 propose to set down a single figure ; my talk shall be of the 
 mf nners and customs of the people who inhabit the region and 
 the canal itself. 
 
 I do not think that at Port Said, the point where the canal 
 begins, the ordinary Englishman would find much to please 
 him. I have been told that after a soldier has passed the regu- 
 lation year at Perim, he looks upon Aden as the Garden of 
 Eden. A man would have to live a long while in a very bad 
 place before he regarded Port Said in any such light. There 
 is a railway which somebody bogan a long time ago ; but which 
 nobody, apparently, proposes to finish. There is a dockyard 
 which is a model of disorder. I believe that the Arab popula- 
 tion, which fortunately lives by itself, is the most rascally in 
 the world, and I am sure that the streets in the native quarter 
 more than vie, in point of uncleanliness, with the worst parts 
 of Alexandria. I was in charge of a guide, and as I traversed 
 the lanes and alleys of the town, took his opinion of his fellow- 
 citizens. " The people," he remarked, " very great blackguards 
 indeed. Best you not come ashore, sar, night-time. Arabs like 
 to see gentlemen with watch and chain in streets at night-time 
 
- mmmEmk^^^iea m i mMmM f'^'*^ - 
 
 TUE VOYAGE TO CEYLON. 
 
 107 
 
 38S amiable 
 nself to the 
 t was mag- 
 ly the laiid- 
 of a castle 
 he Queen's 
 as ready for 
 b was want- 
 
 d from the 
 wner of the 
 iy passed to 
 f interest, I 
 I. I do not 
 1 be of the 
 B region and 
 
 re the canal 
 h to please 
 ,ed the regu- 
 Garden of 
 a very bad 
 ht. There 
 but which 
 a dockyard 
 rab popula- 
 rascally in 
 ive quarter 
 worst parts 
 I traversed 
 his fellow- 
 (lackgiiards 
 Arabs like 
 night-time 
 
 
 very much, rieuty murders hcic, sar." " But," I rcjoinod, 
 " are tho thieves not punished 1" " Oh yes, sar," was tlic i('i>ly ; 
 " they beaten on the feet every day, but they not care a bit." 
 My informant was not far wrong, for we had hardly gone a 
 hundred yards when we came upon one of the residents of Port 
 Said und(;rgoing at that moment the penalty of tlit^ bastinado 
 for some malpractice or other. Temporarily, I should jiulge, 
 from the grimaces he made, that he objected to the i)unishmcnt 
 most sev'ously, but, practically, I expect, he did not " care a 
 bit," as his loquacious countryman said. Why should he, for- 
 sooth 1 The pain of the bamboo cane once over, but little in- 
 ducement to good influences the native. Eveiything runs riot 
 in Port Said. The Government roads, as distinct from the 
 Canal Company's roads, are almost impassable. The streets 
 are full of dogs, donkeys, pigs — why do Mohammedans keep 
 pigs ? — and children. The heat is fierce ; the sand is blinding ; 
 crime is rife, and punishment is irregular. What can an Arab 
 gain by being good at Port Said 1 
 
 Leaving, then, this delectable spot, let us go on board the 
 steamer, and, pas.sing through a gate-like entrance, begin our 
 voyage down the canal. Several ideas strike you at once. First, 
 that the canal is very narrow ; secondly, that the distance is 
 measurea by English miles and not French metres; thirdly, 
 that there is a continual succession of mirages, so that phantom 
 lakes of delicious aspect surround you, and thickly foliagod 
 trees, to your mistaken vision, cover the desolate plane. I say 
 nothing of the sandfly, which .exceeds the mosquito in power 
 of jaw and activity of wing, or of the melting sun. The latter 
 you find everywhere in the East; the former is absolutely 
 welcome in place of the pestering fly of Alexandria and Port 
 Said. You move along very slowly, making not more than 
 about five miles an hour, and this gives you the opportunity to 
 notice several curious facts. One is that the construction of 
 the canal has brought with it here and there something akin to 
 
108 
 
 WITH THE ritlNrE IN INDIA. 
 
 what wo aro accustomod to call vogotation. Thoro mo occa- 
 sioiiiil putchos of grcoii on tlui ImiikH, uiid ut sonio of tho .stations 
 or landing places on tlie canal, ont of which ti'imly (h(\sscd 
 French officials emerge as you pass by, there are little groves 
 of trees. These are but of recent growth, and some one near 
 tells you that they are fostered by heavy dews, which now fall 
 frequently, and rain which before was not known in Egypt. 
 We have good proof of this at nightfall, when we anchor oil* 
 Ismailia. There we see a grand expanse of water, a large, 
 natural lake, and you aro wondering whether the pilot cannot 
 be induced to take you on by moonlight, when a thick fog falls, 
 and all hope of moving on is stopped, not only for the night, 
 but for the greater part of the next da}'^ too. 
 
 Nothing more is needed to prove that the climate is rapidly 
 altering, and that in the process of time the desert may, liter- 
 ally as well as figuratively, " rejoice and blossom as the rose." 
 Indeed, at Ismailia there is already much rejoicing and much 
 blossoming too. There are public gardens of no ordinary 
 beauty, long groves of young trees, luxuriant hedges, and fruit- 
 ful fields. Ismailia is by no means a town to be despised, as 
 its well-built houses and grand summer palace testify. And if 
 anything were wanting to prove its great respectability, it is 
 the fact that all its donkeys are named after the statesmen and 
 military celebrities of Europe. Napoleon, Alfonso, King Wil- 
 liam, Moltke, Francis Joseph, and Garibaldi, were all waiting 
 at the jetty ready saddled when we landed. I chose Bismark — 
 a grizzled donkey of great strength, and, looking back on that 
 moonlight ride, I am bound to say that he outstripped all com- 
 petitors, and carried off honours both as a racer and as a kicker. 
 Let the great of Europe know that their highest honour in 
 Ismailia is to have a donkey named after them. 
 
 Ismailia is about halfway down the canal, and supposing the 
 fog to clear away before midday, you ought to arrive at Suez by 
 night. This is, however, by no means certain, even in thes« 
 
THE VOYAGE TO CEYLON. 
 
 109 
 
 « art'- occa- 
 ho statimiH 
 
 ttlo groves 
 le one near 
 )h now fall 
 
 in Egypt. 
 
 anchor oiV 
 er, a large, 
 pilot cannot 
 ick fog falls, 
 )r the night, 
 
 ^te is rapidly 
 •t may, liter- 
 as the rose." 
 ig and much 
 no ordinary 
 es, and fruit- 
 despised, as 
 ify. And if 
 tability, it is 
 ;atesmen and 
 ,, King Wil- 
 all waiting 
 ;e Bismark — 
 ack on that 
 >ped all com^ 
 as a kicker. 
 it honour in 
 
 [upposing the 
 \e at Suez by 
 Lren in these 
 
 f 
 
 
 days of stoum. Every now and again some slij^dit turning 
 occurs, and tlien the chances are that, unless directed by a very 
 skilful pilot and a good crew, the ship will run aground. A 
 varit!ty of entertaining incidents follow. You may be asked to 
 leave; the vessel in company with the rest of the passengers, 
 and so lighten the ship — a diversion by no means to be desired, 
 as it involves the chance of your having to sit upon the hot 
 sand for some hours, while the sailors are exerting themseives 
 to move their unwieldy vessel. Or you may be allowed to stop 
 on board, but required to dispense with the awning which alone 
 makes life bearable in the desert; and, worse than all, be deaf- 
 ened for hourf .y a badly-working, clattering donkey engine 
 and windlass, which almost invariably for the first fifty attempts 
 to grasp the cable — which is attached to a post ashore, and 
 which, if properly gripped, would pull the vessel round, — lets it 
 slip at the very moment when a well-sustained pull would put 
 everything right. If you get through the Canal with less than 
 a couple of such experiences, you will be very fortunate. The 
 " Serapis" went aground for a short time, and so has almost 
 every vessel of considerable tonnage that I liave heard of. 
 Occasionally the blades of the screw are lost in the attempt to 
 ■ ^ove the ship, as was the case with the "Sumatra" some time 
 back ; or perhaps the ship has to stop for twelve hours till the 
 tide lifts her, so that it is by no means certain that if you leave 
 Ismailia in the morning you will see Suez before night. Still, 
 if you have good fortune, and can avoid the bad places in the 
 Canal, you may go along quicker even than that, especially 
 through what are called the Bitter Lakes, where ten knots an 
 hour, or even more, may be made. In this way you go along, 
 through some of the most uninviting scenery in the world — 
 arid desert, only now and tlien relieved by the little patches of 
 vegetation which hr^ve recently sprung up, an occasional mir- 
 age, a Hock of birds, and now and tlien a party of Arabs with 
 their camels, their wives, and their chidren, sometimes with 
 
110 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 morcluiiidiHO nnd soniotiiuos not, but iilways ineffably dirty and 
 excessively wild. Tlie)> are more frequently to be seen at the 
 little boat bridges, which are placed at coi*tain points at one 
 si)Ot. They claim absolute right of way, having enjoyed tli(! 
 proprietorship of a road to the East from Egypt over since 
 Abraham roamed about with his camels and goodn. 
 
 I will not attempt to describe at length the landing of the 
 Prince in Ceylon. One or two pictures presented themselves, 
 and these I will give you. 
 
 I have before remarked on the adaptability of the palm leaf 
 for purposes of ornamentation. Perhaps it may be argued 
 that in a place so full of foliage as Colombo floral decoration 
 was needless. But given that triumphal arches are an ortln)- 
 dox expression of loyalty, Colombo outvied Bombay itself. It 
 is the home of fruits, as well as flowers. The mango is richer, 
 the pine-apple finer, and the cocoanut more plentiful here than 
 anywhere besides. It was therefore with little astonishment 
 that I saw pyramids of fruit eight feet high surrounding the 
 bases of arches, fruit hanging in great clusters all along the 
 line of route, and fruit on the arches themselves. Pray do not 
 imagine that what we in England know as a triumphal arch 
 was to be seen in Ceylon. Here were lightness and strength, 
 but nothing solid or heavy. Thin bamboos strongly tied 
 together till an arch not three inches thick, but fully seventy 
 feet high and as many ieet broad, was raised, might well excite 
 wonder in a mind unused to such sights. Then, when all kinds 
 of fruit were hung from the supports in rich clusters — the 
 bright yellow and red of the young cocoanuts contrasting with 
 the green plantains and mangoes, the bread fruit, and the 
 areca nut — an arch was made which needed no inscription to 
 tell its meaning, though the native Christians of Colombo had 
 made it, and thought fit to say so. 
 
 Yet, lest there should be sameness, the ingenious gentleman 
 to whom the decorations of Colombo were confided bethought 
 
THE VOYAGE TO CEYLON. 
 
 Ill 
 
 dirty and 
 ecu lit tho 
 Lnt8 at one 
 njoyod tUo 
 over since 
 
 ling of the 
 ihcmselvca, 
 
 ,0 palm leaf 
 be argued 
 decoration 
 re an ortlko- 
 y itself. It 
 20 is richer, 
 111 here than 
 stonishment 
 3unding the 
 along the 
 •ray do not 
 mpluil arch 
 nd strength, 
 I'ongly tied 
 uUy seventy 
 well excite 
 Lcn all kinds 
 lusters— the 
 rasting with 
 it, and the 
 iscription to 
 lolombo had 
 
 IS ffcntlcnian 
 
 J 
 
 Id bethought 
 
 liini of Honiothinr new, and as Ceylon is not only a grout 
 fiujt store and conservatory of grandly painted flowers, but also 
 tho home of tho elephant, ho made arches of effigies of these 
 miigiiificent creatures, arches of (elephants composed of canvas 
 and rich Oriental blossoms, arches representing the king of 
 Ceylon beasts entwining trtinks and tusks, and upraising t'»nir 
 h(!ads in order to let the I'rinco })ass under. You never lost 
 sight of tho ch'phant in Ceylon. True that ho was not in the 
 streets, as in liaroda, or oven in tlie suburbs, as in Hyderabad, 
 but tho elligy was everywhere. We saw ebony elephants on 
 diawiug-rooui tables, golden elephants on tho collars of officials, 
 painted elei)liants on banners, brass elephants on Government 
 stamps, and the first thing that the Prince set eyes on when 
 lie landed at Colombo were two black images of elephants with 
 tiyes like tea-saucers, and long, black trunks grasping cocoanuts 
 firmly. There were other classes of arches, however. Towers 
 w(U'e light — so light, indeed, that a man might almost have 
 walked away with a whole archway easily — semi-circular 
 ai<3hes, square arches, and arches of a pattern which I have 
 never seen l)efore, sprang up everywhere. The materials were 
 certainly close at hand ; it was but tho transfer of the branches 
 and leaves from the trees on the roadside to tho arches ; but 
 for all that the artistic beauty of the structures wtis greatly to 
 bo admired, and Mr. Gregory's island looked its very best. 
 
 I will not trouble you with the addresses of the Executive 
 Council, or the Municipal Council, nor even with the reply of 
 the Prince. First of all, because from the place in which I 
 stood I heard nothing ; secondly, because they are stereotyped; 
 you have had their purport already, and their only merit was 
 that they were very short. I believe the good gentleman who 
 compiled the Cingalese eloquence was thrown from his carriaf'e 
 and severely bruised an hour afterwards. Ho has, however, for 
 consolation the knov-ledge that a grateful people praise his skill 
 in condensing tue local welcome into a few very choice words. 
 
 The great feature of the Colombo arrival, however, was the 
 
:< I 
 
 M I' 
 
 fVITH THE FRINGE IN INDIA. 
 
 display on the water. Royal processions, on entering fresli 
 places, are pretty much the same everywhere. The aides-de- 
 camp of the Resident Governor walk first, three abreast, and 
 very upright indeed. The Prince follows by the side of the 
 Governor, bowing first on this side and then on that, and smil- 
 ing very graciously. The suite come next, in something very 
 like disorderly array, and a number of local magnates bring up 
 the rear of the procession. It is the same at every capital, and 
 needs no special description. Perhaps the fact that the native 
 gentlemen wore chignons and semicircular combs in their hair, 
 long petticoats, and low shoes, might add something to the in- 
 terest of the scene ; perhaps also the appearance of sundry old 
 gentlemen, who were adorned with great discs of gold, given 
 them as rewards for good behaviour, by successive Governors, 
 broad bands of gold lace, and golden daggers, should be described. 
 The readiness with which one of them, a very high functionary 
 indeed, with an excessively ugly face, and an exceedingly pretty 
 coat, stood to be sketched, showed that he, at any rate, thought 
 himself worthy of especial notice, and the admiring nods of his 
 friends testified to their approval. 
 
 But, after all, triumphal arches, curiously attired natives, 
 and even the Royal procession itself, were by no means the 
 things to be most carefully noticed. The scene on the water 
 was the most extraordinary sight There were funny old peo- 
 ple who had engaged drum-and-fife bands, to play in their 
 barges, loyal tunes in various keys. There were young ladies 
 who dressed like old men, and old men, who dressed like young 
 ladies, seated under the caropies of foliage, and placidly wait- 
 ing for the Prince, who kept them for five hours, owing to 
 unforeseen accidents, and to the foolish miscalculations of his 
 suite. Yet there was nothing but goodwill and loyalty. The 
 cheers which accompanied the salute from the fleet and the fort 
 were full of hearty good-humour^ and it is a question whether 
 anywhere else the Prince met more gladsome people, or people 
 saw a more gratified Prince. 
 
 J 
 
iiiiililiiiiii 
 
 ring fresli 
 3 aides-de- 
 )reast, and 
 ide of the 
 ;, and smil- 
 jthing very 
 es bring up 
 capital, and 
 b the native 
 I their hair, 
 y to the in- 
 ' sundry old 
 
 gold, given 
 3 Governors, 
 be described. 
 . functionary 
 lingly pretty 
 
 ■ate, thought 
 cr nods of his 
 
 red natives, 
 means the 
 on the water 
 any old peo- 
 
 lay m 
 
 their 
 
 young ladies 
 d like young 
 lacidly wait- 
 is, owing to 
 itions of his 
 yalty. The 
 and the fort 
 ion whether 
 le, or people 
 
 4 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 CirOALESE FAIRY LAND. 
 
 On the journey to Kandy, I saw what I believe to be the 
 prettiest spectacle in the world. Before the vivid impression it 
 has made upon my mind dies away let me strive to depict it. 
 
 " You have seen nothing till you have been to Kandy," said 
 the Governor of Ceylon — hos[)itable Mr. Gregory — as we sat 
 and discussed the visit of the Prince. " It is the loveliest place 
 in creation, and when you have seen it you will say so," added 
 his Excellency. It was, therefore, with no little expectation 
 that I looked forward to my trip to Kandy. Everything 
 tended to make that expectation greater. Cofiee-planters 
 praised the decoration of Colombo, but recommended Kandy as 
 a place needing neither ornamentation nor beautifying. In- 
 liabitants of the port themselves, while proud of the city, yet 
 point to Kandy as the sum^num honum of civic excellence 
 Kandy must be a pretty place, or no more faith could be placed 
 in the word of man. Seven o'clock in the morning was fixed 
 for the hour of our departure into the interior, so that we had 
 the best part of the day before us. A shady sky, too, favoured 
 the travellers, who would otherwise have been half-roasted, 
 crowded together as we were, before the six hours' journey was 
 a thing of the past. At length we started, and then a panorama 
 of surpassing beauty, which never closed for a moment till we 
 reached our destination, and still surrounds us whichever way 
 we look, opened before us. It is vain for me to attempt to 
 describe the landscape of Ceylon. Bring together the grandeur 
 of Aliiiiic lands, the mellow beauty of Swiss scenery where the 
 lake of Lucerne looks prettiest ; atld to the sketch admirably 
 
114 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 
 II i 
 
 i,\ , 
 
 cultivated fields of grain, and fill the picture with the luxuriant 
 foliage of the tropics, and you have a faint idea of the lovely 
 scene through which we passed. 
 
 It is a great privilege to see Adam's Peak. When first I 
 looked at it we were fifty miles from Ceylon, in half a gale, on 
 our beam-ends. Still, trying as was the tossing of the ship, and 
 doleful as looked the inky sky, with its afterwards fulfilled 
 promise of storm and lightning, there was the summit bearing 
 the footprint of Buddha, to look upon which is as meritorious 
 an act for a Buddhist as a journey to Mecca is for a follower of 
 the Prophet. For aught we could tell to the contrary, the 
 print of that wonderful foot might be on the very side of the 
 mountain upon which we were gazing. All Oriental persuasions 
 revere the phenomenon. Ask a Mohammedan, and he will tell 
 you that the huge mark was the footprint of Adam ; enquire of 
 a Chinese, and he will awaru the honour of possessing the 
 largest pedal appanage in the world — it is five feet long — to 
 Fo. Portuguese writers have quarrelled from time immemorial 
 over the conflicting claims of St. Thomas and the Eunuch of 
 Candace to this mark on the rock ; the Brahmins have every 
 reason to be perfectly sure that Shiva's toes effected the imprint ; 
 while Moses of Chorene — a very sad man, who ought to be 
 remembered with much reprobation — said the footprint was that 
 of Satan himself, and not of a saint at all. 
 
 While on the journey to Kandy we had plenty of time to con- 
 sider all this. Adam's Peak stood out against the sky ever so 
 many miles away, and formed the centrepiece in the background 
 of the picture. Round its elev^ated head the clouds played, yet 
 ever and anon the summit would be lit up by the sun's rays, 
 the sharp peak glittered as brightly as though it were incandes- 
 cent. Among the things we had been told to expect was a 
 thrill of excitement at what is most ap[)ropriately known as 
 Sensation Rock. Have you ever looked into the interior of the 
 crater of Vesuvius, sat in the tiain as it 2)asses on the edge of 
 
aiNGALEt^E FAIRY LA^D. 
 
 115 
 
 [uxuriant 
 [le lovely 
 
 311 first I 
 a, gale, on 
 ship, and 
 s fulfilled 
 it bearing 
 icritorious 
 bllower of 
 trary, the 
 side of the 
 ersuasions 
 le will tell 
 enquire of 
 essing the 
 ; long — to 
 amemorial 
 lunuch of 
 ave every 
 imprint ; 
 Lght to be 
 it was that 
 
 Ime to con- 
 :y ever so 
 ickground 
 llayed, yet 
 |un's rays, 
 incandes- 
 3ct was a 
 Iknown as 
 :ior of the 
 le edge of 
 
 4 
 
 the preci})ice which overhangs the light green lake Neuchatel ; 
 walked on the ledge wMch joins the Capel Curig and the Bedd- 
 gcUert ascent of Snowdon ; passed along the line which leads 
 to the Mont Cenis tunnel ; looked down the Riglii ascent ; 
 gone to the edge of any one of the chasms which abound on 
 Mount Pilatus, or looked down the precipices over which you 
 pass when you go over the Bhore Ghauts on the road from Bom- 
 bay to Poona 1 If so, you can estimate the grandeur of the 
 sight from Sensation Rock when you learn that it fai- exceeds 
 in terrible magnificence any and all of these. 
 
 JMoreover, you are not looking down upon a flinty surface of 
 barren rock. On the contrary, nowhere else is vegetation so 
 abundant. You are full of wonder as you see the myriads of 
 trees and flowers which cover the ground. Scarcely a fruit oi- 
 a leaf that belongs to tropical climes is missing. Were you to 
 fall over the edge into the abyss below, you would never reacli 
 the earth. Palms, mangoes, plantains, banyans, bread-fruit 
 trees, areca-nut plants, the interlacing arms of convolvuli, trum- 
 pet-tlowers, huge ferns, and a hundred other 'exuberant members 
 of the vegetable world would catch you. You would be killed, 
 for a fall of five hundred feet upon the softest of couches would 
 be deadly. But you expire upon a bed of unequalled beauty, 
 with roses for your pillow and palms for your coverlet. Every 
 moment the scene changed, too, in this wonderful trip. Coffee 
 plantations climbing the hills would be seen, then the striated 
 surface of land cultivated for rice, next tliick jungle with 
 scarcely an open space of a foot wide to be distinguished, then 
 the mountain scenery, with its precipices, and afterwards a 
 flower-producing district of surpassing beauty. In this way tlie 
 six hours Hew pleasantly by, till at length we reached Kandy 
 and found it all we expected. 
 
 Kiindy railway station presented altogether a novel siglit to 
 the Prince and those who accompanied Jiim. All at once w(^ 
 found ourselves in a new land. The people belong to a dillei 
 
I Mi 
 
 f ; I- 
 
 116 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 ent type and race ; the scenery was different — everything was 
 strange except the palm-leaf decorations, which I have admii'ed 
 so much before. I will not stay to speak of the flags and the 
 other matters — suffice it to say that the station, without a single 
 person in it, would still have looked very pretty. But the great 
 sight was the assemblage. Away outside, on the sides of the 
 high hills which shut the town in like a little amphitheatre, 
 were small knots of gaily dressed people under the shade of 
 trees, the bright red and white dresses pleasantly contrasting 
 with the varied hues of light and deep, dark green, and on a 
 slope inside the town, close to the station, thousands of sight- 
 seers had taken up a position. All along the road on both sides 
 were very extraordinary persons ; they were called "headmen," 
 and wore sometliing peculiar, greatly resembling a square pin 
 cushion, on their heads. Note that it was not this gear from- 
 whicli they derive their title. Their business is to control dis- 
 tricts under the management of superior officers. If you 
 chanced to be a Cingalese — and you could not find a lovelier 
 home — you would be registered by a headman dii-ectly you were 
 born ; your arrival at the age of fifteen — a date which renders 
 you liable for military service — would be chronicled by the 
 headman ; to a headman you would go when you wished to be 
 married, and to a headman your relatives would go when they 
 wanted to bury you. Such were the men who lined the road 
 by which the Prince was to travel when he left the station. 
 They led the way to the pretty triumphal arches circled by the 
 town ; tliey pointed to the beautiful trophy with a revolving 
 minaret erected by a Mussulman grandee, which, when the 
 Prince arrived, sent out a golden canopy resting upon wires 
 fixed high in the air, in such fashion that it overshadowed the 
 canopy of the Prince till he came in front of Government 
 House. 
 
 But to return to the inside of the station. The most prom- 
 inent object for the l*rinco's inspection, was a party of Voddalis 
 
frtwn 
 
 CINGALESE FAIRY LAND. 
 
 117 
 
 ything was 
 ive admii-ed 
 gs and the 
 out a single 
 at the great 
 sides of the 
 iphitheatre, 
 tie shade of 
 contrasting 
 n, and on a 
 ids of sight- 
 »n both sides 
 "headmen," 
 I square pin 
 s gear from- 
 > control dis- 
 :s. If you 
 id a lovelier 
 ;ly you were 
 ich renders 
 |cled by the 
 ished to be 
 when they 
 d the road 
 he station, 
 •cled by the 
 [a revolving 
 when the 
 upon wires 
 adowed the 
 overnment 
 
 [iiost prom- 
 )f Veddahs 
 
 « 
 
 advantageously plac(;(l on tlio toj) of a cattle tnick. Hero wore 
 the veritable, wild men of the jungle — oiglit in number — with 
 their equally veritable, wild women. The Cingalese looked at 
 them in mute astonishment. Even they had never seen such 
 savages before. Miserable skeletons with long matted hair — 
 one of them, an elderly and toothless person, resembled a ship's 
 mop more nearly than anything else I can think of — with great, 
 rolling eyes, almost naked bodies, gras})ing their bows and 
 arrows and looking round nervously as though they would 
 jump off the truck and dart away, these Veddahs crouched to- 
 gether and glared like wild beasts. They had bee i brought 
 down from the hills in the Eastern province for the Prince to 
 see, and they were a strange company to behold. M'dxt day I 
 saw them once more, and the result of my observation you shall 
 presently have. Just below them stood the 57th Regiment, 
 under the command of Colonel Logan, all in white dresses, and 
 wearing white helmets. Then a number of gentlemen with 
 doubtfully fitting di'ess coats, stood grouped together, the 
 IVxunicipal Council of the city of Kandy. But these were by 
 no means the conspicuous portion of the gathering. Have you 
 ever heard of the old Kandyan Chiefs, the grand old men who 
 still hold the drums captured from Major Davie's force when 
 they beat the English down to the gates of Colombo, and ex- 
 tended their independence for twelve years 1 If so, let me say 
 that they are now the most loyal subjects of the Queen, that 
 one of them has conferred great favours upon Kandy, and that 
 they are now as contented as they were onoe troublesome. 
 Still, had they been dressed in the costume of Europeans, they 
 might not have attracted so much attention, certainly they 
 would not have added so greatly to the interest of the scene. 
 They came down in their most resplendent robes, with the pin- 
 cushion cap, richly embroidered and crowned in the centre by 
 an aigrette of emeralds, pearls, sapphires, and rubies, long white 
 dresses and drawers, marvellously worked, and gilded jackets, 
 
I 
 
 f: 
 
 lli' I 
 
 ' 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 
 i I 
 
 
 n 
 
 I:! 
 
 118 
 
 WITH THE PliJNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 and broad gold lace hands round their waists. And there they 
 stood, in two groups, on each side of the carpet along which 
 the Prince would pass, ready to give him a Kandyan welcome. 
 Behind them again were some Buddhist priests, with dirty 
 shaven heads and long yellow robes ; the people, the horses and 
 carriages did the rest. The Prince was enthusiastically re- 
 ceived, he spoke to the chiefs, entered the carriage, and drove 
 away up to the town to the music of bands and the shouts of 
 the people. 
 
mf^ 
 
 . there tlicy 
 long which 
 ,n welcome, 
 with dirty 
 5 horses and 
 isticiiUy re- 
 (, and drove 
 le shouts of 
 
 CIIAPTEIi X. 
 
 KANDYAN CURIOSITIES. 
 
 Fiom the day when I first read " Mangnall's QuostTons," 
 and trembled lest I should forget their answers when I stood 
 before my tutor and the desk in which I know a particularly 
 thick cane was hidden, I have understood that the Buddhists 
 had eccentric ideas. But until the day I visited Kandy I did 
 not know that they could be half so eccentric as I now find 
 them to be. 
 
 It had been announced that a Perahera would be held in the 
 evening in front of the Pavilion or Government House, in 
 which the Prince temporarily stays. What a Perahera was it 
 was not easy to learn. That it was a religious procession, and 
 had something to do with very religious elephants was well- 
 known, but, for the rest, my own very imperfect knowledge of 
 the elegant language called Tamil, and the ignorance of English 
 displayed by my informant, conveyed very little information. 
 It was, therefore, with some slight degree of curiosity that I 
 took my place in the garden of the Government House, and 
 waited for the fete. I had seen sacred — very sacred — bulls, 
 monkeys, and goats at Bombay, but as yet it had not fallen to 
 my lot to see sacred elephants. The gardens of the Pavilion 
 are equally -beautiful with the rest of Kandy. Leaves of all 
 shades, flowers of all sorts, surround a very pretty mansion. A 
 fine portico with very wide stci)S and grandly-designed pillars 
 opens upon a broad pathway. It was in this pathway, close by 
 the portico, where, about ten o'clock in the evening, the seats 
 for the few privileged spectators of the Peraheran sacred proces- 
 sion were placed. A somewhat similnr spectacle was promised 
 to the people for the morrow. This was to be a very select and 
 
I! 
 
 ": i 
 
 120 
 
 fVITU THE PRINCE IN INDIA, 
 
 private jtcifoiiriMnce. Looking down the pathway, which was 
 purposely very dimly lighted by a few Chinese lanterns, you 
 saw at the far extremity a great blaze of torches and lamj)8. 
 An inordinately in(piisitive person would probably have gone 
 at once to the gate, and dissolved the spell of mystery which 
 overhung the })roceedings. But those who were wise took the 
 Governor's advice and waited on either side of the Prince till a 
 signal was given and tlie glare and flare of the torches came 
 nearer. It was then clear that an extraordinary spectacle had 
 been prepared by the Buddhist priests as a token of extreme 
 favour to the Prince of Wales. For there were the chiefs of 
 the temples, the custodians of the sacred tooth of Buddha, with 
 their elephants, banners, and insignia of priestcraft, attended 
 by their dancers and tom-tom beaters, and accompanied by the 
 Kandyan chieftains whom we saw at the station. 
 
 To those who have not heard religious tom-toms played by 
 religious men, it is difficult to convey the sensation which we, 
 who were not used to such a noise, experienced. Twenty very 
 Ir.rge tom-toms, beaten with very large sticks by very strong 
 hsts, made the attack. In advancing upon us the players had 
 considerable advantages. They wore very little clothing, so 
 that their sinewy arms were quite unencumbered ; they were 
 'celebrated for the clatter they could make, and had been incited 
 to excel themselves on this occasion ; then they had to aid them 
 a beautiful echo, which vastly increased the din ; and, lastly, 
 they were allowed to come as close as they pleased. I do not 
 complain that my ear-drums tingled — I do not think anybody 
 dreamt of mentioning the ear in connection with that terrible 
 noise. Long befr re the tom-toms and their beaters had taken 
 up a good position the sound had penetrated far beyond the ear, 
 and was preying upon the vitals of the half-stunned English- 
 men ; it struck upon the cavity of the chest, it descended to the 
 pit of the stomach, the ear gave up resistance as useless, and let 
 the sound fly all 6ver the b- ly till we absolutely quivered. 
 
tmi-'mm 
 
 KAND YA N CURIOSITIES. 
 
 121 
 
 7\\\ch. was 
 ;erns, you 
 nd lamps, 
 tmve gone 
 ;ery which 
 B took the 
 rince till a 
 dies came 
 3ctacle had 
 )f extreme 
 le chiefs of 
 iddha, with 
 b, attended 
 lied by the 
 
 played by 
 which we, 
 renty very 
 -•ery strong 
 )layers had 
 lothing, so 
 they were 
 leen incited 
 lo aid them 
 md, lastly, 
 I do not 
 anybody 
 lat terrible 
 I had taken 
 id the ear, 
 English- 
 led to the 
 ss, and let 
 lered. 
 
 '€ 
 
 While this noise was going on, there emerged from the pro- 
 ct;ssion about a dozen of the ugliest young men wo had yet 
 seen. They were plentifully ornamented with strings of peai'la 
 and si)angles ; on their ankles, wrists and necks were little cym- 
 bals, which made a rattling, clinking sound, which, therefore, 
 would introduce a new element of misery to listeners, had not 
 the tom-tom players been by this time exhausted and obliged 
 to play with considerably less vigour. The twelve men began 
 to dance, while the torches were held round in order that they 
 might see where to jump. For jumping would be a better de- 
 scription of their exercises than any other word. First they 
 would spring forward and then they would fly back, then twirl 
 round on their heels, shake their cymbals, strike the little 
 tom-toms which they carried under their arms, and utter a yell. 
 As a savage performance it, no doubt, had its merits, but when 
 it had been repeated a dozen times the Prince had had enough 
 of it, and they were ordered to move on. 
 
 Next to them came a long string of elephants, ridden by 
 priests, and very gaudily dressed. I had good reason to know 
 that the first rider was chief of a temple, for during the after- 
 noon I had wandered into the interior of a shrine on the assur- 
 ance that my presence would not be objected to, when that old 
 gentleman rushed in, threw off his long yellow robe, and per- 
 formed a dance round me very similar to that which the jump- 
 ing twelve had favoured the Prince with. A dignified retreat 
 became advisable, as the priest was being imitated by some of 
 his assistants, and their rage was rapidly increasing. I had, 
 therefore, as I backed out of the temple, keeping my face to- 
 wards my assailants, good opportunity for noticing the linea- 
 ments of that fierce priest's face, and hence my recognition of 
 him when the elephants went by. Somehow or other, to his 
 evident chagrin, nobody else seemed to know him, however, 
 and the three first elephants were allowed to pass by almost 
 unnoticed. The fourth was a particularly fine animal, and as 
 
 8 
 
r::T'=^- 
 
 122 
 
 IVITIJ THE riilNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 h 
 
 I '>' 
 
 \"" I 
 
 n I 
 
 W': 
 
 ho'Ui)proachcJ. tho Prince held out m tempting jjiecu of siigar- 
 cano, upon wliich tho loyal creature dutifully knelt, conveyed 
 tho cano to his nioutii, and then, thoughtfully, lujld out his trunk 
 for more. He got more cano, but not quite of the kind he hoped 
 for; it was a stroke from a malacca, admonishing him to get up 
 and make room for another. That other was not far behind ; 
 indeed, he was down on his knees, holding out his trunk, before 
 the Prince could give him a handful of plantain. But his 
 energy was rewarded — he received tho fruit, and made off with 
 it as rapidly as possible. After this fashion aI)out a dozen 
 elephants were treated, and then the Kandyan chiefs whom we 
 had seen in the afternoon came up in a body, preceded by their 
 banners and sword-bearers, made a low obeisance to the Prince 
 and passed on. 
 
 In this way the procession continued without flagging. The 
 dancers varied in costume, and in manner of performance ; the 
 elephants had their own idiosyncrasies : some preferred sugar- 
 cane, some chose plantains, some refused to move till they 
 received both. Then the dancers, as they sprang out of the 
 surrounding gloom into the glare of light, had their eccentrici- 
 ties. There was one who insisted on turning somersaults till 
 he got too giddy to turn any more, and had to bf> led away. 
 There were a dozen with conical cr^ps made of strips of brass, 
 who danced till they had to be removed. There were tom-tom 
 beaters, too, who played and jumped and jumped and played 
 till Mr. Gregory could bear with them no longer, and they were 
 chased away ; aud there were even dancing torch-bearers, wiiose 
 gyrations were both fearful and wonderful. Little need for 
 wonder was there that a tiny elephant, unused to such a clatter, 
 made a shrill, trumpeting noise with his trunk, rushed at the 
 gateway, and vainly attempted to dance too — in this instance, a 
 fandango on the body of a native. For two hours the din con- 
 tinued, the enormous procession having apparently no end. 
 But at last it was over. The Prince retired, and Kandy went 
 to sleep. 
 
 U\\ 
 
KA XIJ YA N GURlOiilTIEti. 
 
 123 
 
 :o of sugiii- 
 t, convoyed 
 it his trunk 
 id lio hoped 
 111 to get up 
 far behind ; 
 •unk, before 
 1. But his 
 iide otf with 
 3ut a dozen 
 fs whom we 
 ded by thoir 
 o Uie Prince 
 
 
 \^y 
 
 Tlie 
 rmance ; the 
 erred sugar- 
 ve till they 
 out of the 
 eccentrici- 
 u;i'saults till 
 led away, 
 ips of brass, 
 ere tom-tom 
 and played 
 id they were 
 arers, whose 
 ,le need for 
 ch a clatter, 
 ished at the 
 s instance, a 
 the din con- 
 ,ly no end. 
 K.andy went 
 
 
 The knii^'liting of Mi-. Gregory, now Sir William Grogory, 
 K.C.M.G., and the exhibition of the sacred tooth of Buddha, 
 are two events whi(;h will long be rememln'red in Kandy. To 
 a Ihiddhist the (h;scription of the tooth and its surroundings 
 would bo most important, for great advantages come to tlu? 
 fortunate man who looks upon that sacred relic and lives. To 
 a loyal Englishman the investiture ceremony would be of para- 
 mount importance. L(!t us be loyal, and look into the audi(»nce- 
 chamber of the old palace, where already, an hour before the 
 announced time, all society in Kandy is assembled. 
 
 No insii'nificant building is that in which we tind ourselves. 
 A large oblong apartment, with a richly-carved ceiling, sup- 
 ported by magnificent columns of teak, having a broad space 
 in the centre, colonnades on each side, and at one end a raised 
 dais. On the dais are a throne of crimson velvet for the Prince, 
 and an armchair for the Governor. Flags hang from the walls • 
 Horal decorations are plentiful; the English ladies and gentle- 
 men who are rang«-d in tiers inside the colonnades are bril- 
 liantly attired in evening dress and uniforms. A guard of 
 honour holds the a[)proaches to the dais; the apartment is 
 resplendently lighted; only one fault is noticeable — the Prince 
 will face tlie south when presently he sits in Dunbar, the sad- 
 dest omen of danger that the Cingalese know. Why did not 
 some well-instructed person tell his Royal Highness that a 
 King of Kandy, or an Heir Apparent to this mountainous 
 realm, should always face the north when on the throne? In- 
 side the centre space, to the right of the dais, was a scene which 
 has seldom before been witnessed. A number of Kandy ladies, 
 dressed in white, and beautifully decorated with jewels, are 
 seated in a long row, I'eady to welcome tiie Prince. You look 
 at them, and see at once that they are high-caste ladies of no 
 mean birth. The conclusion is right ; these grand-looking 
 dames are no less than the wives of the chiefs of Kandy, come 
 for the especial purpose of se* ing their lords wait upon his 
 
124 
 
 IVITU THE riilNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 I 1^1 
 
 ii I 
 
 it ill 
 
 I ! 
 
 t -! 
 
 i , ' 
 
 Itoyal lIi<,'hnoH8. While we are regarding all this a stir is 
 noticeable oiitsitU). A band, which is stationcsd between two 
 lines of ai'tificial eloi)hanta, strike up the National Anthem, 
 and instantly the Prince, loudly cheered, enters the hall, accom- 
 panied by the Governor and suite, and ascends the (hiis. The 
 olliccis group themselves behind, the audience settles down, and 
 nothing is heard but the faint cheering of the crowds outside. 
 It is a marvel that that is heard. For a tropical storm lias 
 burst over Kandy. The lightning is flashing, the rain is de- 
 scending in torrents, the illuminations which but a few moments 
 beforf! made Kandy brilliant, from the tops of the mountains, 
 where bonfires blazed, to the island in the lake which occupies 
 the centre of the city, and was resplendent with Chimise lamps, 
 are fast going out. But we must leave the people outside, for 
 the chiefs arc passing along the hall, not on all fours, but erect 
 and proud, conscious of their dignity, and fully ecpial to the 
 exigencies of the occasion. Five abreast, with those extraordi- 
 nary hats of theirs on their heads, they approach slowly, and 
 then, as their names are severally announced, bow, and retire. 
 Not for long, however. A few minutes later, they return, bear- 
 ing in their hands a huge, silver casket, of exquisite workman- 
 ship, containing all k . ^.s of silver instruments, for the enjoy- 
 ment of the betel nut. With great grace they present this, 
 and with equal grace it is received. Then they file off once 
 more, and leave the space in front of the dais vacant. 
 
 Just now the Governor is seen to leave his place, at the left 
 of the Prince, and, in a mysterious fashion, pass down the hall 
 by one of the corridors. There is, simultaneously with this 
 movement, a procession forming at the far end of the room. It 
 advances slowly, and then we see that Mr. Gregory is advancing 
 towards tlie dais, followed by Mr. Douglas, the Auditor-Gene- 
 ral ; Mr. Birtch, the Colonial Secretary ; and the rest of his 
 Excellency's suite. Everybody stands up, Mr. Gregory makes 
 a profound bow to the Piince, who at once begins a short ad- 
 
KA NP YA N ( 7 'lUOSlTlEii. 
 
 125 
 
 is tt stir is 
 [>twoen two 
 dl Authom, 
 hull, accom- 
 , dais. Tho 
 IS down, and 
 ivda outside. 
 ,1 Ktorm Ims 
 .; rain is *^e- 
 tbw moments 
 D mountains, 
 hich occuvies 
 hinese lami)s, 
 le outside, for 
 lurs, but erect 
 equal to the 
 lose extraovdi- 
 ;h slowly, and 
 , and retire, 
 return, bear- 
 lite workman- 
 |for the enjoy- 
 present this, 
 file off once 
 |ant. 
 
 -e, at the left 
 [lown the hall 
 [sly with this 
 the room. It 
 is advancing 
 uditor-Gene- 
 e rest of his 
 irc'^ory makes 
 ls a short ad- 
 
 dn^ss, which is to tho \\\uy I that tlu; Qiiecn, rccoufiii/iug tlm 
 inany iiu^rits of her ri;,'lit, trusty councillor, the (»ov(>rnor, hus 
 iosolv»'d on ui;ikiii,L( him a Kui.s,'lit Commander of tlic Most 
 Illustrious Order of St. Micluujl and St. (icorgo ; that ho (tho 
 Prince) has hecm coiumandod to confer th(^ honour, and that it 
 was with peculiar pleasure that ho did ho. Th'Mi a gonil(>man, 
 with a roll of paper in his hand, steps forward and roads a 
 patent, which tells liow that, on the 3r(l of December, tho 
 C^ueen was pleased to dir(;ct that William Gregory should bo 
 distinguished ; and next, a document directing the Prince to 
 carry out the patent; whereupon Lord Charles J Jerosford un- 
 sheathes a sword and hands it to his Royal Highness. Mr. 
 Cregory kneels down, and the Prince, touching him on both 
 should('i\s, says, " Rise, Sir William Gregory !" and, as tho 
 nt;wly-made knight gets up, shakes hands with him. I need 
 not civo the exact text of tho address the Prince delivered. It 
 was complimentary to the Knight, to his suite, to his province. 
 Nor need I trouble you with tho words in which Mr. Gregory 
 (!X|)ressed his thanks. Suffice it to say, that they wore; few, 
 well chosen, and loyal. Sir William will always value the 
 Order, but most of all because it has been presented him by the 
 Prince. Then the Governor has to read the time-honoured 
 document, which promises, in case of promotion, degradation, or 
 death, Sir William, his heirs, or assigns, will duly return the 
 glittering stai", which the Prince has just clasped round his neck, 
 Mild then, with another shake of the Royal hand, and another 
 bow to the Royal throne, he reascends the dais, and takes his 
 seat once more by the side of the Prince. Without much loss 
 of time, the Prince now decorates two members of the Council 
 with the dignity of C.M.G., leaves the platform, advances to 
 the wives of the chieftains, shakes hands with them all, and 
 then, followed by his suite, makes for the Buddhist Temple, 
 and Buddha's tooth. 
 
 It was fortunate that the temple was within the precincts of 
 
 J 
 
n» 
 
 ; 
 
 'Ml 
 
 12G 
 
 1(7 77/ 77/ a; VUIM'E IX IN hi A, 
 
 tli(\ [)iil.'ic(', tor Uk! storm coiitiiiiicd, and tlic; rain fell fast. Wo, 
 liow(!V('r, wei'o ]ia})i)ily ablc^ to pass by a covered way into the 
 Kaci'cd huiidini!' tliroutrli tlic serried i-anks of liundreds of Bud- 
 dhist [)ri('s(s, all c-lad in yellow silk roljes, a fine array of })roud 
 men, with their closely shaven beards and their bared right 
 arms. They did not bow, for a Buddliist priest knows of none 
 greater than himself save Ihiddha; but their welcome seenu^d 
 none the less luiai'ty. On we w(!iit through the sacred corridor, 
 up the sacred steps, into the sacred slirine itself, where the high 
 priest stood ready to welcome the l*rince. There were eight 
 priests and twenty Englishmen crowded into a little room 
 about eight feet S(piare^ which, brightly lighted and heavily 
 hung with drajiery, combined to form a very " warm corner" 
 indeed, Howevei-, his Uoyal Uighness with great good huiiiour 
 accommodated hims(4f to circumstances, and, refusing to listen 
 to the suggestion of one of his underlings that all save one 
 or two should quit the a])artment, waited for the production of 
 th(^ sacred tooth. 
 
 It was not to be exhibited in a hurry, however without due 
 cer(Mnony, or indeed, without some res])ect for our nerves. So 
 he first of all produced some pretty jewellery, next some chains, 
 a great quantity of precious stones, and then a large bell-sha})ed 
 casket of silver, ncb'y ornamented with gems and chains. 
 Raising this very slowly, he exposed another carandua, simi- 
 larly wj'ought and similarly ornam(>uted, tlion another and 
 another, each enclosed within the preceding. We looked with 
 some surprise at our Buddhist friends, and wondered whether 
 after all the tooth was there. But, at last a little gold casket was 
 readied, beautifully ornamented with rubies, sapphires, and 
 diamonds, and then it became evident that the last box had 
 been reached. Besides, too, the priest had now taken the box 
 in his hands, :md was slowly raising the lid. How necks were 
 craned forward and eyes strained to catch the lirst glimpse of 
 this relic of Ootama. Buddha. At last it burst into view, and 
 

 fust. Wc, 
 n\y into the 
 etls of Biul- 
 •ay of i)roud 
 bared right 
 LOWS of none 
 ome seoniod 
 rod coi-ri«lov, 
 lerc the high 
 B were eight 
 little room 
 and heavily 
 varm corner" 
 oood hmnour 
 eiinfif to listen 
 I all save one 
 production of 
 
 without due 
 nerves. Ho 
 some chains, 
 
 ^•c bell-shaped 
 and chains. 
 
 i-andua, simi- 
 
 I another and 
 looked with 
 
 lered whether 
 [)ld casket was 
 Ipphires, and 
 (last box had 
 Lken the box 
 L- necks wei'(>. 
 Ist glimpse of 
 llo view, and 
 
 ;• !5 
 
 \ 
 
 
 liflililll-ii I'IMKSTS KAIIIIlinXii' i;l IHHIV'S T<im|I1 |nT||K I'KINCK \l KVNIiV. 
 
I 
 
 r>i 
 
 H, 
 
 i t 
 
 :' 
 
 n 
 
 :IM . I 
 
 i 
 
 ! •: I 
 
 ;l 
 
 i 'I 
 
 I I 
 
 il ,' 
 
A' .1 M) YA N CVniOSITIES. 
 
 \2' 
 
 wo were in possession of all the good which those gain who are 
 fortunate to see the mortal remains of a god. I am bound to 
 admit that it was large enough to satisfy anybody, and, more 
 than that, to say that if Gotama Bmldha ever did have such a 
 tooth as that in his head, he might fairly claim to be excused 
 from all responsibility for anything he said or did. What we 
 saw was a huge piece of ivory, nbout two inches and a half long, 
 and about half an inch in diameter, rising slowly to a smoothly 
 rounded cone, reposing on a gold lotus leaf. 
 
 After this we were shown the largest emerald in the world, 
 a huge gem three or four inches long and nearly two inches 
 deep, in the form of a likeness of Buddha. Of its value the 
 pri('.sts could say nothing ; but there was little doubt that it 
 was real, the Prince very shrewdly remarking that the Bud- 
 dhists were too good judges to be deceived in such a matter ; 
 then an anklet which used to be worn by the Kings of Kandy, 
 and a number of other jewels, amongst them a great sapphire 
 as large as a walnut, very richly set. This concluded the ex- 
 hibition, whereupon the Prince presented the priests with two 
 handsomely-bound dictionaries, promised to hear a part of their 
 scriptures read presently, and also to receive as a present a 
 copy of their sacred books. This done, his Royal Highness 
 quitted the shrine, which was once more closed and jealously 
 guarded. So much for the tooth for which one of the Kings of 
 Siam offered a million sterling. Next day, when I visited the 
 tomplt?, hundreds of eager Buddhists were crowding into the 
 sacred room. They had brought offerings of money, of cloth, 
 of beeds and ornaments ; one carried a great bottle of eau-de- 
 Cologne as a gift, another had brought a picture. In the cor- 
 ridors of the temple were some dozens of men and women with 
 plates full of beautiful flowers, which they sold as offerings to 
 Buddah ; and altogether a strange scene of chaffering, bargain- 
 ing, crowding, giving, and worshipping was witnessed. 
 
 The ceremony of hearing the words of Buddha was to take 
 
^^ 
 
 ', i 
 
 ^i,;i 
 
 I :l 
 
 I ■ : ' 
 
 ^ I 
 
 128 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA 
 
 [)lace in the Octagon, a tower also belonging to the palace where 
 the Kings of Kandy were wont to view their subjects. It is 
 an eight-sided room, with an open verandah. Seated here, the 
 Prince could look down upon the Esplanade, a green square 
 near the centre of the town, and see the people massed in 
 thousands waiting to see his Royal Highness, and waiting to 
 see, moreover, the public Perahera, or Procession of Elephants, 
 a private rehearsal of which we had attended on the previous 
 evening. It was not long in taking place. Some priests 
 entered, bearing two rolls of manuscript, which were presented 
 to the Prince in return for the dictionaries, a selected reading 
 was gone through, there were smiles, congi'atulations, and -i 
 parting. Then looking out of the verandah upon the Esplanade, 
 through the heavy rain which still fell, the Prince waited the 
 procession of elephants. There is no doubt that the sight would 
 have been as pretty and as effective as was the rehearsal, had 
 not the rain spoilt everything. Down it came, putting out 
 torches and lamps and Chinese lanterns alike, making the very 
 elephants so miserable that some of them refused to trumpet 
 with their trunks when they went past the Octagon, a breach 
 of manners which would otherwise never have entered the head 
 of a well-bred elephant. Still the people stood patiently till 
 the procession had passed and the Prince had gone, when they 
 slowly separated, though drenched to the skin by the dismal 
 rain. Next morning the Prince went away to the far interior 
 to shoot elephants. 
 
 Here it was that his Royal Highness met with the only 
 accident of his trip ; and after this fashion. It is universally 
 conceded that no human being can by any possibility be in two 
 places at once. Let me, therefore, while delaying to chronicle 
 the adventures of the Prince in the forests of Ceylon, recount 
 first of all what befell the Duke of Sutherland, Lord Alfred 
 Paget, Lord Carington, and one or two othei-s of the Prince's 
 suite who left Colombo for Neuralia, and so parted company 
 
KA ND YA N CURIOSITIES. 
 
 129 
 
 ace where 
 3ts. It is 
 . here, the 
 en square 
 caassed in 
 waiting to 
 Elephants, 
 .e previous 
 ne priests 
 ! presented 
 ed reading 
 ons, and a 
 Esplanade, 
 waited the 
 dght would 
 learsal, had 
 •utting out 
 g the very 
 to trumpet 
 5 a breach 
 id the head 
 itiently till 
 when they 
 he dismal 
 'ar interior 
 
 the only 
 
 |iniversally 
 
 be in two 
 
 chronicle 
 
 recount 
 
 )rd Alfred 
 
 le Prince's 
 
 company 
 
 with liis lloyal J^Fighnoss for a day or two. To do this it must 
 first of "11 be understood that Neuralia is a hill station, blessed 
 with a climate very similar to that of England, producing all 
 the fruits and flowers that we love best at homo, while at the 
 same time it has many blossoms and trees of which wo in Eng- 
 land see nothing. More than tliat, its woods al)Ound with game 
 of all kinds ; the elk is plentiful, bison and buffalo abound, 
 cheetahs, too, and panthers, to say nothing of the great guana 
 — a lizard of gigantic proi)ortions, wliicli runs at you, opens its 
 great mouth, and if report be true, bites like a young alligator 
 — snakes, and leeches. Then tliere are Hoods wliich swamp 
 the country ; so that perils wait the huntsman by water as well 
 as by land. You may be strangled by a boa, eaten by a i)anther, 
 or drowned by a stream at any moment — excitement enough for 
 anybody. It was to this pleasant district that part ot the 
 Prmce's suite went. 
 
 I wish I could picture to you the country through which they 
 l)assed ; high hills covered with coffee -plants, plains of paddy 
 (or rice) fields, thick jungle in which the hmtana, the palm, 
 plantain, and otlier plants are found — a vegetable thicket only 
 to be found in the zone of the tropics. It must not be supposed 
 that the Prince's party travelled thither on foot. On the con- 
 trary, an appointed carriage — an omnibus in size — conveyed 
 them to the place where Sir William Gregory spends a fourth 
 of the year, as Governor of the island. Thence the trip was of 
 a more sportsmanlike character. Quitting Neuralia early in the 
 morning, the party proceeded, partly on horseback and partly 
 on foot, to the place -'•'^here sport was expected. At length an 
 estate belonging to an hospitable planter named Denning was 
 reached, and here a pack of deer-hounds was found. Without 
 more ado these were soon taken out, and as quickly were in full 
 cry. Through the jungle, round by paths marked by travellers, 
 over hills and across valleys, the elk Avas pursued, till at length 
 it was caught by one of the foot-hunters who pursued the game 
 
f1 
 
 IVITll THE i'UlNCE IN INhlA. 
 
 armed witJi long knives for the purpose of killing it sliould the 
 dogs fail. They had been exceedingly nscful in this instance. 
 The elk was found to be stabbed and dead, and with this, as 
 rain was falling heavily, the party returned to Neuralia, and 
 next day rejoined his TJoyal Highness. 
 
 The news that the I'rinco had met with an accident created 
 some consternation in Colombo. Intelligence of that kind 
 looses nothing by travelling, and it was soon stated most 
 positively that the Prince had had a very narrow escape, that 
 the carriage in which he rode had been broken to pieces on the 
 very edge of a precipice, that he was picked up out of the 
 relics of the vehicle in much the same manner as a cask of flour 
 is removed from a wreck; and that altogether the "catastrophe" 
 was one of the most serious description. I at once telegraphed 
 home to the effect that all this was an exaggeration. The facts 
 were these : the Prince having spent a Sunday at Ruanwella, 
 advanced on the Monday morning to a kind of platform in the 
 jungle, close to which it was reported a party of seven elephants 
 were hidden. Amongst them was a " rogue " — that is, a 
 peculiarly vicious tusker — whose charging propensities were 
 already well known to hunters in Ceylon ; and it was hoped 
 that the savage animal would fall a victim to the Prince's rifle. 
 To ensure this, if possible, a number of beaters were sent out 
 to drive the elephants past the crow's-nest on which the Prince 
 was stationed. But it was all to no purpose ; the elephants 
 refused to take part in the fun, and, after waiting for three or 
 four hours, the Prince was as far from shooting the "tusker" 
 as ever. At last wiser counsels prevailed, and the Prince, des- 
 cending from his waiting place, entered the jungle, accompanied 
 by two good shot of colonial celebrity. Presently the Prince 
 got sight of an ilephant, fired, and brought him down ; the 
 beast was, however, only wounded, for he got up, and went off 
 almost immediately afterwards, with great ease. Another 
 chance of sport ottered itself, howevei', almost directly, and this 
 
'\ 
 
 I 
 
 KANDYAN CURIOSITIES. 
 
 131 
 
 «houl<l the 
 is iusttince. 
 liih this, as 
 iuralia, and 
 
 lent created 
 that kind 
 stated most 
 escape, that 
 deces on the 
 out of the 
 cask of tlour 
 catastrophe" 
 telegraphed 
 t. The facts 
 t Ruanwella, 
 :bi"m in the 
 en elephants 
 — that is, a 
 nsities were 
 was hoped 
 riuce's rifie. 
 ere sent out 
 the Prince 
 e elephants 
 for three or 
 le "tusker" 
 Prince, dts- 
 :iccompanied 
 the Prince 
 down; the 
 ind went off 
 Another 
 tly, and this 
 
 li 
 
 time it was successful ; a fine large elei)hant was shot, and 
 his tail Locured as a trophy for his Royal Highness. One oi- 
 two more were wounded later on, and then the party proparo<l 
 to return. Returning, however, from a shooting expedition in 
 Ceylon, is not always an easy, or, indeed, practicable feat, and 
 the Prince, in the return journey from Ruanwella was unfor- 
 tunate. The night was dark, fireflies and the torches of natives, 
 stationed at various intervals, wore the only lights to be seen, 
 when at a sharp corner about five miles from the scene of the 
 shooting a piece of bad ground was found. It is not an easy 
 thing to drive " Ca?sar and all his fortunes." The Governor's 
 coachman lost his head, and upset the vehicle. Over it went 
 with a crash, but so complete was the somersault that no one 
 in the carriage was hurt. The Prince was safe, though covered 
 with cUh'is. Lord Charles Beresford, the hero of the Poona acci- 
 dent, crawled out unhurt, and an aide-de-camp who was one 
 of the party was not inconvenienced. By the light of torches 
 the elephant's tail, the Prince's trophy, was discovered amid 
 much merriment. His Royal Highness took his seat in a spare 
 carriage, and proceeded at once on his journey to Colom})0, 
 being so little incommoded by his misadventure as to hold a 
 levee in the afternoon, visit the Horticultural Gardens later in 
 the day, and attend a State dinner and Slate ball in the 
 
 evening. 
 
-T 
 
 r-^ 
 
 ill 
 
 ;:;i <: 
 
 CHAITER XL 
 
 THE VEDDAIIS OP CEYLON. 
 
 WIio in it tliat says a Veddah cannot smile ? If it hv, Mr. 
 TIartsliorne, as an indignant and poi.sonal friend of the Veddahs 
 told nio, let him hear of the following incident. 
 
 The Prince had hardly left the railway station, and his fol- 
 lowers had scarcely done struggling for carriages, when a 
 Cingalese clergyman, by name the Rev. D. Somanader, court- 
 eously enquired if I would like to make the acquaintance of 
 the savages on the top of the railway trucks ? I had read Mr. 
 Hartshorne's story with too much interest to hesitate for one 
 moment, and I at once invited the whole of the Veddahs to a 
 breakfast in the garden adjoining my apartments. Seven 
 o'clock was the hour appointed, and, true to the minute, the 
 eight gentlemen and three ladies composing the party, attended 
 by Mr. Somanader and a clergyman of the district, named 
 Coles, entered the garden. 
 
 The breakfast of a Veddah is not a serious business. Very 
 often it consists of plenty of fresh air, a drink of water, and a 
 long walk. Our cuisine was an improvement on this. "We 
 had green cocoa-nuts, plantains, some rice, and a little curry. 
 You must know that the Veddah likes meat as well as fruit. In 
 his native home he enjoys a roasted monkey or a toasted lizard 
 (the guana) exceedingly, and would not mind at any time eat- 
 ing a piece of venison, if fortune chances so to fas^our him. 
 When the fickle goddess is not kind, he goes without flesh 
 meat, or, like the flying ant of the island, eats anything he can 
 get short of iron. The appearance of the cocoa-nuts delighted 
 our guests, and they proceeded to partake of this first course 
 
 • ■tM 
 
THE VEDDAHS OF (CEYLON. 
 
 1 ..>.> 
 
 ■ it bo Mr. 
 e Veddahs 
 
 ind his fol- 
 3, when a 
 idev, court- 
 [lintance of 
 d read Mr. 
 ;ate for one 
 sddahs to a 
 s. Seven 
 inute, the 
 , attended 
 ^ct, named 
 
 5SS. "Very 
 iter, and a 
 Ithis. We 
 btle curry, 
 fruit. In 
 3ted lizard 
 time eat- 
 rour him. 
 bout flesh 
 ing he can 
 delighted 
 rst course 
 
 with as much gusto as a London gourmand tastes his lurfcU- and 
 punch. It is always a joy to a Veddah to get a good meal. If 
 in talking to him — always supposing, on the princii)le of the 
 old cookery books, that you can first catch your Vcildah, and 
 next, that when you have caught him, you can understand his 
 pleasant language — you suggest exertion of any kind, he is 
 courteous but firm upon one subject. Before he works he must 
 eat, and he will point to an empty stomach at once to indicate 
 this to you. This peculiarity was accordingly met by the pro- 
 vision we had made, and it was the business of the Yeddahs to 
 make the most of the opportunity. Taking the hatcliet kind 
 of hammers they carry in their waist-cloth, they knelt down 
 and cut through the fibrous covering of the nut, through the 
 hard shell also, and so reached the kernel, which they pushed 
 into their mouths as rapidly as possible. I thought I detected 
 a smile on the face of one shock-headed old gentleman, without 
 teeth, when he found that his nut was one of undoubted good- 
 ness. But it was needless to look just then — he laughed heart- 
 ily presently, ag you shall know. As for the young ladies, a 
 very tender nut, some plantains, and bread were handed to each 
 of them. They consumed nearly the whole at once, and handed 
 over the fragments to a thoughtful-looking male friend, who, 
 without regard for anybody who might chance to be hear, took 
 otf his waist-cloth, and, wrapping up the sur[)lus eatables there- 
 in, replaced it in such a fashion that, had he been a European 
 lady instead of a Veddah savage, the articles in question would 
 have constituted an excellent dress-improver. Then the party 
 adjourned into a corner to cook the rice we had given them, 
 which enabled me to make enquiries of their guardian, and 
 Mr. Coles, as to their manners and customs. 
 
 The party in Kaudy were taken purposely from a very sav- 
 age hill tribe, and only persuaded to come down by very con- 
 siderable gifts of money, and ornaments for the women. Each 
 of the girls had from twenty to thirty silver rings on her 
 
I ' 
 
 .ill 
 
 1 
 
 ia4 
 
 WITH THE FRINGE IN INDIA. 
 
 lingors, bti.sidcH rings on hor ankles, and arniH, given her before 
 whe started : and of these treasm(\s they were all very proiul. 
 I have si)oken of their food ; let me tell of their marriage cus- 
 toms. Living in huts, wliicli can V)e built in an hour, and 
 making their cooking utensils mainly from the leaves of trees, 
 the household arrangements of th(5 Veddahs are not such as to 
 call for any serious i)reparation. When a young man falls in 
 love with a maiden, he first of all obtains her consent, and then 
 waits upon her parents, who only demand that he shall present 
 their daughter with a piece of cloth. He assents, the cloth is 
 produced, the lovers become husband and wife at once, and re- 
 main so. There is no religious ceremony, for of religion the 
 Veddnli has no idea. The only supernatural being of which he 
 has any notion is a devil, which, by the way, is a very respect- 
 able sort of fiend, indeed, and not at all so implacable and bad 
 as our Western Beelzebub. The Veddah's demon is really 
 only a misguided person, who is fond of mischief; and when, 
 therefore, anybody falls ill, his friends get some jaggery, or 
 native sugar, a little piece of cocoa-nut, and any other luxury 
 which circumstances permit of, and, placing it on a leaf, dance 
 round it till they think the Satanic anger is appeased. 
 
 Breakfast over, the Veddahs were summoned to shoot. So 
 much has been said about their skill with the bow and arrow, 
 that we were careful to watch their powers very narrowly. 
 Wo placed a leaf about ten inches long by six square upon a 
 band)oo, about thirty yards from the place where they stood, 
 and then invited them to shoot. Two arrows were sped at 
 onc(! ; the first shot of the shock-headed old man went clean 
 through the leaf ; the second, discharged by a thin man with 
 long hair, struck the bamboo and knocked it down. It was 
 clear that the target was too close for such marksmen, and we 
 removed it to nearly double the distance, when the shooting 
 began again. In all about twenty arrows were fired ; scarcely 
 one fell six inches from the target, most of them either went 
 
TIfE VtlDDAUii OF CEYLON. 
 
 llifi 
 
 her butbi'c 
 /ory prouil. 
 iiiiage cus- 
 hour, anil 
 •es of trees, 
 t such as to 
 nan tails in 
 nt, and then 
 hall present 
 the cloth is 
 nee, and ve- 
 religion the 
 ; of which he 
 very respect- 
 able and bad 
 on is really 
 ; and when, 
 jaggery, or 
 •ther luxury 
 a leaf, dance 
 ;ed. 
 
 [o shoot. So 
 and arrow, 
 iy narrowly, 
 uare upon a 
 they stood, 
 ere sped at 
 went clean 
 man with 
 n. It was 
 lien, and we 
 |tlie shooting 
 :d; scarcely 
 either went 
 
 4 
 
 # 
 
 throiigli the Icjif or touched it; a iniiu iit tlio distance would 
 have been struck by cightfjcn arrows at least. VVhou a marks- 
 man made a particularly good shot there was a shout of con- 
 gratuhition ; when a bad shot was made the arclier looked at 
 his bow with anger and adjusted the string with great care. 
 Tiie thin man — why call one tliin when all wore skeletons ? — 
 was most successful, and won a ru|)oe ; the gentleman with tho 
 vagrant locks canu; next, and received thre(!p(!nce. As for the 
 rupee, I am bound to say it was received as a matter of course 
 — sei/('(l with ungratoful avidity ; but the threiipcnny-pieco 
 was ch'arly a matter of surprise. A second prize evidimtly 
 entered into nobodj^'s calculation. 1 suspect that when a race 
 for a plump monkey takes place, the rule is, Eclipse lirst, and 
 the rest nowhere — the fortunate person who gets the monkey 
 eats it all, and his friends look on. Anyhow, the two-anna 
 piece was a tjur prise. The reci[)iont turned it over twice — it 
 was a new coin and glittered in his dirty i)alm very enticingly. 
 In an instant he popped it into the rag encircling his waist, and 
 then refuted ^Ir. Hartshorne by laughing. Yes, there could be 
 no mistake about it — the Veddali had got something to laugh 
 for. An unexpected threepenny-piece was all gain — lie could 
 well afford to be merry. Nor let it be thought that Imj was 
 not a pure wild man. He was tho ty[)ical man of the i)arly, 
 with more hair, fewer teeth, and less clotliing than any of them 
 — a magnificent hand at eating green cocoa-nuts, and a great 
 lover of some bitter red bark, which he placed between his gums 
 occasionally, i nd mumbled with great pleasure. 
 
 The shooting over, and this jocular Veddah having sat for 
 his portrait, a dance was proposed and agreed to, on tho exhi- 
 bition of a few rupees, which were subscribed for the j)urpose. 
 You must not suppose for a moment that th(! ladies danced. 
 Still, the part they took in the ceremony was one that aston 
 ish id me. We were under tlie shade of some plantains ; a cool, 
 (p Att nook, covered by leaves, i^'ive of the men formed a kind 
 
130 
 
 iyiTJl THE I'lUNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 ;' 
 
 1 ■■'• 
 
 ol" circle! ; thrcui stood iit the side ; tins women took ii|) a position 
 a little way oil'. Till then I luul not had an o|)i)ortunity of 
 looking,' tully at tluMn ; hut now I noted that althoujL^h they 
 were very thin, their countenances were brii,dit, tlieir eyes 
 Ijiif^ht, their carriage almost as erect as that of the Mahratta 
 wome'n of Ijombay, and their skin 8(;veral Hhades lighter than 
 tlni men's. Th(!y were of a distinctly diderent type from the 
 Cingalese, not having a single feature of resemblance; but 
 althongh undoubtedly savages of a low order, they were neither 
 repulsive nor indeed ugly. The three men struck up a song ; 
 the five began a singular dance which consisted in a hop on 
 one leg and a bob of the head — altogether something both novel 
 and funny. Just tlum I looked up, and the Veddah women 
 were actually laughing — laughing and hiding their faces, too, 
 as though th(5y were l-ashfiil. What could it all mean 1 A 
 bashful Veddah lady is, if I mistake not, altogether unmen- 
 tioned by ]\Ir. Plartshorne, and was quite unlocked for by me. 
 But the secret was soon exphiined. Those sad dogs of Veddahs, 
 those gay young men from the hills, were singing a love song, 
 with some questionable passages in it, and the girls were laugh- 
 ing. So far as the faces of the men, dancers and singers alike, 
 were concerned, no confirmation of this could be gained, for 
 from the low monotonous chant and the savage dance I could 
 learn nothing. Yet I have no doubt that the reverend guardian 
 of these savages was right, and that Veddah Immunity is very 
 like other humanity all the world over, 
 
 'i ' 
 
H position 
 rtunity of 
 juj^li they 
 thoir oyes 
 
 Miilinitta 
 f'hter than 
 ) from the 
 lance ; but 
 eie neither 
 up a song ; 
 
 a hop on 
 
 both novel 
 lah women 
 • faces, too, 
 
 mean 1 A 
 
 ler unmen- 
 
 i 
 
 ■or by me. 
 )f Veddahs, 
 love song, 
 were hiugh- 
 ers alike, 
 gained, for 
 nee I could 
 id guardian 
 lity IS very 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE SACRED TOOTH. 
 
 
 It vvas my fortimp to obtain a Hocond glance at Buddha's tooth, 
 under somewhat singular circumstances. 
 
 Some years ago, when the funds of the temple became low, 
 and it was neci;ssary to raise money for the crowd of priests 
 who live in Kandy, the tooth was exposed to the view of pil- 
 grims for three weeks, and a good round sum was obtained. 
 Those who gave; much enjoyed a prolonged stare, smaller donors 
 were allowed to look and move on, whilst the rest, whose offer- 
 ings were insignificant, but who were admitted on the old prin- 
 cii)le that '* mony a mickle maks a muckle," were hurried past. 
 It had been expected that the tooth would be exhibited now for 
 a similarly long period, and the faithful in the country were 
 gathering up their skirts and girding themselves for a pilgrim- 
 age to Kandy, when suddenly the Dewee Nilemee, a kind of 
 Dean of the Temple, issued a notice that the relic would be put 
 away, and at the same time invited me to witness its restora- 
 tion to its place. I had before imagined that the room to which 
 the Prince of Wales had been admitted was the ordinary shrine 
 of the relic, and at first hesitated to obey the summons ; but 
 deliberation resulted in a change of intention, and I repaired to 
 the temple. 
 
 To reach the room to which I was told the relic had been 
 conveyed it was necessarv to go to the side of the temple, and 
 thence by a narrow and dnnly-lighted stone staircase, jealously 
 guarded by priests, into a small square ante-room. As I entered 
 the door of the apartment I noticed that it was covered with 
 beaten gold, that the posts were composed of an outer strip ot 
 finely-carved wood, then a strip of ebony, next & strip of carved 
 
 9 
 
i ' 
 
 iMMfa 
 
 i i 
 
 •"' i;!| 
 
 : '!l; 
 
 \ t 
 
 : i 
 
 I M 
 
 188 
 
 ^ITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 ivory, and after that one of embossed silver, the iiiuei strip of 
 all, namely, that next the door, being of gold. Passing under 
 a curtjiin which was now lifted, I entered the room and found 
 myself in the company of about twenty priests, all guarding 
 very jealously the inner apartment of all. It was clear that I 
 had arrived pt the resting-place of the relic, else what could 
 mean the sliding iron-barred gate, which, being drawn back, 
 showed a golden door with ornamental posts, exactly like those 
 I have already mentioned? A heavy curtain, however, pre- 
 vented my looking through the doorway, and three or four 
 stout Cingalese prevented my further progress. It was possible 
 that I might have to turn back after all, for the priests gave 
 me looks that could not be called affectionate, and muttered in 
 their unpleasant language remarks the reverse of complimen- 
 tary. I was wondering whether the purchase of a plateful of 
 flowers which stood on a table would be of service, whether I 
 should drop some money into an iron grating close to the door, 
 evidently the receptacle of offerings, and so try th^ effect of 
 benevolence, or whether I should retreat, when the Dewte 
 Nilemee's face appeared in the doorway, and I was admitted 
 into the sacred chamber. 
 
 The room I was now in was scarcely more than six feet 
 square and nine high. The ceiling was heavily hung with what 
 had once been yellow silk, now discoloured and almost black. 
 The walls were bare ; there were two other doors — on the right, 
 and on the left — both fastened, and I could discover no window 
 and no moans of ventilation whatever. Facing the door, on the 
 step of which I stood, was a square iron cage, raised three feet 
 from the ground and reaching to the ceiling. The floor of the 
 cage was of beaten silver. In the centre of the floor was a huge 
 Bilver gilt bell-like structure, beautifully embossed, more than 
 four feet high, and at the base nearly three feet in diameter. 
 On a silver table in front of this cage were all the jewels we 
 had seen exhibited on Friday night to the Prince ; some half' 
 
iimm 
 
 THE S ACHED TOOTH. 
 
 130 
 
 SI- stiip of 
 ing under 
 xnd found 
 
 guarding 
 lear that I 
 irhat could 
 ■awn back, 
 
 like those 
 »vever, pre- 
 ee or four 
 ^as possible 
 •riests gave 
 muttered in 
 complimen- 
 i plateful of 
 , whether I 
 ;o the door, 
 effect of 
 
 the Dewte 
 admitted 
 
 Ian six feet 
 ; with what 
 lost black. 
 [n the right, 
 no window 
 ioor, on the 
 three feet 
 Ifloor of the 
 I was a huge 
 more than 
 diameter, 
 jewels we 
 some half- 
 
 dozen goKlen pagodas, the receptacles for these treasures, were 
 til ere also, and nine priests were preparing, under the super- 
 vision of the Dewee Nilemee, to put all away. There lay, also, 
 the sacred tooth on the golden lotus leaf, ready to be phiced in 
 the largest pagoda of all. Eight or ten lighted wax candles, 
 some in stands and some in the hands of the priests, added to 
 the almost unbearable heat of the apartment, in which thirteen 
 or fourteen ptople were crowded together. With great ceremony 
 the little golden casket containing the tooth was closed by the 
 high priest, his brethren of the golden robo raising theii- hands 
 in pious attitude the while. The largest pagoda was then 
 opened, and all the inner cases I had previously seen were taken 
 out and opened. One by one they received the relic, only now 
 each Aviis wrapped in muslin as it was placed in the next 
 largest case There seemed occasionally to be especial care to 
 arrange the muslin in a certain way. Everything was clearly 
 done according to rule, and those shaven yellow-robed priests 
 were determined to do their work well. A curious sight it was 
 to see them bending over the relic, the guttering candles in 
 their hand, while the Deweee Nilemee jealously watched the 
 gradual swathing of the treasure. Case after case received it, 
 more muslin was handed up whenever wanted, till at last it was 
 ready for the golden pagoda. Then it finally disappeared from 
 view, a golden key was produced, the pagoda was locked, and for 
 the present placed on one side. 
 
 I wish J could fully describe that pagoda. It must be of 
 great value, for it is of pure gold, is very heavy, and nearly two 
 feet high. From the umbrella or topmost story of the pagoda, 
 hang chains which support splendid jewels, catseyes nearly an 
 inch in diameter, a sapphire quite as large, besides diamonds 
 and rubies ; but only an actual sketch in bright colours can 
 convey to i;he eye an adequate idea of its beauty. 
 
 The next treasure to be similarly wrapped in muslin and put 
 away was the emerald Buddha^ which was also placed in a 
 

 Jl ' 
 
 140 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 pagoda, somewhat smaller though quite as pretty. There were 
 the anklet and one piece of open gold filagree work, heavily set 
 with diamonds and other stones, to go into another pagoda, and 
 then the great sapphire we saw an evening or two ago. Each 
 was wrapped up carefully, each hidden under the closest super- 
 vision, and of each due account was taken by the Dewee 
 Nilemee. At length the two high-priests climbed up into the 
 cage, and proceeded to lift the top of the bell from its place. 
 They were strong men, but the effort needed was a great one, 
 and '.t was some little time before the massive piece of gilded 
 silver was taken up. So soon as it was done, however, one of 
 the priests knelt, and, handing out some more muslin, produced 
 at length a silver bo-tree, a bag full of little golden images of 
 Buddha, some chains, studs, and, in fact, about as miscellaneous 
 a collection of jewellery as you would find in a West-end shop. 
 Out it came by handfuls, to bo counted by the Dewee Nilemee, 
 and given into the custody of the priests, who placed the articles 
 in the remaining pagodas. But an end will come to the pro- 
 duction of treasures, be they never so many, and an end came 
 to these ; the pagodas were full, and it now only remained to 
 wrap them all in thick folds of muslin. This done, the receptacle 
 of the book was lifted up by the high priests, a deep obeisance 
 was made, and then it was p xced in the centre bell-shaped case. 
 One after another the rest of the pagodas were placed round it, 
 the silver bo-tree following last of all , and, when this had been 
 
 hiered, and the number duly counted, the priests lifted the 
 silver top once more, and with a supreme efibrt got it into 
 position. The Dewee Nilemee, with evident pride, produced a 
 large gold key, and locked the huge casket. 
 
 This was not all, however. A band of thin iron was now 
 brought, and entwined round the bell in such a way that, with 
 the aid of a small padlock which was attached to it, entrance 
 to the bell was most effectually prevented; and, the padlock 
 being fastened, some more muslin was brought, wrapped over 
 
THE SACRED TOOTH. 
 
 141 
 
 here wero 
 
 leavily set 
 
 agoda, and 
 
 ^ao. Each 
 
 (sest super- 
 
 bhe Dewee 
 
 up into the 
 
 Li its place. 
 
 a great one, 
 
 ce of gilded 
 
 ever, one of 
 
 in, produced 
 
 n images of 
 
 Qiscellaneous 
 
 est-end shop. 
 
 svree Nilemee, 
 
 id the articles 
 
 le to the pro- 
 an end came 
 remained to 
 ihe receptacle 
 leep obeisance 
 ll-shaped case. 
 ,ced round it, 
 his had been 
 Ists lifted the 
 t got it into 
 e, produced a 
 
 Iron was now 
 
 jay that, with 
 
 it, entrance 
 
 [, the padlock 
 
 n-apped over 
 
 the look, and sealed with the Dewee Nilemee's seal, bearing a 
 golden dodo, and his name in Cingalese. A gold umbrella from 
 which cluiins and jewels hung was fixed on the top of the bell, 
 ornamental pieces were added to it, till at length it stood out in 
 the centre of the cage, a glitteiing pagoda, ready for the worship 
 of all who vifjit the shrine and ar^ allowci for a consideration 
 to peer through the bars at the resting-place of the tooth. The 
 barred gate having been drawn and fastened by a key in custody 
 of one of the high priests, the candles were put out, and we, 
 perspiring and faint, emerged into the outer room, saw the 
 door locked, the second grating fastened, and a watch appointed 
 to guard the treasure. The relic of Buddha liad been safely 
 consigned to its shrine. 
 
i 
 
 I 
 
 
 i ■ i 
 
 I' 'I : ' ! 
 
 CHAPTEE XIII. 
 
 A WEEK IN MADRAS, 
 
 In the room where I sat to write this there was the engraved 
 portrait of a very extraordinary old man. His face wore the 
 most complete expression of idiotic joy that could possibly be 
 infused into any countenance. Underneath was the following 
 inscription: " Rajah of Rajahs, Rajah Chundoo Lai, Maharajah 
 Bahadoor, the devoted servant of Asuf Jah ; who is the Roostum 
 of his Age, the Aristotle of his Time, the Conqueror of Countries, 
 the Administrator of States, the Governor of Realms." Exhib- 
 ited almost anywhere else, that grin depicted on Bahadoor's 
 face would be almost incomprehensible. But, with the fair 
 view of the wide-spreading sea shore, the pleasant champaign, 
 and the grand city of Madras, I could understand why the 
 " Roostum of his Age " felt very happy. If then, the ownership 
 of the fields, the strand, and the streets of Madras made this 
 ancient Ruler gleeful, how proud should the Duke of Bucking- 
 ham, modern administrator of more than the " Governor of 
 Realms" ever ruled over, be to-day! Since the Maharajah 
 has departed,, Madras has increased in stateliness and beauty. 
 Palaces are everywhere, broad parks and sheltered walks have 
 been added to what was already a grand city, till the place 
 which the Prince of Wales entered is as proud a capital as may 
 be wished for. 
 
 Since the mainland was reached at Tuticorin the panorama 
 which passed before us of landscapes, cities, and people was 
 singularly changeful. T do not refer co an extraordinary 
 [)assagc which it was the fate of the special correspondents of 
 the London press to make in the Ceylon Government steamer 
 
A WEEK IN MA DBAS. 
 
 143 
 
 e engraved 
 e wore the 
 possibly be 
 ; following 
 Maharajah 
 le Roostum 
 I Countries, 
 J." Exhib- 
 iBahadoor's 
 ;h the fair 
 champaign, 
 d why the 
 ownership 
 made this 
 )f Bucking- 
 overnor of 
 Maharajah 
 „nd beauty, 
 valks have 
 the place 
 .tal as may 
 
 panorama 
 [people was 
 Iraordinary 
 londents ol' 
 lit steamer 
 
 " Nagotna." Far be it from my purpose to excite the risibility 
 of those who sent us to sea in a small flat-bottomed steamer, 
 IGO tons in measurement, in one of the worst gales ever ex- 
 perienced in the Gulf of Manaar. How we were thrown from 
 side to side of the creaking, helpless craft ; how the captain, 
 with a look that Dickens' ever-memorable Bunsby might have 
 envied, admitted, on the second night, that he did not know 
 where he was ; how we arrived at Tuticorin just as his Royal 
 Highness had left for Madura ; and how, to gain a sight of his 
 reception at Trichinopoly, we had to avail ourseJves for twelve 
 miles of such accommodation as a bullock-van whirled along by 
 a special and very powerful engine over a very rough, because 
 newly-made, road afforded, need not be dilated upon. Suffice it 
 to say that we did not experience that keen enjoyment which a 
 passage by sea and a run through one of the most delightful 
 parts of Southern India would otherwise liav.j afforded. 
 
 In my recollection, however, there is a curious spectacle, 
 illustrative of the manner in which the old and the new eras 
 come continually into contact L\ this strangely conservative 
 land. Look at it for a moment, and compare it with the spec- 
 tacle of the Prince of Wales' entry into Madrps. The locale is 
 the railway station at Trichinopoly. A great crowd of natives 
 are on the platform ; there is an English guard of soldiers ; 
 outside are half-a-dozen camels heavily laden with luggage; both 
 in and out of the station are some singularly-attired sepoys in 
 the pay of the Princess of Tanjore. These sepoys have huge 
 chimney-pot hats, clumsily-painted, black, old match-locks, green 
 coats, no trousers, and a few have boots. The band which 
 accompanies them has the funniest collection of old brass instru- 
 ments, tom-toms, and pipes. They are all on the tiptoe of ex- 
 pectation, and drawn up in as good order as their notions of 
 drill will permit. Suddenly a train runs into the station with 
 a centre saloon carriage, through the open windows of which 
 may bo seen a chieftain richly dressed and ornamented with 
 
WITH THE PBINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 jewels, and two little boys. At the sight of the train a number 
 of native officials emerge from a room on the platform, and 
 come forward with heads bent low, as though about to seek 
 audience of some very distinguished personage. The door of 
 the saloon carriage thereupon opens, and the Prince — for it is 
 the Prime Minister and husband of the Princess herself — comes 
 forward. A few moments' conversation, carried on with great 
 show of condescension on the one side and of humility on the 
 other, ensues, and then some attendants bring to the door of 
 the saloon a curious canopy of yellow brocaded silk. Immedi- 
 ately the sepoys draw up to the canopy, and, while the four 
 posts are being given to four bearers and the sides of the canopy 
 let fall, they take precautions that the crowd shall not touch the 
 screen. What can be the reason 'i A moment's en<|uiry shows 
 that the Princess in passing her capital dosires to descend from 
 the train for refreshment, and that the guard of honour and the 
 assemblage of her chiefs is in recognition of her rank. Yet no 
 one on the platform may see the face of the ruler he so greatly 
 respects. He may gaze upon the rustling, yellow, silk canopy, 
 may even note the form of its fair occui)ant as her Highness 
 unconsciously presses against the hanging sides ; but, however 
 much he may esteem and reverence her, however great his loy- 
 alty to her dynasty, he may only be granted the privilege of a 
 glimpse of the outward sign of Royalty. So, too, when she re- 
 turns to the carriage, a quarter of an hour later, what struggling 
 of soldiery and canopy-bearers to prevent the eye of the curious 
 from gazing upon the Royal lady's face ! It so chances that 
 they are not so clever as zealous, and that just as her Highness 
 is being smuggled up the carriage steps the ])oles shift their 
 position, and the eyes and forehead of a handsome dame ot 
 some thirty years are for a moment visible. But such a 
 glimpse was by no means intended. The only Royal personage 
 who might be looked upon at will at this moment in Trich- 
 inopoly is the son ol another Royal lady — the Etnpress of India. 
 
A WEEK IN MADEAS 
 
 145 
 
 I number 
 oriii, itud 
 t to seek 
 e door of 
 — for it ia 
 If — comes 
 mih great 
 ity on the 
 he door of 
 Immedi- 
 e tlie four 
 the canopy 
 )t touch the 
 [uiry shows 
 !scend from 
 pur and the 
 k. Yet no 
 Q SO greatly 
 ilk canopy, 
 r Highness 
 it, however 
 eat his loy- 
 'ivilege of a 
 4ien she re- 
 struggling 
 the curious 
 ihances that 
 [v Highness 
 shift their 
 le dame ot 
 Jut such a 
 il personage 
 it in Trich 
 tbs of India. 
 
 Tricliinopoly has undergone many changes and witnessed 
 many spectacles. Yet it is doubtful whether it has often been 
 the scene of a more momentous event during its singular his- 
 tory than that which took place on Saturday. As a general 
 rule it has figured in most of the wars of the ilistrict. It fell a 
 victim to the ever-wandering Mahrattas in 1741 ; a little later 
 the Nizam took possession of it ; the French had it next ; then 
 Clive, after which the Tangerines held it for a time. Eventu- 
 ally the English came again, turned the Tangerines out, and 
 settled down with the determination to remain masters of the 
 district for ever. The result is that a collectorate is established 
 there, that European troops and native soldiers under European 
 officers parade its streets, that the British flag flies on the 
 summit of the Rock, and English laws are obeyed with prompti- 
 tude. 
 
 Never, however, so far as I can learn, has any representative 
 of English Royalty appeared here. Trichinopoly was accord- 
 ingly en fete to receive the Prince on his arrival, and European 
 as well as Native residents did the best they could to express 
 their loyalty. I may at once note thitt the chief characteristic 
 of the Hindoo, next to his love for chandeliers — in which 
 peculiarity he surpasses all rivals — is his love of painting. He 
 has not the slightest idea of perspective, his notions of the 
 human form are vastly inferior to the ideas which ])ainters in 
 the time of Sennacherib possessed ; the faces he draws are the 
 ugliest conceivable, and the colouis he uses are the worst that 
 can be found ; but for all that he will paint whenever the op- 
 portunity occurs. He paints the outside of his house and the 
 inside of his temples ; he bedaubs the walls of his garden if he 
 has a garden wall to daub, and he paints his neighbour's wall if 
 he has none of his own. And when a procession — such as that 
 which the Prince made — takes place, he paints the arches which 
 are erected with all his energy. He did so in honour of the 
 [loyal visit, and the lesult was a little startling. Scarcely a 
 
146 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 I !l; I 
 
 '.• 
 
 1 „ 1! 
 
 '1 s\ 
 
 house in the place has a roof; many dwellings boast only their 
 walls ; old temples with blackened walls, dilapidated palaces, 
 and broken-down bridges are on every side. Here is a pagoda 
 surmounted by a cross, there a mosque without a dome — it is a 
 scene of hopeless desolation. 
 
 Yet even these ruins are very picturesque. They are found 
 on the banks of an exquisitely pretty river, in the centre of a 
 wide-spreading and well-wooded plain, superior to that on which 
 Poena stands ; and in the centre of all is a rock, which even a 
 Scotchman would allow to be superior to Arthur's Seat. A 
 great red mass of stone rises sharply from the ground to a 
 harnhly-dofined point. On the sides are galleries constructed 
 of white marble ; on the top is a pillared structure, of great 
 massivenoss, but still of singular elegance, surmounted by a 
 flc:,g-statr. ]S othing else of any height is near it ; it rises about 
 five hundred feet in an almost perpendicular fashion, sharply 
 and abruptly. At a distance it looks like a huge building, so 
 wonderfully does it shoot up from the centre of the town, like 
 the great Athenian hill, though by many feet its superior. At 
 its foot is a bright, clear lake, well filled with water, and en- 
 compassed by a marble terrace. And then, in a wider circle, 
 lies the dilapidated, ruined town, and out£;ide this are the walls 
 that enclose the fort. The decorations consisted of such arches 
 as have not hitherto been seen anywhere else. I have said 
 they were painted ; their colo'ir was black. Span and supports 
 alike were then divided into spaces some two feet square, and 
 on these panels native art'sts exercise T ohei: ingenuity. At 
 Baroda the energetic engineer, while encouraging the natives to 
 erect triumphal trophies, decidedly curbed their passion for 
 daubing; but at T 'ichinopoly the pecuHarity was encouraged. 
 As a result, the streets exhibited e. series of the raost extra- 
 ord'nary pictures ever seen. One arch was covered with de- 
 lineatiois of aniii^/ds — blue cats, green dogs, red tigers, purple 
 lioiis, yellow elephants, and snakes with heads like crabs and 
 
 i t, 
 
 i v: ■' 
 
 l.^ 
 
A WEEK IN MADRAS. 
 
 U7 
 
 nly their 
 
 palaces. 
 
 a pagoda 
 
 e — it is a 
 
 are found 
 mtre of a 
 on which 
 ch even a 
 Seat. A 
 3und to a 
 onstructed 
 ), of great 
 ated by a 
 rises about 
 >ii, sharply 
 .uilding, so 
 town, like 
 erior. At 
 er, and en- 
 ider circle, 
 e the walls 
 ;uch arches 
 have said 
 id supports 
 quare, and 
 luity. At 
 natives to 
 lassion for 
 ncouraged. 
 .ost extra- 
 with de- 
 |ers, purple 
 crabs and 
 
 I 
 
 
 continuiitions like quadriipods. Anotlier arch depicted tlio 
 trades of Trichinopoly. Bhie-faced men with pink hair were 
 hammering, with green hammers, purple-coloured gold bi-acolets. 
 The other pictures of artisans were in excellent keeping with 
 this specimen. A third arch portrayed all the deities of the 
 district — Shiva, Vishnu, and the rest of their [)l(;asant company. 
 I do not know the exact number of arms and legs which each 
 particular god and goddess claims as a right ; but I am sure 
 that uglier faces were never portrayed, and that an English 
 painter would have had some trouble in producing anything like 
 them. At tirst I thought the climax of caricat""e was reached 
 in what was intended as a likeness of the Queen ; but later on 
 I saw an arch which bore a " likeness " of the Prince, with the 
 inscription underneath, " His Royal Highness did come after 
 all," and was then obliged to admit that the painter of that 
 picture had surpassed all his countrymen. 
 
 The Hall of the Thousand Pillars, at Srirangam, is known 
 far and wide. It is dedicated to that very respectable deity 
 Vishnu, is the centre of one of the finest temples in India, is 
 surrounded by massive towers, and contains many precious 
 treasures. A visit from the Prince therefore was a certainty, 
 and tli(; priests prepared accordingly. The road along which his 
 Royal Highness had to pass was exceedingly beautiful. Date 
 and cocoanut palms, with almost every other kind of tropical 
 tree, overhung and shaded it ; the varied costumes of the peo- 
 ple added to the brightness of the scene, and, consequently, the 
 drive was very enjoyable. Arrived at the pagoda, the Prince 
 was received by the dignitaries of the temple with all possible 
 pomp and show. Old men in long, white robes, accompanied 
 by a number of nautch-girls, gaudily dressed, ornamented with 
 spangles, rings, jewels in their hair, and wreaths of flowers on 
 their heads, met the Prince at the end of a long corridor, and 
 conducted him to the temple, the girls singing a low chant, and 
 scattering flowers on the pathway. In this way the Royal party 
 
 ; i 
 
148 
 
 WITH THE FUINVE IN INDIA. 
 
 w 
 
 iiiovtid into ji kind of rccoption saloon, whore tho treasures of 
 the place were (ii.si)iayed on a table. As usual, they were of 
 the most vaiicjd and curious kinda, valuable, apparently, only 
 for their weight as pieces of einbosscnl gold, and for the jewels 
 which enriched them. No possible use, for instance, could be 
 made of a golderi hand eighteen inches long, and proportionately 
 broad ; or of a foot of even greater size. Nor were the orna- 
 ments available for personal decoration, unless a man felt in- 
 clined to hang himself in golden chains, when the assortment 
 at Srirangam might be useful. 
 
 However, it was interesting to look at these curiosities; inter- 
 esting also to watch the countenances of the priests, as with evi- 
 dent pride they directed the attention of the Prince to one article 
 after another; and his Royal Highness courteously waited till the 
 exhibition was concluded without the slightest sign of impati- 
 ence. His patience may be better understood when it is known, 
 that in addition to the delay already incurred, it was proposed 
 to read an address. Smilingly his Royal Highness assented to 
 this also, whereupon an old gentleman, with a wonderful name, 
 read some mild platitudes and assurances of loyalty with great 
 self-satisfaction. True that the words were engraved upon a 
 sheet of gold. A Miss Kilmansegg might have valued tho 
 oration on that account. But the history of Trichinopoly 
 scarcely needed to be told again, and we were all very glad 
 when the priest had done reading it. 
 
 The inspection of the Hall of the Thousand Pillars followed, 
 and was better appreciated. As an architectural work the 
 singular apartment could scarcely be called a triumph. Half 
 the number of pillars, better carved and more regularly arrang- 
 ed, would have produced a better effect ; half that number 
 again would have been a further improvement ; the roof was 
 irregular, the supports were crooked, and the vista very defec- 
 t\yc. So much for the interior. The view from the roof, to 
 which the Prince was presently taken, was good. Here tht; 
 
A WEEK TN MAr>liAS. 
 
 14!> 
 
 treasures of 
 ,hoy were of 
 ,rently, only 
 ' the jewels 
 ce, could be 
 portionately 
 )re the orna- 
 nan felt in- 
 B assortment 
 
 )sities; inter- 
 }, as with evi- 
 to one article 
 yraited till the 
 ;n of impati- 
 1 it is known, 
 v&a proposed 
 assented to 
 iderful name, 
 y with great 
 aved upon a 
 valued the 
 Trichinopoly 
 ill very glad 
 
 ars followed, 
 il work the 
 mph. Half 
 larly arrang- 
 hat number 
 e roof was 
 very dcfec- 
 the roof, to 
 Here the 
 
 ! 
 
 towers of the temple, with tiudr ricii carvini,', wore fully in 
 view, and they repaid the trouble which the Prince hud taken in 
 mounting. A few minutes were uccordin<>ly spent enjoying the 
 prospect, and then the Koyal visitor de])arted. 
 
 All was not over, however, even as far as the temple was 
 concerned; for a portly priest, whose eyes twinkled with delight 
 at having been introduced to the Prince, proposed that tlie girls 
 shoidd dance in honour of the occasion. Whereupon they 
 began the low chant and curious shutHe, which I iuive already 
 described. There was a conspicuously ugly man who s.-ing, 
 or, to be more just, howled vigorously. There was a piper, 
 and, you may be sure, a large gathering of spectators. The 
 audience, in fact, seemed to spring out of the ground, so sud- 
 denly did it appear, and so numerously. In less than a minute 
 there must have been an assemblage of some hundreds — men, 
 women, and children — all crowding round to see the dance. 
 Then, Jis though by some preconcerted signal, the great doors of 
 the pagoda opened, and in bundled, all together, lielter skelter, 
 a number of elephants, a sacred buffalo or two, a donkey, and 
 a great crowd of people of all ages. The animals made quickly 
 for their resting-places. The peo})le increased the dense mass 
 of onlookers, and we, to avoid suffocation, struggled through 
 the perspiring mass into the open air, much to the disappoint- 
 ment of the chief of the temple, who presently retired and 
 wrote a long letter of eight quarto pages, which he forwarded 
 to those who represented the English press. 
 
 A far more picturesque spectacle was that afforded by the 
 rock when illuminated at night time. I don't know that any 
 great talent was needed to produce a remarkable effect in the 
 rugged outlines of the rock itself. The curious i)agoda which 
 crowns its summit, and the buildings on its sides only required 
 to be lighted up in the most careless manner to ensure a spec- 
 tacle worth looking at. The priests of the temple on the rock 
 hud; however, done their utmost to render the occasion mem- 
 
150 
 
 WITH TUE riilNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 onihhi, iind as a result tlio rock blazed with li^'ht. CoIouhmI 
 fii(!8 W(!i'o li^htcid oil each projecting point. Every lim; of the 
 grand natural structure and of the temple was marked by 
 hundreds of lamps; the whole standing out against the dark 
 sky in l)old relief. Daylight had scarcely gone when the Prince, 
 alfiMided by his suite, took up his position in a temporary build- 
 ing (Mected opposite the rock, for the special purpose of en- 
 abling his Royal Highness to witness the illumination and 
 promis(!d tireworks. A huge silver throne had been placed on 
 a dais under a marvellously worked canopy of gold and silver 
 foil, crimson and blue paper, and such like decorative material. 
 Here the Prince took his seat ; his suit ranged themselves on 
 both sides of him in velvet chairs, ladies and gentlemen of the 
 district came in and stood behind the Royal party ; a band which 
 was situated in the road struck up, and then the entertainment 
 began. 
 
 The rock itself was simply magnificent. The great square 
 tank of water which intervened between the Prince and the 
 temple was radiant with lamps ; the masses of red and white 
 turbaned people, the long lines of troops, and the occupants of 
 the gardens were all parts of a very striking picture. But the 
 fireworks were a dismal failure. It mattered little whether we 
 enjoyed it or not; the people were delighted beyond description, 
 and any unpleasant effects from the clouds of smoke which 
 filled tlic air were more than compensated for when, as was the 
 case every now and ther the noise ceased for a minute, the 
 vapour cleared away, and we saw the rock once more blazing 
 as brightly as ever. Once we saw a cataract of fire falling 
 down one of the crevices of the rock, and now and then the 
 colours of the lights changed, and the mountain, which was 
 bright red a minute before, v» is suddenly brilliant in bright 
 green. It was altogether a novel and pleasing sight, and one 
 which attracted the Prince for two or three hours. 
 
 I do not know how the notion arose, but by some means 
 
A WEEK IN MAUlUa. 
 
 Ifil 
 
 Coloured 
 line of the 
 inaiked by 
 ,8t the (lurk 
 the Prince, 
 orary Ijuihl- 
 'poso of en- 
 ination and 
 !U phiced on 
 I and silver 
 Lve material, 
 lemselves on 
 lemcn of the 
 I band which 
 itertainment 
 
 great square 
 nee and the 
 id and white 
 occupants of 
 j-e. But the 
 whether we 
 description, 
 loke which 
 , as was the 
 minute, the 
 lore blazing 
 fire falling 
 Ind then the 
 which was 
 kt in bright 
 [ht, and one 
 
 some meany 
 
 or other T had coino to associate Madraw in my mind with 
 almost all that is objectionabh!. in praise of Bombay whole 
 books had been written, for Calcutta there wens always plenty 
 to speak ; but no one to say a good word for Madras. Tiiat 
 you could not land on its surf-l)eatnu shore without the certainty 
 of a tossing, and the probability of a drenching ; that the I'lack 
 Town was as uninviting a sjtot as any on earth ; that its 
 climate was sultry and its atmosphere redolent of ague and 
 cholera, everybody assorted. Consecpicnily, when I entered 
 the capital of the Southern PreHidency my expectations were 
 not great. Little did I ex[)ect to tind a broad beiich of bright 
 sand some miles in length and many yards in (l('|)th, with a 
 bright, blue sea in front, and the })rettiest of watering-places 
 behind. Nowhere did the Black Town, that great btigbear of 
 the city, obtrude itself. There was scarcely anytliing to show 
 that we were not enjoying a summer day's retreat on the Eng- 
 lish coast. Between us and even the English houses and 
 Government buildings for the most part a wide i)romonade and 
 spacious gardens extended. There were English childi'en play- 
 ing on tlie beach , English ships of war riding in the oiling ; 
 the English (lag was Hying from the flagstaff' of thfit famous old 
 fort whence Clive was wont to sally ; unmistakably English 
 sailors were wandering along the shore ; and the heat for the 
 moment was scarcely move than that of an English July day. 
 
 Yet there were tokens that we were not in England. A 
 glance at the boats coming ashore revealed those most singular 
 crafts, the catamarans, with their intrepid boatmen and strange 
 cargoes. Two i^ieces of wood ftistcned together somewhat after 
 the fashion of an open raft, and a pole with a flat end, com- 
 pleted the boat equi[)ment, forming altogether such a water- 
 conveyance as one would scarcely care to travel in. The black 
 fisherman, standing erect on their extraordinary craft, now rid- 
 ing over the surf, and next letting a heavy wave go over him, 
 could scarcely be found off Hastings or Eastbourne : nor should 
 
 t« 
 
152 
 
 WITH THE riUNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 we meet with such n group of coloiii-od women engaged in dry- 
 ing fisli at eitlior Aldborougli or Rhyl. For all that, the scene 
 is not un-Eiiglish, ana tin; illusion is not altogether destroyed 
 when we look inland. There are beautiful buildings such as 
 could only have been designed by English architects. There is 
 the !^[)ire of an English church, rising high in the air ; you 
 come i»))on English shops immediately upon leaving the strand, 
 and the drums of yoin cars are being rcint by salutes from Eng- 
 lish guns. Of course you can be under no mistake when once 
 you have crossed the park-like space wiiich runs down to the 
 shore, and enter the I^lack Town. You are then in the very 
 blackest of black places that can be imagined. The marvel is 
 how the inhal)itants who are crowded together witliin its walls 
 contrive to live in such an atmosphere as they breathe. Let 
 me describe the sort of house they dwell in. 
 
 In Bombay two-storijd tenements, with great windows, 
 fronted by a brick terrace or seat, on which the friends of the 
 shopkeeper can squat and talk, form the native bazaar. In 
 Madras, however, the houses have only one story, boast no 
 windows whatever, and are fronted by two terraces, xctised 
 about eighten inches above each other, the door, which is the 
 only mode of ingress, light, or ventilation, being always a very 
 subsidiary consideration. Along each side of the road runs a 
 broad gutter, somewhat after the fashion which obtains in 
 Baroda. Into this the sewage of the town runs freely, with 
 such effect as need not be detailed. On the terraces the popu- 
 lation eat, drink, and sleep. I saw a school of jabbering, 
 naked children on one terace ; the school-master sat apparently 
 fast asleep in their midst, while they kept up a monotonous 
 hubbub such as no other children in the world could have sur- 
 passed ; on another ledge there lay a corpse, over which a 
 number of women — professional mourners — were making loud 
 lamentations ; while on a third a lady of exceptionally dirty 
 appearance was frying some cakes of dough and fat; col-^uied 
 
 i 
 
 i it 
 
I 
 
 A WEEK IN MADRAIS. 
 
 V 
 
 oo 
 
 ed in clry- 
 
 the scene 
 
 destroyed 
 
 Ts such as 
 
 There is 
 
 e air ; you 
 
 the strand, 
 
 from Eng- 
 
 when once 
 lown to the 
 in the very 
 3 marvel is 
 lin its walls 
 eathe. Let 
 
 ,t windows, 
 ^ends of the 
 Dazaar, In 
 y, boast no 
 •aces, xjised 
 which is the 
 ways a very 
 road runs a 
 obtains in 
 freely, with 
 s the popu- 
 jabbering. 
 apparently 
 Imonotonous 
 lid have sur- 
 er which a 
 .aking loud 
 lonally dirty 
 fat, col'^ured 
 
 aj^parently with turmeric. I did not attempt to enter tlieir 
 dwellings; a glance through the open door sliowcil that they 
 were rather more objectionable than an ordinary English })ig- 
 stye, and almost as small. Nor was it necessary to incpiire as 
 to the actual prevalence of cholera in the tow^n. If it did not 
 exist just then, it did very lately, and with the return of very 
 hot weather would probably a[)pear again. 
 
 jNIadras Races were a great success. W a drawback attended 
 them it was the necessity for turning out at five o'clock in the 
 morning — for, if Madras gets up early, it has no idea of going 
 to bed at a reasonable hour. No matter wliether you are for- 
 tunate^ enough to dine at the house of the Honourable Mr. F]llis, 
 the well-known member of Council — than whom I know no 
 more genial host — or at the hospitable Madras Club, famed for 
 its curries and its balls, you cannot find your couch till long 
 after midnight is past The dinner at Madras is a sacred in- 
 stitution, held in the highest consideration. Course follows 
 course with the regularity of clockwork, yet not with unseemly 
 speed ; and by the time that coffee and the 2)C'iii verre arrive 
 your night is gone and morning has come. Yet races cannot 
 be run in a mid-day sun, and rest must therefore be deferred. 
 Grumble, however, though one may very justly at all this, the 
 scene on the course more than repaid for the ti-ouble ex- 
 perienced in reaching it. Like their more northern brethren, . 
 the Arabs, the Hindoos are passionately attached to horses. So 
 tluy sallit.'d out by thousands before even the day broke; and 
 when we reached the ground, had taken up their jiositions all 
 along the course, adding their coloured costumes to the bright 
 green of the landscape. 
 
 The course is a long oval in shape, well within view of the 
 Grand Stand all the way. On this Stand, by a little after six 
 o'clock, the English residents of Madras had assembknl, and I 
 am bound to say that their nunibci' comprised the; prettiest bevy 
 of ladies we have yet met in the East. Uut if tlie ladies am! 
 
 10 
 
<1 
 
 '^- 
 
 iHiUHMHi 
 
 mm 
 
 '. I 
 
 1.1 
 
 I I'l 
 
 154 
 
 IViril THE rUlNVE IN INDIA. 
 
 tlicir costuiue.s wrve striking, how inuoli more ho the native- 
 oliieftjiins wlio occupicHl tho very centre of the Stand, Tliere 
 were tlie hrotlier of the JJiijali of Cocliiiv grand inn golden robe 
 iind turban ; the llajah of Jolid])ore, irreverently named the 
 savage JJajah, leaning on his sword ; we missed for a time tlie 
 Maharajah of Vizianagram, but in place of him the Rajah of 
 Arcot was to be seen, umbrella in hand, looking about him 
 with great curiosity. Tiien then* was a number of minor poten- 
 tates — all tine handsome men, and not boys like those we saw 
 at iJombay — sitting amicably in the little raihid-otf space 
 aii])ointed for native royalty, their countenances beaming with 
 delight. 
 
 Presently the Prince, accom}>anied by Lord Allred Paget, 
 Lord Charles Beresford, Lord Carington, Lord Ay lesford. Major 
 Bradford, and some of the less im})ortant members of his stalf, 
 drove up, attended by an escort of cavalry. The races at once 
 began. Gambling was not a characteristic of the meeting. 
 Not a betting man was in sight; the sounds of " Two to one" 
 or " Four against the field" were missed. I do not think a bet 
 was made on the course. ^Members of the Madras Club were 
 allowed to risk ten shillings in a sweepstakes on each race, de- 
 positing cards in a box which will be opened on ChristiiKis Daj^ ; 
 but beyond this you could not stake a sixpence. Many of the 
 horses, too, were lidden by their owners, so thtit the meeting 
 ])artook very much of the nature of a series of }>rivate races. 
 The Prince could and did leave the seat provided for him, and 
 walk into the saddling enclosure without fear of being niobb(id ; 
 he could chat with the I'^nglish residents and others who 
 chanced to be near, while the course was being cleared and the 
 judges wert taking their places. Everything was admirably 
 ordered, even to a refreshment butfet, from which hot coil'ce 
 and tea with toast and fruit came to all who thought fit to 
 breakfast on the ground. Nothing, in fact, could be more en- 
 joyable or satisfactory ; the racing was good, the steeplechasing 
 
A WEEK IN MADRAS. 
 
 155 
 
 he native 
 (I. Tlicre 
 ol(l«ni robe 
 liuiied the 
 a time the 
 i Rajah of 
 ihout hiui 
 iiior poteii- 
 3se we saw 
 l-otV space 
 lining with 
 
 tVed Paget, 
 ford, Major 
 of his stair, 
 ,ccs at once 
 le meeting, 
 'wo to one" 
 Ithiiik a bet 
 Club were 
 |ch race, de- 
 itnKis Day ; 
 lany of the 
 hie meeting 
 Ivate races. 
 3r him, and 
 ig mobbed ; 
 others who 
 [•ed and the 
 admirably 
 hot coilbc 
 
 ciught fit to 
 
 r 
 
 \[i more en- 
 .'plechasing 
 
 was better, and tlic conduct of all present, if possible, better 
 still. Now and then a funny incident occurred. Wandering 
 about in the enclosurj, in a disconsolate manner, was a man 
 attired in a very extraordinary costume. His l)earing was 
 that of one disconsolate, and enrpiiry resulted ; wliat did he 
 want — why his misery 1 At length it tiu'ned out tliat he wanted 
 to ride in a race from which the committee had excluded him 
 on account of his singular dress. They held that a man in a 
 red turban, green coat, blue continuations, and white petticoat, 
 was not attired suitably as a jockey ; he on his part asserted 
 that the two horses ho had entered for two consecutive races 
 would beat everything else on the ground. At last it was 
 ruled tluit he should try, and try lie did accordingly. The 
 results to that doleful man were conclusive. The limping 
 animal he bestrode vainly endeavoured to take j)art in the 
 race ; his red turban was seen nearly a quarter of a mile behii.d 
 the black and red caps of his jockey competitors, and when at 
 leangth he did reach the goal, he received such a derisive greet- 
 ing from both natives and Englishmen that he slunk away 
 quickly, and was seen no more. 
 
 The event of the meeting was the Sandringham Steeplechase, 
 for a cup given by the Maharajah of Jeypore, Nine horses 
 were entered, Arabs and Mysore breds ; the natives gathered 
 at the jumps, and every tieldglass on the stand wns brought 
 into requisition. 1 believe that every soul on Madras Race- 
 course would have willingly foregone all the other races rather 
 than have surrendered that steei)h;chase. Nine such horses, 
 too, are not often to be found. There was a veteran named 
 Phantom, on whom an enthusiastic sportsmnn from the Neil- 
 gherries announced his readiness ^ ■ stake his coat ; there was 
 a steed called Red Deer, ridden by a Captain Rullen, on which 
 any number of tickets were put into the Pari Mutuel box. 
 There wen? some who would have liked to risk five hundred in- 
 stead of five rupees on the pretty chestnut owned and ridden 
 
 X- 
 
■>'TT' 
 
 156 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 ) 1 
 
 by Captain Bullon. There was a mare called Gazelle, who 
 presently behaved very unlike the type of swiftness aud good 
 temper, refusing absolutely to go to the starting post, despite 
 all the elforts of her Hindoo admirers to coax her. I do not 
 think the Gazelle was heavily backed ; her reputation was well 
 known, and tickets bearing her namo were not numerous in the 
 box. There is always a dark horse at such a time about which, 
 though nobody knows much, there is a good deal of whispering 
 and winking. We had that horse at our steeplechase ; his 
 name was Artaxerxes. The Prince was clearly anxious to see 
 the end, for he left the place of State and bounded up to the 
 to}) of the stand with a readiness which spoke more for his 
 physical powers than the longest possible certificate from Dr. 
 Fayrer. 
 
 At last eight horses were got into position, the Gazelle 
 having by this time been given up as a bad job. Somebody 
 said that Captain Bullen's horse in going to the starting post 
 had suffered a tumble ; but to the relief of at least a third of 
 those on the Grand Stand, Red Deer could be seen mounted 
 by her gallant owner in rose-coloured jacket and black cap, 
 ready to be off in a moment. And off he was, with all his 
 rivals, directly afterwards, without a false start, steering straight 
 for the first jump of a good high hedge. On went Red Deer, 
 cutting out the pace in tervible fashion, flying over earthen 
 walls, ditches, hedges, one after another as though Captain 
 BuIUmi was a feather-weight. The rest were "nowhere;" Phan- 
 tom was last of all, and the dark horse only just in front of him. 
 The horses were now approaching the water jump, about half 
 a mile from home ; it was the crucial test, and their riders 
 knew it. A horse called Warwick suddenly shot to tlie front, 
 cleared the water, and then stopped as though that leap was 
 tlie end of the race. Phantom was not far behind — say about 
 fourth. Red Deer was second. Then ensued a struggle. The 
 old favourite carried a heavy weight, and his rider stiove in 
 
A WEEK IN MADRAS. 
 
 157 
 
 :elle, who 
 aijd good 
 it, despite 
 I do not 
 n was wgU 
 •ous in the 
 lOut which, 
 whispering 
 ichase ; his 
 ions to see 
 up to the 
 ore for Ids 
 jO from Dr. 
 
 ;he Gazelle 
 Somebody 
 arting post 
 it a third of 
 sn mounted 
 black cap, 
 ith all his 
 ling straight 
 Red Deer, 
 er earthe.1 
 gh Captain 
 re ;" Phan- 
 ■ont of him, 
 about half 
 ,heir riders 
 |o the front, 
 it leap was 
 say about 
 .'^gle. The 
 Ir strove in 
 
 Viiin to catch Ca[)tain Thillen and his fleet liorse ; yet the race 
 seemed to be between them, and some wore calling for Phan- 
 tom, whihi th<'. vnajority shouted Red Deer, when that terrible 
 dark liorse with colours of black and crimson forged ahead away 
 from the rear, passed the striving pair in front, and cantered in 
 first as easily and carelessly as though it had simply been out 
 for a morning's exercise, and was just finishing an agreeable 
 gallop. " Artaxerxes!" screamed the crowd. It was quite 
 true ; Mr. Taafe, the owner, had won by about a dozen lengtlis, 
 leaving Red Deer and Phantom to finish in a neck-and-neok 
 struggle. This was the last of the sport ; it was nearly nine 
 o'clock, and the Rothesay Plate, the Denmark Plate, and the 
 Prince of Wales' Plate, the Alexandra Plate, and the Sand- 
 ringham Cup, all given by native Rajahs, in honour of the 
 Prince and his home, were handed to their winners ; the people 
 cheered, as the Prince entered his carriage and drove away. 
 
 " Reception" is at best a vague term. There are, in ordinary 
 life, odd receptions and warm receptions; there are formal 
 receptions and informal ones ; and in Indian State phraseology 
 a ''reception" may mean anything. Henct the cards which 
 were sent round by the courteous Major Hobart, military secre- 
 tary to the Duke of Buckingham, and which invited those who 
 w^ei-e favoui-ed to a "reception," were subjects of some discus- 
 sion. 
 
 A great feature in apartments of all kinds built by Europeans 
 in India is that tliey are lofty and well ventilated ; the receji- 
 tion-room at Madras is no exception to the rule. A fine saloon, 
 admirably lit, decorated with paintings of some merit, fitted up 
 with a dais at one end, and a prettily-arrranged orchestral 
 stand at the other, was the place in which the Duke of Buck- 
 ingham met his guests. From one wing the firo-works, for 
 which Madras had paid £1,000, could be seen to advantage; in 
 the other a refreshment buffet offered attractions which resi- 
 dents in India well appreciate. Inside the hall the Prince was 
 
r 
 
 f*^» __" 
 
 ii, 
 
 i;!! 
 
 158 
 
 JVTTH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 already on the dais, attended by his suite, when ten o'clock 
 struck; the orcliestra was siuijjing a chorale of no ordinary 
 merit, composed in honour of his Royal Highness, and in com- 
 memoration of his visit. Tiie space between was occupied by 
 ladies and gentlemen in evening dress, oilicers in uniform, a 
 number of the Rajahs at present in Madras, and their princi})al 
 chieftains. Sometimes some one more noteable than the rest 
 was taken to the dais, and pr(!sented to the Prince. Occasion- 
 ally his Royal Highness, recognising some one whom he had 
 seen before, descended to the floor, and honoured the indi- 
 vidual with a word of greeting. All the advantages of a pri- 
 vate gathering — for everybody knew everybody else — with all 
 the grandeur of a State ceremonial were there ; and if anything 
 is remembered with satisfaction during the visit of the Prince — 
 and I tliink the arrangi'iuents have been very satisfactory — it 
 must surely be this " Reci'})tion." Midnight was long past 
 before the carriages were called for and uhe guests se])arated, 
 and we then went to our respective destinations, through long 
 lines of illuminated streets, lit by oil lami)s arranged in all 
 kinds of devices, with mottoes of the usually loyal description. 
 
 In a city so famous for jugglers, snake-charmers, acrobats, 
 and chevdlicrs (.Vimlnstrie generally, ladies and gentlemen who 
 live by their wits, in the most proper sense of the word, and 
 who apparently make a very good living, it was scarcely likely 
 that the 1^-ince of Wales would be permitted to stay long with- 
 out witnessing the feats of skill for which these wandering 
 Madrassees are celebrated. The Thursday of the week of his 
 stay being a comparatively open day, therefore, the morning 
 was selected for an alfresco exhibition of this kind. The town 
 lost the nomads. Government House gardens received tli m. 
 
 Amongst them was a savage who appeared to make the dried 
 skin of a cobra live. It is a favourite trick — you may see it 
 done twenty times a day in the streets of Madras. You may 
 examine the apparatus closely every time and watch the oper- 
 
 -.1 
 
 I li 
 
A WEEK IS MAniiAH. 
 
 1.7J 
 
 3n o'clock 
 ordinary 
 id in Corn- 
 ell pied by 
 unitbrni, a 
 r princi})al 
 m the rest 
 Occasion- 
 )iu lie had 
 I the indi- 
 es of a pri- 
 3 — with all 
 if anything 
 lie Prince — 
 sfactory — it 
 |,s long past 
 separated, 
 •ough long 
 imed in all 
 description. 
 ■s, acrobats, 
 .tlemen who 
 word, and 
 .rcely likely 
 long with- 
 wandering 
 week of his 
 |he morning 
 The town 
 [ed th m. 
 Ice the dried 
 may see it 
 You may 
 :\\ the oper- 
 
 atioii as carofiilly as you please, y(;t you cannot detect the 
 modnH operandi The performer hiuids you ii little, Hat, wicker 
 l)i»sket, some (iiglit inches in diameter, and asks you to insiioct 
 it, while lie folds the cobra skin, which yuu havo previously well 
 examined, into a sipiare, leaving only the tail unfohhjil. Su 
 soon as you have given the basket back, the juggler i)hiees it on 
 the ground in full view, and under the lid [iuts the folded part 
 of the serp(!nt's skin, the tail being in your sight all the while. 
 You may, at this stage, lift the Ud once more to see that 
 nothing but the serjiont's skin is in the basket, after which you 
 must rest content. A white cloth is taken by the man and 
 placed over the basket, after having been well shaken so that 
 you may be assured nothing is in it. A pipe is i)rotluced, and 
 with it a horribh; noise, similar to that always made by snake- 
 charmers, and not unlike the sound a cracked and badly made 
 bagpipe would emit, is made. No one goes near the cloth or 
 basket, excei)t the almost naked man, who cannot possibly hide 
 any live snake in his sleeves, for the simple and sufhcient reason 
 that he has ncnther sleeves nor jacket, nor, indeed, any other 
 kind of clothing than a small waistcloth, which would certainly 
 be a most inconvenient hiding-})lace for a lively young cobra. 
 The sheet is lifted, you look at the basket and see the tail of a 
 living snake being gradually drawn into it, and on the lid being 
 opened a most distinctly energetic serpent is discovered. No 
 sooner is it stirred than it rises on its tail, spreads out its hood, 
 and strikes with its fangs and tongue at the charmer. No one 
 would care to examine that basket now with a cobra four feet 
 long, making vicious snaps at the juggler. The charmer take'i 
 good care that the snake comes near you, for with a dexterous 
 movement he seizes the reptile by the head, and holding it in 
 one hand comes to you with his basket in the other, while you 
 put a rupee into the receptacle, if only to induce him to go 
 away. 
 
 The snake gone, a stout, strong girl comes forward, makes a 
 
 ■1 
 
• -• 
 
 1% 
 
 ♦■.^' 
 
 ■dWhi 
 
 riiaii 
 
 |i:i 
 
 !•' 
 
 .';': 
 
 li' 
 
 I ! il: 
 
 160 
 
 ?r/77/ TirE PIUNCE /A INDIA. 
 
 deep ol)cisiinc(', .uid then .stcp|)iiig hack throws a man woigliiiiij; 
 iully 11 St. over hor sliouklers. Nor (h)os slic sto}* !' • j, tor she 
 seizes her victim once more, })laces him crossways oi' hev hack, 
 and tlien tosses him into the air as tliough he v^ev; made of 
 feathers, and not a broad-sliouldered human bein;/, Tuiiing 
 backwards on her feet, she picks up straws with her eye-lids, 
 thr« Yb omersaults and lifts v, eights which woukl astonisa the 
 ordinary London acrobat. Wliile slie is thus performing, 
 V.tv;.:,;i Ts are changing pebbles into birds, birds into eggs, and 
 eggs in: ' plants; men thread beads with their tongues, join 
 innumerable pieces of cotton into one long cord, keep half-a-soort^ 
 of sharp knives in the air at once, throw cannon balls with their 
 toes, and spin tops on the end of twigs. Pandemonium reigns, 
 the clatter is unbearable, and one is compelled, as was the 
 1^-ince, to dismiss the tribe of vagrants without further delay. 
 Supposing the visit of the Prince to result anywhere in the 
 commencement of works of utility, as it has already in most of 
 the places his Royal Highness has touched at, the working 
 population of India will have cause to be permanently grateful. 
 Foundation stones of asylums and hospitals, inaugurations of 
 railways, and memorial stones of breakwaters and harbours, all 
 tend to the employment of thousands, and, as such, should un- 
 doubtedly be valued. But at Madras the work begun was 
 peculiarly useful. It will not only be the means of transferring 
 rupees and annas from the pockets of the trading community to 
 the waistcloths of the estimable artisans of the Black Towi% 
 but it will be a "joy for ever" to the thousands of travellers 
 who in years to come have to land at Madras. It would re- 
 quire the most devoted attachment to ancient customs for any- 
 one to reason that, because for ages it has been the fashion to 
 get a drenching in the surf before the esplanade at ^Madras is 
 reached, it would be well to continue the custom ; and as the 
 inhabitants of this city are by no means wedded to antiquity, 
 it was suggested that a harbour should be constructed, and that 
 the Prince should lay the first stone. 
 
A WEEK IN MADRAS, 
 
 K'.l 
 
 m woighinij; 
 )rie, for slio 
 )V her l>ack, 
 V" made of 
 ;. Tui'iing 
 Lier eye-lids, 
 iistoiiibh the 
 performing, 
 bo eggs, and 
 ongues, join 
 ) half-a-score 
 Is with their 
 ninm reigns, 
 as was tiie 
 irther dehiy. 
 where in the 
 y in most of 
 he working 
 itly grateful, 
 gurations of 
 larboiu-s, all 
 , should un- 
 begun was 
 transferring 
 immunity to 
 >lack Towis 
 of travellers 
 It would re- 
 oms for any- 
 e fashion to 
 t ]\[adras is 
 , and as the 
 o antiquity, 
 ed, and that 
 
 How adinij-ahly tlie ceremony was maiuxged mav he told in a 
 very Ww words. Kverything was arranged on tl»< i iiuiple that 
 "silence is golden," a maxim which other places ;,a^ Trinco has 
 yc\ to visit would do well to bear in mind. The sione was hung 
 *n its place unchn- a frame prc^tlily decorated, a cloth covered 
 with the plans of the harbour was laid upon a table, while the 
 mortar-board and trowel were arranged so that as soon as his 
 Royal Highness should arrive the formality of fixing the stone 
 might be got through expeditiously. The ladies were ranged 
 in tiers of seats on either si''" of the stone; ; in front were two 
 otlier stands for less distiu rui. .ed persons, troops lined the 
 road, and th(; preparations veiv omplete. The jx'ople and the 
 sea filled in the picture, ■• 1 i( strikingly pretty one it was. In 
 sight of everybody the f-vim or. the shore and the huge waves 
 breaking over tossed ar > tc'^'^dng catauiarans supplied an ever- 
 recurring reason for the enterprise. All along the lin«; of route 
 tens of thousands of people testified to the interest with which 
 the work was regarded. 
 
 It was a different crowd from what we had seen anywhere 
 else. The Mahratta turban in which the native of Bombay 
 delights could nowhere be seen ; the hideous Parsee headdress 
 was, greatly to our relief, absent, too ; nor could the Cingalese 
 comb be discovered anywhere ; the full Madras turban, some- 
 times red and sometimes white, frequently trimmed with gold, 
 and always cleverly made, was almost the only kind of head- 
 dress. But if the turbans were not of a very varied hue — if 
 the pink, green, blue, and yellow of the Mahratta were want- 
 ing, there was plenty of colour after all. A pleasant practice 
 of staining the face bright yellow is much in favour with the 
 native dames and damsels of Madras. Most of the men wear a 
 device in white and red on their foreheads as a token of piety. 
 There are as many shades of difl'erence in the skins of the 
 d%yellers on the Coromandel coast as could be found between 
 Nubia and Italv. and the dresses which are worn on high days 
 
 j ; 
 
1(12 
 
 WITH THE nUSt'E IN JSDIA. 
 
 I' I 
 
 II , 
 
 uiid holidays boast evoiy hue of the ri iubow. As they piickofl 
 t}jeins('lv(!S togctlior to await the coming of the Prince, tlie 
 women grouped by hmuheds, the men in simihir numbers, the 
 front rank seated on the ground, thuL j behind kneeling, while 
 the rearmost of all stood u)) and peered over th'- heads of tlio 
 others, thc^, formed a vast and lar-extending nn.jj, to see which 
 a journey of even eleven thousand miles was not too much. 
 Every now and then carriages containing Ilajahs and Malui- 
 rajahs is picturesque costumes, escort"d by tlie Governor's body- 
 guard in bright sc.ulet and gold uniforms, and followed by par- 
 ties of their own wild looking horsemen, drove past; and at 
 last the Prince liimself came, cheered vociferously by the crowd. 
 The spreading of the mortar and the low«Ming of the stone 
 occu})ied the slightest possible time, and before most ceremonies 
 would have begun this was over, and the Prince ,ve!l on his 
 way back to Goveinnient House. 
 
 Old Indians will, however, ask one question, which musi; 
 perforce be answered — what of th(! Madras Club ball ? For of 
 all the clubs in India that of Madras, at once the oldest and 
 widest known, is held to be the best. In competition with it 
 are the famous Byculla Club at Bombay, and the Bengal Ckd* 
 at Calcntta ; but these are held by the men of Southern India 
 to be inferior to the famous home of curries. Such high claims 
 bring with them high obligations. It is not enough to boast of 
 being the best ; it is necessary to prove it. If the Madras 
 Club understands anything, however, it is the art of good liv- 
 ing. Let others boast larger billiard-rooms or finer libraries ; 
 the Madras Club places side by side with these advantages, for 
 the judgment of the thoughtful and the hungry, the best dinner 
 in India, in the handsomest dining-room. For several days 
 past the Club had been turned upside dc vvn for the purpose of 
 decoration and preparation. The dining-saloon was converted 
 into a ball-room, the library became a drawing-room, and thi; 
 whole magnificent building w:'.s lit up with lamps, and wreathed 
 
A WEEK IN MADRAi^. 
 
 10 
 
 • •■> 
 
 tlie-y packffl 
 Prince, tlir? 
 limbers, the 
 yjliiii,', while 
 leads of the 
 t;0 see which 
 ■> too much. 
 ; and Maha- 
 jrnor's body- 
 )wed by par- 
 fist ; and at 
 f the crowd, 
 jf the stone 
 t ceremonies 
 ,veU on his 
 
 which must 
 
 ill] For of 
 
 3 oldest and 
 
 tion with it 
 
 jengal Club 
 
 thcrn India 
 
 ligh claims 
 
 to boast of 
 
 he Madras 
 
 of good liv- 
 
 r libraries ; 
 
 antages, for 
 
 3est dinner 
 
 3veral days 
 
 purpose of 
 
 converted 
 
 ni, and the 
 
 d wreathed 
 
 with foliage ami flowers. From the time that the arrival of a 
 funny little captain was mistaken for that of the Prince of 
 Wales, and honoured by the formation of a long lane down the 
 room, soon to be clo.sed amid a peal of laughter, to half-past two 
 o'clock, wlien the Prince left, everything was the very peifec- 
 tion of enjoyment. Wlmrcfver a corner could be found, dancers 
 availed themselves of it, covering not only the lloor of the ball- 
 room itself, but the passage which ran bijtween it and the 
 library, and extending into this last-named room itself N<:»r 
 was this dilllcult, for wide archways united the three into one, 
 and from any given i)oint the whohi could be seen. At the 
 supi)er the Madras Club held its own brav(!ly, vindicating its 
 claim to be the best of pi-oviders ; and so the ball was a grand 
 success, and one of vvliich the Clnb and the city are alike proud. 
 The capital of the Presidency did well ; and the encomium 
 which the Prince passe I on the ball extends to all that has 
 Ijoen achieved during the vreok that was spent at Madras. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 INDIAN AMUSEMENTS. 
 
 ||;f' 
 
 It is the old air of " Bonnie Dundee. " At first you could 
 Huarcely recoi^Jiize it. The six senii-tVantic Hindoo musioiiins 
 who are i)erfbrniini,' on a discordant violin, a pipe, a tom-tom, 
 and some conch shells, niak(^ a fearsom<5 noise ; but now and 
 then the old tune crops \i\) for a bar or two, though it " crops" 
 down for a good many bars directly afterwards. Were sturdy 
 old Claverhouse here, he would make; short work of such min- 
 strel boys witli tliat claymore of his. It is enough to make the 
 blood of a Scotchman tingle again. Yet listening j)atient]y, 
 and even smilingly, to this terrible burlesque of the good stirrup 
 song, is the Prince of Wales, Duke of Piothesay, and Lord of 
 the Isles, sun-ounded and supported by a liundred Scotch ladies 
 and gcntlenuni, to say nothing of two or three hundred English 
 residents of Madras, and, at least, four thousand native gentle- 
 men. Perhaps the peculiarity of the occasion may account for 
 this extraordinary ]ilacidity under such very irritating circum- 
 stances. Let us sec where we are, and judge for ourselves. 
 
 In a great hall, some five hundred feet long, and a hundred 
 and fifty feet broad, are gathered together the rank and fashion, 
 native and European, of the Presidency of IMadras. English offi- 
 cers in scarlet rub shoulders with aged Mohammedans dressed 
 in white and gold. European ladies sit next to young Tamil 
 beaux ; Hindoo princes and chieftains, who probably never 
 heard of each other before, fill every line of chairs on a raised 
 dais. Frencli and English naval otficers hob-nob at a refresh 
 ment buftet, the bright glasses of which can be seen throng] i 
 t\w\r muslin curtains, partially looped up, collectors of districts. 
 
 r, 
 
INDIA N A MtlSEMENTS. 
 
 n\: 
 
 .) 
 
 '■fe 
 
 it you could 
 on iiuisiciiins 
 I, II toui-toui, 
 but now and 
 h it " crops" 
 Were sturdy 
 of such uiin- 
 i to make the 
 ng patiently, 
 good stirru}) 
 and Lord of 
 Scotch ladies 
 dred English 
 ative gentle- 
 ly account for 
 iting circuu\- 
 )urselves. 
 lid a hundred 
 and fashion, 
 English otfi- 
 Idans dressed 
 lyoung Tamil 
 jbably never 
 b on a raised 
 at a refresh 
 leen through 
 of districts. 
 
 % 
 
 and tlu' people who liavr to pay tho taxes, all are hert; (Iccketl 
 out in full dress. In the centre of the dais, which, by tlui wny, 
 is on the right centre of the room, sits the J*rinee of Wah s, t)n 
 a srolden throne. I lis suite aro clustered hehijid him. On his 
 left is the Duke of Ihiekingham, in the full uniform of a (Gov- 
 ernor of Madras ; on his right Mrs. Shaw Stewart and the Maha- 
 rajah of Travancore, who, by tin; l>ye, is just such another (piick- 
 oved little gentleman as Sir Madava fiao, of IJaroda ; also the 
 Maharajah of Vizianagram, and the I'rinoe of Arcot, aP glitt«'r. 
 ing with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, anil gold. On either side 
 of the Prince, below the dais, is a great sea of upturned faces ; 
 ill front of his Royal Highness is, first of all, a little tabh', 
 bearing an immense gold casket, the lid of which is surmount(;d 
 by a silver tigar, then an open raised [jlatform, in the centre of 
 which iiang a dozen coloured ropes, fastened together at the 
 top ; while farther back still is a stage, on which are si^uatted 
 sonii? fifty natives, male and female, all attired in tin* most 
 fantastic fashion , a screen fastened to the wall in rear of them 
 depicting a jungle scene and a springing tiger. As your eye 
 wanders round the building you notice that the roof is one of 
 (extraordinary beauty, ornamented with flowers, stars, circhjs, 
 and all kinds of devices by the artists, evidently of Tanjore. 
 The gold, silver, and crimson foil in this remarkable ceiling, as 
 well as on the sides of the pillars which support it, glitter and 
 glisten in the light which scores of chandeliers throw upon 
 them ; but more than ever when flashes of limelight thrown 
 from four points in the building hurl a dazzling gleam across 
 the hall. You might perchance wish that the gentlemen who 
 have charge of the latter knew how to mansige it, and that they 
 would not blind you at one moment and ie;. ve you in compara- 
 tive darkness the next, but you mu :t not comphm.. 
 
 This is a native entertainment given to the P» i.i .e, managed 
 by natives from the doors to the linieiights. in ;i place with a 
 very native name — to wit, Pvoyapooram — having for it.; chiei' 
 
;i 
 
 ■ I 
 
 
 If 
 
 
 I 
 
 in 
 
 .1 
 
 11 
 
 J:. 
 
 
 I , 
 
 !■! 
 
 "I '•' 
 
 ^ggtfSi^ y^iWnif'W?! JUtuM B^^ft ff^ wt ^' i fcV fA-^.'d ^-'^f;^ -ff,. jyr .iuR,,- 
 
 166 
 
 WITh THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 entrance a door leading into a way called in native parlance 
 Tliuniboo Chotty, decorated by natives, arranged, controlled, 
 and now almost filled b;y natives. The programme promises 
 an entireh' native performance; the presentation of a native 
 casket, Kolattam or Plait dances, concerted pieces on the 
 Saranth6 Sittar, Vina and Dol, and a native dk-ama in four 
 acts. You might wish that the native plan of smiling and 
 making a present quickly had been pursued in regard to that 
 casket, instead of a tedious imitation of that most trying of all 
 customs, the [iresentation of an address ; but Ibis is an innova- 
 tion insisted upon by the long-robed, red-turbaned gentlemen 
 who flock up to the dais just before the band strikes up, and 
 read and stand in front of the Prince ; while one of their 
 number, happy man, reads a long rigmarole, of which we can- 
 not hear even the purport were we so disposed. Of course the 
 Prince replies pleasantly, as is his wont, using t^^most the same 
 words, however, as have been put into his lips twenty times 
 already ; and then the entertainment begins. 
 
 Looking at the matter from a purely metaphysical point of 
 view, it may, perhaps, be conceded that not only lights, but 
 even shades, are advantageous in our pleasures. The easy chair 
 which suddeidy discovers a broken spring, the comfortable cot 
 which presently lets you down on the hard deck below, the buck- 
 jumping horse, and even a voyage like that in the *' Nagotna," 
 all have their useful lessors, all aid to make unalloyed pleasures 
 the more appreciated. V'iew(}d thus, the native entertainment 
 was a complete success. It was in itself the most dismal and 
 trying performance ever witnessed, yet the memoiy of the 
 misery endured during its continuance may tend to make those 
 who sat in that tinselled hall, from nine in the evening till two 
 the next aiorning, a little less captious in future. 
 
 But while I digress the nuisic, if music it can be called, is 
 going on, and '* Bonnie Dundee " on pipes iind tom-toms, conch 
 shell Mud tiddle. is beiriij murdered 
 
 At last a dozen gii'ls. 
 
I parlance 
 !ontrollod, 
 promises 
 F a native 
 3S on the 
 la in four 
 liling and 
 rd to that 
 ying of all 
 an innova- 
 gentlenicn 
 ;cs up, and 
 e of their 
 ch we can- 
 course the 
 it the same 
 3ntv times 
 
 al point of 
 ights, but 
 easy chair 
 rtalde cot 
 
 the buck- 
 Nagotna," 
 
 pleasures 
 rtainment 
 lismal and 
 ly of the 
 
 lake those 
 iig till two 
 
 called, is 
 hns, conch 
 l)zen gii'ls, 
 
 I XI i IAN A mush: MEN TS. 
 
 167 
 
 strangel}' attired, come away from the throng squatted down in 
 front of the screen, and walk up to the coloured ropos. Unlike 
 the celebrated lady of Banbury Cross, they have not only " I'ings. 
 on their fingers and bolls on their toes," but they have rings, 
 great pearl-adorned rings in their noses, rings in their ears, 
 rings of Ijolls on their ankles, and wreaths of llowers on their 
 heads. Strictly speaking, not one of them can be styled pretty ; 
 their features are regular and their forms fairly good, but these 
 beauties of Madras, selected on account of their personal at- 
 tractions to dance before the Prince, are neither graceful in aj)- 
 l)earance nor lithe in movement. Their dress, which could not 
 be more res))lendent, so entirely covered is it with gold, silver, 
 and jewels, has a cumbersome look about it which by no means 
 adds to the facility of motion, and the loiig red trousers which 
 each damsel wears hang in a slovenly manner over the naked 
 feet, and occasionally imjiede the daiisense in the very midst of 
 her steps. Still it must not be denied that these nautch girls 
 are picturesque in appearance. Their long black hair, worn in 
 plaited tresses, theii* olive-coloured skins and great white eyes, 
 tlieir curious costume, and their wonderful ornaments, lend 
 them in the flashing lime light a fictitious weirdness which the 
 three witches whom Macbeth saw mi^ht have sighed for in 
 vain. And when they seize r-ach a coloured rope, and to the 
 tune of that extraordinarily rendered '' Bonnie Dundee " fly 
 round in a frantic dance, twirling in and out and backwards 
 and forwards, till the ropes are all twisted and they are brought 
 close together, and then, with more dancing, unravelling what 
 ap})eared to be a very Gordian knot, and so gradually bring- 
 ing the ropes into their first order, you have good canst; for 
 wondering, and, were they to stop now, reason to be pleased. 
 
 But neither the dancers nor the conch -shell players have any 
 idea of ceasing yet, and the girls occasionally joining in the 
 chant, hop and skij) and twirl till you ar»' giddy with looking 
 on, and long for an end of iIk; KO];'ith;(m. You are, howyvi'i, 
 
 ? Al 
 
 
 I f 
 
 'i 1 
 
 '■4 
 
 
 uj 
 
T 
 
 *fS=i 
 
 s 
 
 i 
 
 ■'.: 
 
 
 II,:': 
 
 1(J8 
 
 WITH TUB VlUXi'E IN INDIA. 
 
 ill the hands of a stolid ohl gentleman in a long green gown and 
 a great purple turban, wlu) occasionally looks at the dancers 
 and then at the l*rince, a look of honest delight and pride beam- 
 ing through his great round si)octacles as he says most unmis- 
 takaltiy by his self-satisfied grin, " See what a tremendous 
 discord they can make, and how admirably they can keep it 
 ii[)." They do " keep it up" for nearly an hour, during which 
 iiiany Kuro})eans enjo}' a nap — the most wakeful, and certainly 
 the most graciously patient, being the Prince himself. At last 
 the jiurple-robed stage-manager finds his troupe exhausted, 
 whereupon he orders forw^ard a fresh supply of players, and a 
 celebrated nautch-girl named Gn} ana who is to dance a Carnatic 
 pas seul. 
 
 I need not describe tli-. appearance of this damsel. Had her 
 charms only equalled ner excessive vanity and astonishing 
 powers of endurance, we might, not hove objected possibly to 
 her prolonged gyrations. Nor would the everlasting drumming 
 on conch shells, tom-tomming, pipe-playing, and fiddle-scraping 
 which accompanied her movements have been so unbearable as 
 they presently became had they not been accompanied by the 
 hideous noise which the six players were good enough to call 
 singing. I have said something about Hindoo music, how it is 
 cill that we hold to be most objectionable in England, exagger- 
 ated to the utmost extent of human power. The principal 
 vocalist of the six, this time, was the most terrible of his class. 
 A.11 of them dispensed with tlie nose in singing ; he did without 
 nose or mouth either, and sang a[)parently from the pit of his 
 stomach, sending a volume of sound up his open throat th'it 
 completely astonished even experienced Anglo-Indians. And 
 as for power of lungs, he must have borrowed a pair of bellows 
 from Vulcan to have maintained such a liowl for so long a time 
 as he did. In a feeble way his companions attempted to ac- 
 company liim, and occasionally the girl ceased her dancing, and 
 yelled at the top of her voice too; but he needed n,) assistance, 
 
 I 
 
INDIAN AMUSEMENTS. 
 
 IGO 
 
 L gown and 
 he (lancers 
 ride beam- 
 iest unmis- 
 reniendous 
 !an keep it 
 liny; which 
 d certainly 
 f. At last 
 exhausted, 
 ^ers, and a 
 ; a Carnatic 
 
 . Had her 
 astonishing 
 possibly to 
 r di'umniing 
 :lle-scraping 
 .bearable as 
 jnied by the 
 kigh to call 
 Lc. how it is 
 Ll, exagger- 
 |e principal 
 )f h is class, 
 llid without 
 pit of his 
 Ithroat th;>.t 
 Uins. And 
 of bellows 
 iiong a time 
 1 1 ted to ac- 
 Lncing, ami 
 lassistance, 
 
 the i)air of o- ^ shells he clapped together and his incompar- 
 able windpipe aid all that was necessary, and it needed the most 
 frantic efforts of the tom-tom beater to create the slightest im- 
 pression. We could see the fiddler playing as though he liad 
 orders to go at a rate of a hundred strokes a minute and was 
 working against time, but the result of his efforts troulded us not, 
 we could see the [»ipe-player's dark face getting darker still as 
 he fought despairingly against the man with the voice ; but whe- 
 ther he was going on witli ''Bonnie Dunde<:" or giving a selection 
 from Weber, we never knew. All was swallowed up by that 
 man in the white turban and long white gown. His face worked 
 convulsively, his body bowed and bent ; he would lean forward 
 and then backward; throw his arms frantically into the air, and 
 then turn round upon his comrades as though he could remon- 
 strate with them if only he dared stop shouting for a moment — 
 without wearying or pausing, much less stopping. And the 
 strangest thing was that the natives smiled and gibbered as 
 though they were being pleasingly enchanted by the soft song 
 of a syren. As for the manager of the stage, he was simply 
 beside himself with joy, and nodded his head with satisfaction 
 till his spectacles tumbled on to the floor. 
 
 I do not know how the Prince went through that trying 
 ordeal. He said, I was afterwards told by an enthusiastic 
 native, that he was very much astonished, and no doubt he 
 was; but nothing except his most imperturbable good humour 
 could have carried him through it. Yet he continued to look 
 pleased as the girl squatted down, and jumped up, turned 
 round with one arm raised, and then strutted up to the edge of 
 the Royal dais ; or, moving backwards on her heels, joined her 
 screeching companions and helped them to "sing;" although 
 for more than an hour she continued the same monotonous 
 movement, and the musicians the same wonderful noise, the 
 Prince neither remonsti-ated, nor for a moment looked weary. 
 At length, as it was now getting far into the m^ ning and 
 
 11 
 
 III 
 
 \\ 
 
 \ ; 
 
 
't'l*. 
 
 11! 
 
 t 1 1 
 
 170 
 
 IVITIl THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 tliore wore live otluo- pieces on the programme, the old gentle- 
 man in purple essayed to stop th(.' Carnatic dame, and this, after 
 much rebellious conduct on the part of the white-turbaned 
 singer, lie was enabled to do. 
 
 So soon as Guyana and her companions could he moved off, a 
 fresh set of musicians accompanied another and a darker giri to 
 the foot of the dais, and then squatted down, while she, sitting 
 in their midst, began a "Vinali" solo. Apparently this was 
 too much for thcj l*rince, and she had not s((uealod and beaten 
 a tom-tom which was placed in front of her more than ten 
 minutes wlien the Prince bowed, rose, and led Mrs. Stewart to 
 supper. This was a signal for the Vinah solo to stop, and for 
 another batch of Kulattam or Plait dancers to gather round the 
 coloured ropes; but when the Prince presently came back, he 
 stayed for a few moments only and then took his departure. I 
 never heard whether the programme was continued afterwards 
 — whether the song by Krishna, the concerted piece, or the 
 drama in four acts, were even attempted. If so, and each 
 occupied the time of that Carnatic dance, they must be going 
 on now, I had already determined that at what time I heard 
 the Saranth^, Sittar, Vinah, and Dol, I would call for my car- 
 riage and set out on the live miles' journey which lay before 
 me ; but the departure of the Prince stifled any scruples whicli 
 a strict adherence to the demands of eti(juette previously re- 
 quired, and in company with the rest of the European portion 
 of the audience, I (piitted the Royapooram Hall. 
 
 While in this city the Prince of Wales paid a visit to the 
 Madras Club, and there tasted some thirteen curries and eidit 
 chutnies ; his cook also had lessons in the Club kitchen, with a 
 view to introducing the best-made curry into the Marlborough 
 House cuisine. The record of Madras loyalty and hospitality, 
 therefore, fitly closes liere. 
 
 i;!;.! 
 
■% 
 
 lid gentlo- 
 this, after 
 3-turbaned 
 
 lOved off, a 
 ker giri to 
 >lie, sitting 
 Y this was 
 md beaten 
 e than ten 
 Stewart to 
 Dp, and for 
 r I'ound the 
 Qe back, he 
 parture. I 
 afterwards 
 ece, or the 
 and each 
 it be going 
 line I heard 
 :br my car- 
 lay before 
 iples which 
 jviously re- 
 Ian portion 
 
 dsit to the 
 
 and eight 
 
 )en, with a 
 
 irlborough 
 
 lospitality, 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE PRINCE IN BENGAL. 
 
 'Hiree times the Prince of Wales landed on Indian soil — first 
 of nil at Bombay ; next at Tuticorin, the most southerly part 
 of the Peninsula ; and lastly at Calcutta, the capital of the 
 Empire and the seat of the Viceroy of India. 
 
 Let us transport ourselves at once to the landing-place, at 
 Prinseps Ghaut, where on ''hristmas Eve the entry of the 
 Prince was effected. It is three o'clock in the afternoon ; we 
 are in the centre of an open space which lies between two open 
 })iivilions. In front is the Hooghly, looking marvellously like 
 the Thames on a bright summer's day. The sun plays upon 
 the waters, upon the thousands of boats that crowd o^>getlier 
 close to the pier, and the roo' '. of the warehou.ses which ^tnnA 
 in a long line on the opposi: ^ shore, just as ihiy do on the 
 Surf'iy side of the grand old London river. The Wi*f/%ou;^s 
 are shut, however, and yondei rowd of boats are full of hf^ 
 day-makers ; the ships are g in colours ; and the throng, 
 y/hich reaches to the watej *ge in one direction, and right 
 ftV/ftif tf/;ough the city of C. tta in the other, h no ordinary 
 
 iiki 18 alive in iUw g/^ w^ l^!f»^»J 
 that i!/H^f^,\ii/[^. crowds iw^^M the 
 mljlage (4 Ptfrn^m-y natiyiiw m 
 •ary aspect -^jfe/^ U*m that of 
 to-day, for the dark faces or ue sightseorH; m^/I ^h)JiA- <^s, 
 
 flowing robes, and strange decorations, com>>infe *V inrm i^ m^- 
 able display hardly inferior to anything I have Hf^en iA^^f/y-r^, 
 No combs are visible in t)i • heads of the men, nor m<»<hy 
 Mahratta tui-bans with the curious distinguisuing point, in tlife 
 
 gatheriw^, f/iit comprises al 
 capital. It 1% c/mifnonly s 
 colour which mai^tn am 
 picturesque. If so, ih^ 
 
1'^n 
 
 'ft 
 
 ■J 
 
 ■ is 
 
 F:i 
 
 I' ? 
 
 if > 
 
 ]'] 
 
 tJ'S- 
 
 ;! 
 
 li' 
 
 1 i ■ ..' 
 
 172 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 centre thereof. One looks almost in vain for the Parsee hat 
 and the Miuhas puggaree ; yet there are fine, handsome, manly 
 faces, and the graceful Bengal hat is worn in every conceivable 
 colour ; rich shawls, too, and costly dresses are not uncommon, 
 so that the natives of Calcutta may well be proud of their ap- 
 pearance to-day. My point of view, however, is outside the 
 crowd, next a pillar hidden away in palm leaves, which helps 
 to support both the pavilions on either side. A crimson 
 carpet leads down to the end of the pier^ behind is a huge tri- 
 umphal arch, whereon a welcome to the Prince is inscribed in 
 roses — artificial, perhai)S, but still roses ; floating on the river, 
 immediately opposite, is the '• Serapis," clad in bunting, and on 
 eithcjrside, at some distance removed, are the belles and beaux 
 of Calcutta. I have said at some distance, because between my 
 standpoiii.1 hiic], them are all the Rajah and Maharajah-dom of 
 the Bengal Presidency, together with princes and princelets 
 from the South and North, who are come hither to see the 
 Prince, and, if possible, to greet him. The Viceroy is moving 
 about, shaking hands with his feudatories ; it is a time of great 
 rejoicing, and everybody is glad. 
 
 An air of ease and comfort chart icterises the reception pavil- 
 ions. By placing the EnglisI' residents, both ladies and gentle- 
 men, on seats which, while rising one above another, abut 
 upon the walls of the pavilions on either side, a broad square 
 space is formed, in which the native dignitaries can move 
 about at pleasure. Here movable couches, sofas, easy chairs, 
 and lounges are scatt^'red about, and any one may sit or 
 stand. The Bengal wol?" may lie d-'wn with the Madras lamb^ 
 Maharaja hs and sirdars can meet on an equal footing. Thus 
 the Maharajah of Puttiala, a short stout gentleman in a white 
 turban and a bright blue satin coat, stands next to the good 
 Bishop of Calcutta in shovel hat and iiiorts ; and not far off are 
 the three members of the Burmese Embassy, who look, for all 
 the world, as though they were victims of the Spanish Inquisi- 
 
)• 
 
 THE PHTNCE IN BENGAL. 
 
 173 
 
 I'see liat 
 3, manly 
 iceivable 
 common, 
 their ap- 
 tside the 
 Lch helps 
 crimson 
 huge tri- 
 ^cvibcd in 
 the river, 
 ig, and on 
 md beaux 
 tween my 
 ah-dom of 
 princelets 
 
 I "^ 
 
 30 see the 
 is moving 
 16 of great 
 
 tion pavil- 
 jxd gentle- 
 ther, abut 
 )ad square 
 can move 
 isy chairs, 
 ay sit or 
 llras lamb. 
 , Thus 
 n a white 
 the good 
 Ifar off are 
 |ok, for all 
 ti Inquisi- 
 
 tion. High conical hats, long, crimson, purple, velvet gowns, 
 oi'namonted in extraordinary fashion, with bright gold braid, 
 and the funniest faces that could be drawn, are the characteristics 
 of these well-born, highly honoured, and very Gxcollent repre- 
 sentatives of the Lord of the Golden Foot. The peculiarity of 
 their costume is perhaps heightened by the yellow-jdumed, 
 hehneted, and blue-trousered French officer from Pondicherry 
 who now and then turns a pirouette on his high-heoled boots. 
 A. curious group that, and one to be regarded attentiv(;ly. 
 
 Then there are the Maharajah of Cashmere, the INIaliarajah 
 of Benares, and the three sons of Jung Bahadoor, all in friendly 
 conversation. He of Cashmere is quietly dressed in white and 
 gold, is a ijortly person of some sixty years, and is happy in the 
 l)Ossession of two very handsome daggers which he wears in his 
 cummerband or girdle. His compeer of Benares is older — a 
 very patriarch in ;;'' grey, bent, palsied — yet withal a grand 
 old fellow, gorgeou^,i> arrayed in the far-famed Khin-khob 
 cloth, which is a handsome mixture of silk and cloth of gold, 
 and would make the eyes of any English dame of fashion glisten 
 with delight. The three young gentlemen from Nei»aul are 
 siout, nor do they present any striking contrast to the other 
 notables here, except that these youngsters are more brilliant 
 in diamonds than most of their seniors. On the Mahar, jah of 
 Cashmere's neck is certainly a row of peails, costly in their 
 way, yet only small pearls ; but in the turban of yonder round- 
 faced Bahadoor, just above the two little black eyes which can 
 scarcely be seen to twinkle for the fat which surrounds them, 
 is a diamond aigrette such as the Maharajah of Mysore woukl 
 view with interest and delight. He is not so (/Ist/.tiyue with 
 jewels as the chief whom we just now saw close to the prolate 
 of Calcutta. That potentate bought, it will be remembered, 
 the jewels of the Empress Eugenie, and as he stands there he is 
 worth thr(!c hundred thousand pounds. Still the representatives 
 of Jung Bahadoor are eminently respectable, and, I should say, 
 
 5 ;'iiti 
 
 li 
 
 i 
 
 u »P 
 
-f^ffT 
 
 •II 
 
 Iv, 
 
 l» 
 
 j 
 
 i;l 
 
 I 
 
 nn 
 
 n 
 
 174 
 
 WITH TEE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 could sell their diamonds For as much as would buy a consider- 
 able street in the West-end of London. 
 
 There is, however, another posse of young men who have 
 claims to distinction. They are three melancholy youths, not 
 stout, but thin, standing close together, but otherwise alone. 
 Nobody goes near them ; they are not pressed to the left and 
 right breasts of Rajah or Maharajah, as are all the rest we see. 
 Save that some political agent now and then accosts them, they 
 say nothing to anybody, but stand still and look on at all that 
 passes with quiet interest. In attire they resemble the old 
 pictures of Martin Luther — black, velvet caps, somewhat like 
 the old biretta with earlaps standing out straight, long black 
 velvet gowns, sandalled feet, no ornaments, not even a pearl 
 or a diamond. "Who can they hel 1 turn to the courteous 
 Colonel Martin Dillon, the secretary of Lord Napier, who, like 
 his chieftain, is in full dress covered with medals and decorations, 
 and from him learn that these are the grandsons of Tippoo Sahib, 
 Shades of the great, what a different scene do tlieir eyes look 
 upon to-day from that which they would probably have witness- 
 ed but for the valour of British and native soldiers, and the 
 skill of Arthur Wellesley ! They might have been gazing at a 
 successor of that most unfortunate captive, Sir David Baird, 
 who not so many years ago was placed in a water-wheel and 
 made to work it for the amusement of Tippoo and his ladies. 
 Quien sabe ? To-day, these unhappy ones, ejected from Mysore, 
 no longer rulers of Seringapatam, stand meekly in the back- 
 ground to see the Prince of the race which annihilated their 
 family's greatness pass by in state. They are not even honour- 
 ed by a nod or a shake of the hand. When Tippoo fell, the 
 grandeur of the dynasty fell with him ; that thrust of the 
 private soldier's bayonet in the fatal gateway not only killed 
 Tippoo, but upset his successors to all time. Those young men 
 would not be here to-day had the Treaty of 1793 been observed. 
 In such case they would have been received with a twenty-one 
 
 ^ 
 
 
nsider- 
 
 have 
 13, not 
 alone. 
 3ft and 
 we see. 
 □a, they 
 all that 
 the old 
 Ixat like 
 g black 
 a pearl 
 mrteous 
 ho, like 
 rations, 
 o Sahib. 
 fGH look 
 witiiesa- 
 and the 
 ing at a 
 Baird, 
 leel and 
 ladies, 
 yiysore, 
 ie back- 
 id their 
 Ihonour- 
 pell, the 
 of the 
 L' killed 
 liiff men 
 )served. 
 knty-one 
 
 
 THE I'lilNCE IN BENGAL. 
 
 175 
 
 gun salute at Madras, met on the edge of tlic carpet, conducted 
 to a jjrand seat at the v'vAit liand of tlu; Prince, and been favour- 
 ed with the jileasant conversation which is now reserved for 
 those who are greater than they. 
 
 But moralising is out of place here, for we must look round 
 before the Prince lands. Tlu'ro is the Maharajah of Eewali, a 
 fine tall man, with an astonishing aigretti; of diamonds in liis 
 cap, and splendidly clad in bright colours. A certain hinkni^ss 
 about tlie hair and whiskers of this notability perhaps awakens 
 .susi)icions ; but few are prepared to see anything half so for- 
 bidding as his countenance when he turns round. His face is 
 painted red ; he must surely be a descendant of the Sandwich 
 or savage islanders, so curiously tattooed are his cheeks and his 
 forehead. No sucli thing. He is a victim to leprosy ; his ter- 
 rible face is the sign, and his feeble walk tlie result. Yet he is 
 not avoided. How could a man who carries thirty thousand 
 pounds' worth of brilliants on his turban be sliunned 1 See, the 
 Maharajah of Cashmere clasps the leprous Rewah to his bosom ; 
 and a little stout Bajah, in a red turban, bright purjde satin 
 coat, and light green trousers, trots up f\dl of joy at being next 
 saluted. That amusing person who carries his sword before 
 him so carefully wrapped up in silk that it looks as bulljous as 
 a teapot, squeezes the red- faced Maharajah to his breast, and 
 then runs off as pleased as though he had embraced Shiva, and 
 Parvati into the bargain. It is clearly a great thing to be a 
 Mc.harajah. 
 
 Not far distant is a tall, fine, clear-complexioned gentleman 
 in a long green robe spotted with golden stars. On his head is 
 a small golden crown, just like those depicted upon the school- 
 history likenesses of William Rufus. He has a high forehead, a 
 noble expression, a skin quite unsullied by leprosy ; yet there 
 he stands all unnoticed. Why ? He is not a Prince, " only 
 one of those fellows from Oude," says an officer ; and sjilendid 
 fellow though he is, even the tainted ruler of Rewah would not 
 
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 it' 
 
 i ' f 
 
I i 
 
 11 
 
 170 
 
 IVirir THE PRINCE IX INDIA. 
 
 vouulisiile to give liim ono .salute. Ifo miglit wear tifty crowns, 
 lie will not Ix; squeezed to the hi'cast of anyl»oily here. Just 
 now Lord Napier of Magdala spoke to liini, and here comes the 
 vet(;ran rV)iiiniander-in-Chief leading .somebody else up to Sein- 
 diah, who, with a yellow hat, and a white robe, with diamond 
 armlets and the riband of the Star of India over his shoulder, is 
 sitting on a .sofa. Who can help regretting that India is about 
 to lose the .services of so far-seeing a general and so careful a 
 diplomatist — more so than ever, indeed, when he grasps you by 
 the hand, bids you welcome to Bengnl, and tells you that on 
 your arrival at Delhi there shall bo a tent for your.self, a peg 
 and a rope for your horse, and a restaurant to save you the .six 
 miles' ride into the city when the daily fighting is over and you 
 need rest^ A rare old soldier is Lord Napiei", and you honoui* 
 him for what he has done. Close behind him is feir Richard 
 Temple, who but lately jumped from his hor.se, then falling over 
 a preci})ice, and so saved his life, and near him are Colonel 
 Earle, Captain Evc-lyn Baring, and Captain F. Baring. A 
 group of faNoured ladies and gentlemen admire the case in which 
 the address to the Prince will be placed, a fine gold box, much 
 ornamented, the treasure casket of Calcutta elocpience and 
 loyalty. 
 
 Meanwdiile the guns of the men-of-war blazed away, the old 
 sixty-four converted making but a feeble boom when compared 
 with the ear-splitting crash of their seven-inch rivals ; and his 
 Koyal Highne.'-is made for the shore, followed and preceded by 
 liis followers and retainers. At length they landed, and a 
 number of Baboos, otEcers, gentlemen in cocked hats, who be- 
 lonired to the TiCuislatiye Council, and others, crowded round 
 his Royal ilighiicss, while the chief policeman, Mr. Stuart 
 Hogg, read very delibenitely, ThLs is however, mere guess- 
 work. From my coign of \antage I could see the de})utation 
 nod their heads at v liat a}i[ieared to be ]»aragi'n[)hs in a much- 
 admired ad-lrcss; the Prince also ^ou(d in return, and it was 
 
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HE PRINCE IN BENGAL. 
 
 177 
 
 evident that he was saying something. When the inaudible 
 business was over, all joined in the cheer which saluted his 
 Royal Highness, as he moved towards the pavilions. There 
 was very little enthusiasm at Bombay, less at Colombo, still 
 less at Madras ; here there was a genuine English shout of 
 joyous greeting, and it was prolonged long after the Royal party 
 reached the pavilion. 
 
 In the midst of all this there are presentations — the Viceroy 
 presenting the Rajah of Cashmere and Holkar, next Rewah, 
 and after that Prince Scindiah, who all stand in the order they 
 themselves choose, and shake hands with the Prince with great 
 cordiality. How for each the Prince has a pleasant word, how 
 it takes nearly twenty minutes to shake hands with them all, 
 and how, when his Royal Highness left the arch, a louder cheer 
 than ever was given, can be imagined. Nor need the order of 
 the procession be given, since the Viceroy and the Prince must 
 necessarily occupy the same carriage ; and it boots not for the 
 English people to know whether the members of Council rode 
 before or behind his Royal Highness. Suffice it to say that, 
 escorted by volunteers and native troops, always cheered by the 
 people, and at one place saluted by the school children of Cal- 
 cutta, who sang a new version of the National Anthem, he at 
 length passed the gates of Government House, and took up 
 residence in that magnil&cent building. I should not omit to 
 mention that next day a local newspaper appeared in deep 
 mourning, in consequence of the address having been read by 
 tlie police superintendent. 
 
 That night the streets and squares of Caljutta were in a 
 blaze of light. The place which has been justly called the city 
 of palaces, was lit up in so artistic a style as to bring to mind 
 the grandest tales of the " Thousand and One Nights." In the 
 luminous atmosphere, dusky forms, clad in Oriental garments, 
 llitted about noiselessly by tkou sands ; palankeen beawrs, 
 couches, buggies, and bullock vehicles were carrying unwonted 
 
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 'I, 
 
 "i 'I 
 
 !:'R 
 
 i :!• 
 
 178 
 
 PTiT^ THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 loads ; and Christmas Eve was a night of joviality in honoui of 
 the Prince. I wish I could portray to you, as vividly as I saw it, 
 the beauty of the scene. No Aladdin was needed to cry new 
 lamj)s in exchange for old ; every building seemed to be one 
 vast lamp full of oil and light. The resources of the East and 
 West were brought into play together, Hindoos and Moham- 
 medans, under a celebrated local firm, and English makers and 
 designers, joining to* decorate this already handsome city. 
 There were stars and crosses, all kinds of devices, such as Bir- 
 mingham, Sheffield, and London delight in on great days of 
 festivity, in gas, and in addition to these, thousands of oil lamps 
 hung in festoons and loops, or stretched over the roads in 
 arches, covering fronts of houses and walls, and the railings of 
 the squares. It was, without doubt, the grandest Christmas 
 Eve Calcutta had ever seen, a night of great and unalloyed re- 
 joicing. And Christmas Day itself was to be kept this year 
 in real English fashion by a Prince and his followers, and by 
 hundreds of Englishmen and Englishwomen, in the Empire 
 city of Calcutta ; while that night we began the festivity by 
 lighting up the streets, as they never had been before, in honour 
 of the Royal visitor and the Royal visit. 
 
 ^ft'f 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 A SUNDAY IN CALCUTTA. 
 
 Sundays in Calcutta are not spent at the Zoo for the very 
 sufficient reason that Calcutta has till lately had no Zoological 
 Gardens in which to spend its after-church Sunday. But it 
 has long had its own fashionable resort, for all that ; and while 
 people in England were buttoning their overcoats and putting 
 thick gloves on, preparatory to taking their favourite race 
 through the frost-bitten gardens in Regent's Park, Calcutta — 
 that is to say, of course, European Calcutta — having achieved 
 its devotions at cathedral, church, and chapel, in accordance 
 with the fashionable method out here, was getting ready to 
 move off to the Botanical Gardens, which lie on the opposite 
 side of the grand river Hooghly. It was Christmas-tide, and 
 the good old Lishop, since dead, had droned out the last sen- 
 tence of what at one time promised to be an endless sermon ; 
 the choir had sung the fifth and last hymn ; the offertory had 
 been made, and sixpences had been furtively slipped into red 
 velvet bags which certainly should have opened to nothing less 
 than rupees ; and the organist was thundering " For unto us a 
 Child is born," when one of the gentlemen who had just made 
 the collection stepped across the aisle of the church and invited 
 me to luncheon. All innocent of Botanical Gardens, and far 
 away from the guidance of any member of the Sunday Observ- 
 ance Society, my thoughts naturally turned in the direction of 
 a sober meal within four white walls, under a waving breeze- 
 making punkah, somewhere in the suburbs of Calcutta. But, 
 to my surprise, the carriage of this estimable and hospitable 
 person stopped neither at staid-looking bungalow nor white- 
 
 ,1 ■ 
 
3aa5«wiBaap«*M.<> Will n .n.. . i^ajsragc.- 
 
 *1, ''i 
 
 180 
 
 WITH THE FBINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 ';< I 
 
 I'T 
 
 il 
 
 faced house ; but, passing under the triumphal arch which had 
 welcomed the Prince on the day of his landing, pulled up at 
 the water's edge, close to a dingy, in which sat four or five 
 semi-nude boatmen. 
 
 Would you know what a dingy is? Then take the shabbiest 
 gondola that Venice can furnish, knock off all that is orna- 
 mental in the shape of carved prow or stern, move the covered 
 seats in the centre to one end of the craft, give it a flush deck, 
 and thereupon place four not handsome native rowers, and you 
 have a first-class dingy — just such a one as we entered on that 
 bright Sunday afternoon. 
 
 We were not alone in our expedition, for already seated in 
 the dingy were four or five gentlemen who, unlike ourselves, 
 had not been to cathedral, and from whom I learnt that our 
 ultimate destination was the Botanical Gardens, where wc 
 should have to lunch on the grass " the same," my informant 
 continued, " as everybody in Calcutta does." Onward the boat 
 sped towards the other side of the river, where the sail was to 
 be hoisted. On the Hooglily was many another craft of the 
 same description ; soi .e with parties of intending lunch-takers, 
 and others with parties of intended lunch-makers ; namely, 
 servants who were carrying boatloads of provisions and wine 
 to the place for which we were bound. Still, there was no un- 
 seemly noise ; nothing like the hideous cackle of the catamaran 
 rowers at Colombo. There, if you would be quiet on the water, 
 you would have to beg your boatmen as a particular favour not 
 to bing the songs they love, else you would be treated to a 
 series of yeiis compared with which a London street singer's 
 melodies would be agreeable music. And even then you would 
 be startled every minute or so by the eternal " La ilia, la, la, 
 la," wafted from some other boat on those troublous waters. 
 Here^ however, there was no " singing," only the steady phibli 
 oi' the oars in the water as we passed along the bank of tin? 
 river. 
 
 <]'■ 
 
A SUNDAY IN CALCUTTA. 
 
 181 
 
 ch which had 
 , pulled up at 
 , four or five 
 
 the shabbiest 
 that is orna- 
 ^e the covered 
 b a flush deck, 
 wers, and you 
 itered on that 
 
 3ady seated in 
 ike ourselves, 
 arnt that our 
 ns, where we 
 my informant 
 Lward the boat 
 ihe sail was to 
 r craft of the 
 y lunch-takers, 
 ters ; namely, 
 ions and wine 
 3re was no un- 
 the catamaran 
 on the water, 
 liar favour not 
 treated to a 
 street singer's 
 len you would 
 La ilia, la, la, 
 lublous waters, 
 steady plasli 
 |e bank of tli<' 
 
 Ilospccting the Hooghly at the point where it pierces Cal- 
 cutta, there is not much to be said. It is rather more unin- 
 teresting than the Thames below Gravesend ; about as wide, 
 but less turbulent, though more turbid. On one hand stands 
 the city proper — on the other a long line of cotton-spining fac- 
 tories, which promise some day or another, according to local 
 prophets, to be an exceeding trouble to Manchester and a great 
 source of supply for the London market. But as you pass down 
 the river you find the scenery more diversified. On one side is 
 the present residence of the ex-King of Oude, with its gardens 
 and ploasaunces, on the other the Botanical Gardens. It was 
 at a little landing-stage attached to these last that we stepped 
 ashore, walking now up a slight incline to a shady spot, where, 
 under aromatic trees of great beauty, we found seats and a 
 tablecloth spread on the grass, with a luncheon fit for the Prince 
 himself. Guards, too, there were — coloured gentlemen armed 
 with sticks, who were waving them about as fiercely as though 
 a band of Dacoits were somewhere in the bushes. Yet there 
 could not be Dacoits in the gardens, and the bunch of squalid 
 Hindoos who were squatted on the pathway some little distance 
 ofi* scarcely required such a display of force to keep them from 
 the cold game-pie or the sherry. They looked hungry enough — 
 were hungry, too, Heaven knows ; and their reason for squat- 
 ting in the pathway was, without doubt, the hope of getting 
 just one mouthful of something to eat presently — ^just as a 
 pariah dog close by them came there in search of a bone ; but 
 they no more dared to seize upon the boiled leg of mutton, 
 steaming hot and savoury, with the turnips and carrots artisti- 
 cally and temptingly arrayed on a great dish, than they would 
 dream of plundering Government House. 
 
 Where was the enemy, then 1 We had scarcely sat down 
 when we discovered that recondite foe. One of the party had 
 helped himself to a choice slice of beef. On the joint itself was 
 a Government mark of un<loubi.ed genuineness, indicating that 
 
 X 
 
 I 
 
182 
 
 WITH THE PBINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 the buef was of the very best quality, in accordance with rules 
 laid down for the guidance of meat inspec*"ors in the Calcutta 
 markets from time immemorial. But neither inspector's mark 
 — the corner of the cross was on that identical slice — nor the 
 sticks of the guardians of the feast could save that unlucky 
 morsel. Down from the sky above us, at a moment when 
 least expected, swooped a voracious kite. Like a flash of light- 
 ning that unconscionable bird, utterly regardless of the rights 
 of property, and not caring a single snap of the bill for inspec- 
 tor or proprietor, came through the picnic party, and, seizing 
 that choice cut of beef, flew aloft and away before we could 
 utter the Hindostanee equivalent of the proverbial "Jack 
 Robinson." That was the thief, then, p gainst whom the men 
 with the sticks were warring ; that was the marauder against 
 whom they had to fight ; and, worse than all, his friends and 
 acquaintances were hovering by the score, about forty feet above 
 us, ready to seize the rest of the provisions if only we would 
 let them. Had we only got one of the descendants of the Lord 
 Cardinal of Rheims there, he might have " solemnly cursed that 
 rascally thief," and, perchance, brought him to repentance, just 
 as the great Lord Cardinal himself dealt with the jackdaw that 
 stole the ring ; but we had no one amongst us who could lay 
 the slightest claim to belonging to the Rheims Jardinal's family. 
 So we had to sit a little closer, advise the g-aards to wave their 
 sticks more fiercely, and to watch the kites more closely. It 
 was necessary, I firmly believe, to eat things as quickly as 
 possible ; even the beer seemed in danger, though, so far as I 
 could learn, the most voracious and reckless kite had never 
 been seen to fly away with a bottle of AUsopp. Yet, with the 
 Darwinian theory of natural selection before us, and the possi- 
 bility that in course of time some elderly kite might possibly 
 have advanced from the seizing of eatables to the purloining 
 of drinkables, we disposed of what potions we had brought with 
 us, and presently adjourned to the great banyan tree, of which 
 Calcutta and the chief of the Botanical Gardens are proud. 
 
HUM 
 
 A SUNDAY JJV CALCUTTA. 
 
 183 
 
 There is always somo satisfaction in seeing the largest speci- 
 men of any particular class — the biggest haloon, the highest 
 mountain, the hugost ship. We went to the largest banyan tree 
 in the world. I know that in Guzerat there is a tree of this 
 class which claims the premier place ; also, that at Barrack- 
 pore there is a banyan of undoubted respectability. But the 
 Calcutta Kpocinien is, after all, tno king. You could bivouac 
 a whole rcgiinont of soldiers comfortably under its branches; 
 if you had it in your gardcm there would be room for nothing 
 else, but you might live under its shade and call it your " roof 
 tree " with some propriety. Indeed, in one respect, it is not 
 altogether unlike the Hall of a Thousand Pillars — for the 
 l>anyan tree has one great peculiarity which is not generally 
 known in England. From its branches dro}) feelers or hangers, 
 somewhat in the way that the strawberry plant's feelers spread 
 out, and, there taking root, become eventually stiong trunks 
 themselves, several feet in girth, and the parents of other roots 
 again. In this way the space under the tree is filled with 
 pillars of wood, behind which you could hide, and between 
 which lovers were seated, and — what is still more sad — some 
 were [>laying what Cromwell designated " that most ungodly 
 game of kiss-in-the-ring." Others, too, were picnicing under 
 the umbrageous shade of this grand tree, which is never aught 
 but green summer or winter, while more were perched on the 
 branches which extend in almost every direction for very many 
 yards. I say "almost," because the tree, curiously enough, 
 has not shot out a single tendril towards the north, but confines 
 its leafy shade to other parts of the compass. But that scarcely 
 detracts from its beauty t it covers a huge circular space from 
 the heat of the sun, and constitutes a marvel of which Calcutta 
 may well be proud. 
 
 Of the gardens themselves, I scarcely think so much could bo 
 said. They are not to be compared with those of Kandy, either 
 in beauty of landscape or rarity of plants. Palms are plentiful ; 
 
y 
 
 i 
 
 184 
 
 WITH THE rinSCE IN INDIA. 
 
 but wIi(3io iiro the vanilla, with its woiulerful pods, the pictu- 
 resque plantain, the lovely poiumelo, or the leuty nutmeg tree ] 
 Whore are the groves which make Pcuadinya so lovely — where 
 the rich clusters of flowers that load the air with perfume ] 
 There is nothing like that here. The groves are thin, even the 
 fernery is small ; a vast expanse of plain, barely covered with 
 trees and plants, constitutes these gardens. Yet bordering on 
 the Hooghly, they are a great source of comfort to European 
 Calcutta on Sunday, and we, in going thither, only did what 
 all the world and his wife in these warm regions do. Before 
 night had set in, or the church bells for evening service haii 
 sounded, we had once more landed on the opposite shore, ail 
 the fresher and more gludbome for our pleasant picnic on tin* 
 grass. 
 
 •iti 
 
xIh, th(5 i»ictu- 
 nutineg troe 1 
 lovely — where 
 vith perfume ? 
 thin, even the 
 '^ covered with 
 t bordering on 
 t to Euroi)ean 
 only did what 
 as do. Before 
 nff service hud 
 osite shore, ail 
 t picnic on thi> 
 
 
 CHAPTEU XVil. 
 
 POLO-PLAYING AND SNAKK-CIIARMINO. 
 
 Cricket at Lord's, lawn tennis at Prince's, football at Rugby, 
 racing at i ,)Som — are seen at their best. But to learn how 
 polo should be played you should have spent an hour on tho 
 Maidan at Calcutta, a large, open, grass-covered space, when 
 there were galloping there at a territic pace fourteen semi-sav- 
 age Munipuris. I do not for a moment desire to disparage the 
 feats of Mr. Murietta, or any of the other gentlemen whose 
 powers with the polo stick are undoubted. But of this I am 
 sure, that there is not an admirer of polo at home or in India 
 who would grudge to award the palm of superiority to these 
 masters of the game. It was with no small feeling of pleasure 
 that I received an invitation to attend a polo match, at which 
 it was expected the Prince and Viceroy would be present. To 
 see the Munipuris play would be to see the style of the tribes 
 who first taught India, and, through India, England, this plea- 
 sant athletic diversion. How well their skill had been main- 
 tained had been already sho^vn, when the savages beat the 
 skilled horsemen of Calcutta with a rapidity and ease that 
 greatly surprised the Europeans. 
 
 It was four o'clock in the afternoon when, by the aid of a 
 policeman, who gently whipped my recalcitrant coachman, I 
 reached the Maidan. The driver having an eye to that honest 
 penny which it is the ambition of every Hindoo to turn as fre- 
 quently as })0ssible, had made arrangements to use the vehicle 
 which I had hired for the day as a hack carriage for people 
 attending the Prince's lev6e, and at such momenta as he found 
 himself un watched carried out his project with considerable 
 
 12 
 
186 
 
 hi Til THE riilSCE IN IN J HA. 
 
 enorgy. An unexpected demand, therefore, that he shouUl 
 bend the carriage wheels in the direction of tlie Maichin met 
 with something very like rebellion — a reprehensible state of 
 affairs which it was necescjary to deal with. Reason at length 
 prevailed; the troublesome wor8hipp( • of Siva was persiiadod 
 to do his duty, and an hour's drive brought us to the place 
 where we would be. 
 
 There was no overlooking the workmanlike appearance of the 
 Munipuris; both they and their ponies were ready for any- 
 thijig. These latter were scarcely over 11 hands high, but as 
 strong as lions and as fleet as deer, somewhat shaggy, but undei- 
 extraordinary control. The saddles were broad, and had the 
 fronts turned over in such a way as to give the rider tlu^ 
 strongest possible grip ; the stirrup leathers so short that the 
 knees of the player were actually higher than the top of the 
 saddle. To guard the flanks of the pony, on either side a thick 
 piece of hide, about eighteen inches deep and two feet long, was 
 hung, strongly secured by thongs of leather, and, to give addi- 
 tional protection to the knees of the rider, this hide was also 
 turned round at the endc. For the rest, the trappings of the 
 ponies were very ornate. Woollen rosettes and balls of varied 
 colours hung all round them, giving a pretty effect when the 
 animals were in rapid motion. The men were habited in :i 
 turban tightly fastened on to the head, close-fitting jackets, 
 seven dark and seven light, ornamented with golden si)angle.s. 
 On their legs were thick leather guards, extending a little above 
 their knees. Fastened to their left wi'ists were the thongs of n 
 whip. A short white gown completed their dress. The sticks 
 they carried were about 4ft. Gin. in length, made of the lightest. 
 bamboo, with the cross-piece at the end rather more slantcl 
 than those used at Hurlingham, or, indeed, in Calcutta. Then; 
 were three ridiculously-dressed men for keeping the ground 
 each clad in a long white gown, and a cap with three i)oiuts oi 
 the exact pattern worn by English clowns, and wanting only 
 
roLn.PLAYTXa AND SNAKE-Cn ARMING. 187 
 
 at ho hIiouUI 
 M.iidiin met 
 iail)l(5 Htiito of 
 ison at lenj^'th 
 kras porHuadod 
 I to the i)lace 
 
 learanco of the 
 eady for any- 
 8 high, but as 
 ggy, but under 
 I, and had the 
 the rider th(^ 
 Bhort that the 
 the top of the 
 ler side a thick 
 I feet long, was 
 to give addi- 
 liide was al^o 
 appings of the 
 balls of varied 
 lect when the 
 liabited in a 
 itting jackets, 
 Idcn spangles. 
 y a little above 
 lie thongs of a 
 Is. The sticks 
 of the lightest 
 more slanted 
 Icutta. Then; 
 Ig the ground, 
 hree points ol 
 wanting only 
 
 the IjoIIh lo bo the perfection of uglin<'H.s. Tlie ball used wa« 
 about the size of a crit;ket bull, and was made from the root of 
 the bamboo, being Hubjeeted to a drying proc(>HH lasting over 
 nearly a yoar before fit for use. There were no goal posts ; the 
 area, which was in the form of a parallelogram, was marked 
 out by a deeply-cut line in the gi*ass, over which the players 
 did not hesitate to rush occasional! v, to the discomfiture and 
 terror of on-lookers. 
 
 While all this was being noted, those ir.v^^od were gathering. 
 The Viceroy and his .staff — whether the Prince eventually came 
 I do not know — a few Mahai-ajahs, some American generals 
 who chanced to be in Calcutta, a few officers from the camp, 
 and a carriage or two full of ladies, together with a score or so 
 of gentlemen from Calcutta, compo.sed the spectators. The con- 
 test had been kept secret, in order that the Prince, in case ho 
 might find time to attend, might do so without being mobbed. 
 At hmgth the players range themselves up on two sides, very 
 close to each other, the dark jackets facing the north. The 
 ball is thrown in, and the game begins. We notice that it is 
 caught up and .sent whirling over the heads of the dark jackets. 
 Helter-skelter they go into a terrible rush, the leather Hank 
 guards clattering against the sides of the saddle with a noise 
 like that of small drums, the white ball constantly in the air, 
 but still getting nearer and nearer the goal of the dark jackets. 
 They fight with tremendous bravery, and at one moment rally 
 so strongly as to force their opponents back some yards. But 
 it is only for an instant ; the next sees a white jacket, standing 
 in the stirrups, with his head bent lower than that of his horse, 
 fly past, and then, turning round, swing his arm over the hind- 
 quarters of his pony, and, achieving that most difficult stroke 
 known to polo-playei*s, land the ball in the enemy's goal. 
 
 Back they go at once to the centre of the ground, and again 
 the ball is thrown. This time the struggle is even more 
 exciting, for the ponies liave entered thoroughly into the spirit 
 
 r 
 
' 'msmmmJhnmm 
 
 188 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA 
 
 ' i 
 
 ('(. 
 
 of the game, and require no lashes from the whip-thongs which 
 are on the left wrists of the riders. Indeed, it would go ill 
 with the players if they did ; for, curiously enough the game 
 is almost wholly a left-handed fight, and is won by a left-hand 
 stroke, given by a white jacket again. The friends of the daik 
 jackets are somewhat disheartened this time, and a Calcutta 
 polo-player who is seated on a splendid little pony of about 12 
 hands gives it as his opinion that he could beat " any of those 
 fellows easily." Not so easily, though ; for the next goal and 
 the next are won by them, and now comes the conquering game. 
 I do not think there is a single spectator who is not carried 
 away by the enthusiasm of the moment. The sound of martial 
 music in the camp close at hand ; the red orb of the sun as just 
 before it goes to rest it lights up the open work of a neighbouring 
 church steeple; the palatial houses of Calcutta in the distance; the 
 long lines of green trees which surround the Maidan ; and more 
 than all, the appearance of that little corps of horsemen and their 
 steeds panting alike for excitement and want of breath, all com- 
 bine to give interest to the scene. I could conceive of Mr. Pick, 
 wick himself hazarding a rupee on the chances of the struggle. 
 At last the ball is thrown once more, and before we can get out 
 of the way the ponies are nearly upon us, for the white bamboo- 
 root comes skill tning along over the boundary, and is out. 
 Back it goes again on^^ to meet with a like fate ; and a third 
 ^,11 ao expectation is at its highest. This time the issue is decided. 
 ^\» 'r:;avly five minutes the struggle continues. A great dog 
 :t»8Sies away from its master into the very thick of the fray, and 
 fi^v.v'dlly comes back sadder and wiser. Then the group breaks, 
 .md there is a rush to the white goal which bids fair to succeed ; 
 but unhappily at the supreme moment two green jackets 
 cannon against each other, and roll over on the grass. Though 
 they rise at once, and join in the battle, the ball speeds its way 
 towards the other goal. One desperate effort is made. A 
 white jacket is tearing along in chase of the little sphere, and 
 
 r' . 
 
■■HI 
 
 ■M 
 
 POLO-PLAYING AND SNAKE-CHARMTNG. ]8!) 
 
 about to striko it a final V)low, when l ^ opponent catches him 
 and entangh's his stick in his own. It is useless. Another 
 white jacket is close Vjchind, and with a tremendous cut he 
 sends the ball over the heads of the rivals, and gains the fifth 
 victory. Of course, we applaud this feat, and, as it is rapidly 
 becoming dark, hasten across the grass to congratulate the 
 riders and pat the ponies, which, sti-ange to say, after the 
 stupendous efforts they have made, are still fresh and just as 
 ready as ever to rush into the fight once more. It is too late ; 
 in the distance the trium])hal arches are being lit up ; lights are 
 rapidly extending along the streets. We must return to the 
 city. 
 
 To leave Calcutta without seeing the snakes at the General 
 Hospital would have been an omission of which, at any rate, 
 we could not be guilty. Accordingly it was with great pleasure 
 that I accei)ted an invitation to visit the collection. Bear in 
 mind that no snake-charmer was present, that neither pipe nor 
 whistle was used, that every snake had its poison fangs or 
 teeth in capital order, and that no means save the marvellous 
 skill of the native operators was employed in the exhibition 
 which followed, and you will have a good idea of the peril 
 through which those Hindoos passed. 
 
 It was early in the morning — not, ho^vever, before the 
 snakes, which were in a. series of wire-covered boxes, were 
 awake and lively — that we were shown into a stone-floored 
 room some twenty feet long and twelve broad. In the boxes 
 were the strongest and deadliest snakes in India : pythons, 
 ophiophagi, cobras, korites, Russel snakes, and many others. 
 The Hindoos who had charge of them were two slim, wiry, little 
 men, nude to the waist, as most of their countrymen are. They 
 wore neither gloves nor any other protection, and had no instru- 
 ment of any kind in the place. After showing the v^vried col- 
 lection under their care, they proceeded to open the python 
 cage, and one of them, putting his hand in, seized a monster 
 
 1^ 
 
 i 
 
•••■-"MKlWWUMiKM.* 
 
 190 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 serpent and tlirevr him upon the floor close to our feet. Thi; 
 python objected to such treatment, and began to hiss, making 
 at the same time a vigorous effort to rise. But the snake- 
 keeper was waiting for this, and no sooner did that huge shining 
 back begin to curve than the keeper put out his hand, and 
 seizing the creature's tail, pulled it back with a jerk. Instantly 
 the python was powerless — hissing, but unable to move ; the 
 more he struggled the more tenaciously did the keeper hold his 
 tail, explaining meanwhile that so long as the reptile was con- 
 trolled in that fashion there was no danger of its doing mis- 
 chief ; then, just as its rage was becoming ungovernable, the man 
 lifted it quickly, and with a jerk deposited it in the box. Its 
 companion was now taken out in similar manner, and slapped 
 and buffeted till throughout its entire length, some twelve feet, 
 it quivered with passion, but all to no purpose ; it, too, was pre- 
 sently re})laced in the cage, and shut up to hiss at its leisure. 
 
 The fact that an ophiopbagus is in the Kegent's Park Zoo- 
 logical Gai'dens, rendered the next exhibition more interesting, 
 although it nipy be doubled whether the sudden throwing into 
 so small a rocoi of a snjike seven ihtt long was agreeable t j the 
 visitors. Hew ever, ihevo was really no danger, for the veno- 
 mous creature wr.s ^.o completely in its keeper's power that wc 
 had no occasion foi fear. One bite fron» the reptile, and aii/ 
 one of us would have been dead in fi-^e oiinutes, for it was 
 exceptionally strong and lively; but it was no ::<iore able to biti; 
 us than the little mongoose caged outside the door. Up rose 
 its head, out came its slithering tongue, its eyes dilated, its 
 huge throat swelled, and all seemed ready for a desperate 
 attack, when the keeper struck the reptile's mouth with the 
 back of his hand, and, before it could stride him, had seized it 
 just under the head. Then it struggled, but only to get away 
 — it had met that native before, and did not at all approve of his 
 treatment. The other native now seized its centre and tail. 
 and, without more ado, the terrible creature was hoisted into 
 
 M. 
 
■Ml 
 
 ur foet. The 
 hiss, making 
 ut the snakc- 
 b huge shining 
 liis hand, and 
 L-k. Instantly 
 to move ; the 
 eeper hold his 
 jptile was con- 
 its doing mis- 
 nable, the man 
 the box. Its 
 r, and slapped 
 ae twelve feet, 
 t, too, was pre- 
 \,t its leisure, 
 it's Park Zoo- 
 )re interesting, 
 throwing into 
 greeable to the 
 for the veno- 
 power that wo 
 )tile, and any 
 Crf, for it Nvas 
 jre able to bite 
 oor. Up rose 
 ^es dilated, its 
 r a desperate 
 outh with the 
 , had seized it 
 y to get away 
 approve of his 
 ntre and tail. 
 ,s hoiste«i int" 
 
 .1 
 
 M 
 
 POLO-FLAYING AND SNAKECHAEMING. 1«J1 
 
 the air as harmless as a butterfly, and its fangs exposed by the 
 aid of a small piece of wire. Those teeth were literally full of 
 poison — enough to have killed a dozen persons. At length, 
 our curiosity satisfied, this monster was put into his cage, and 
 his brother plucked out by the naked native, with the hand, 
 and thrown on the flodr. He, too, was truculent for a minute, 
 endeavouring to follow the unpantalooned Hindoo round the 
 room ; but he had reckoned without his host, or rather his 
 keeper, for he was seized presently by the tail and hoisted up 
 just as the other had been. In vain he hissed and f]pat. H1& 
 tongue might move in and out as often as it ;:»!eased, but all 1,0 
 no purpose ; whether on the floor or in the air its etiforts to biic 
 were perfectly unavailing^ and when i,he cage was opened it 
 slunk in, a disconcerted ser;jent. 
 
 A cobra was the next to be \:urned odt, a strong, healthy 
 snake, nearly five feet in length, with a hood the power of mov- 
 ing which somewhat at.p.rtled us. But move as it might, the 
 ftgile native was loo quick for it. He would put his knee 
 within a ■bo': oi it, as it stood up ready to strike, and it would 
 make a dart Mi futile, however, as it was sudden. Then it 
 would hiss, as though hoping to frighten its adversary; it might 
 as well have hissed at the wall. And, just when it had got up 
 again, and was so enraged that it could scarcely wait for a good 
 op})ortunity to strike at the native's knee, which was moving 
 before it in a most tantalizing manner, the keeper's hand was 
 quietly placed under its head, and it was removed like its pre- 
 decessors. "Will it bite?" I asked. "See," said the native. 
 Taking up a piece of bamboo stretched across a shell, he held 
 the wood to the serpent's mouth. Instantly the reptile seized 
 the proflered bait, its eyes glistening, its neck distended, and 
 crunched the wood as though it wiis tinder. Two or three 
 moments elapsed as the teeth penetrated further into the fibre, 
 and then we saw the poison falling in white drops into the 
 shell, which acted as a kind of saucer. I was particular in 
 
3IB(»!«S5(U„;ibaj* Mrr-lrmi i.i .. 
 
 ! i 
 
 i 
 
 .1 
 ■'I 
 
 ■1| 
 
 1^ !;l 
 
 Ct 
 
 I.i 
 
 192 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 noticing two points in regard to this incident : first, that the 
 poison did not come from the fangs immediately the bite was 
 inflicted — a fact which will account for the mongoose living 
 sometimes after he is bitten by the cobra; and, next, that the 
 quantity of yenom emitted was much greater than is generally 
 supposed. There were five or six large white drops in the shell, 
 and probably one or two absorbed in the bamboo. When forced 
 to surrender the wood the serpent seemed by no means ex- 
 hausted ; the fibre was much torn, for the teeth had penetrated 
 nearly a quarter of an inch. 
 
 For all that, I should mention that when presently another 
 
 cobra equally large was examined, it was shown that the teeth 
 
 were set back some distance in the head, and that tliey were by 
 
 no means so large as those of a viper which was shown after- 
 
 wards, and which was so quick in its movements that it had to 
 
 be lifted out of its box by means of a hooked stick. Cobras 
 
 and opliiophagi might be seized by the hand, but not so this 
 
 huge viper, which made such desperate attempts to strike one 
 
 or two of us, that we were by no means sorry when the keeper 
 
 seized him by the neck and tail and opened his mouth. His 
 
 fangs were undoubtedly large — larger than the cobra's by one 
 
 half, and very strong. They must have contained a great 
 
 quantity of venom. However, he was not invited to try them, 
 
 and by the time he got back into his box, was, I think, heartily 
 
 tired of the exhibition. A Russell snake, with a golden spotted 
 
 back, was the next on the floor, and it hissed violently, but was 
 
 taken up just as easily as the others after it had been provoked 
 
 to a great rage for several minutes. A korite, proverbially 
 
 deadly, had been played so many tricks before that it was slow 
 
 to take part in the fun. Once or twice it struck viciously at 
 
 the keeper, but without any effect, ard at last ceased \;o make 
 
 any effort to bite the Hindoo. There was no need to play a 
 
 pipe or tom-tom to awe that snake. It was only too glad to get 
 
 away into his blanket and box again. 
 
■H 
 
 'st, that the 
 ;he bite was 
 goose living 
 ixt, that the 
 is generally 
 in the shell, 
 When forced 
 ) means ex- 
 d penetrated 
 
 ntly another 
 [lat the teeth 
 bliey were by 
 shown after- 
 hat it had to 
 ick. Cobras 
 t not so this 
 to strike one 
 m the keeper 
 nouth. His 
 3ra's by one 
 ned a great 
 ;o try them, 
 ink, heartily 
 )lden spotted 
 itly, but was 
 en provoked 
 proverbially 
 it was slow 
 viciously at 
 ,sed \.o make 
 jed to play a 
 o glad to get 
 
 ji 
 
 POLO-PLAYING AND SNAKE-CHARMING. 19:^ 
 
 The exhibition was ended by the showing a biscobra, or small 
 guava. Wlmt cared we for a wretched snake-charmer, who, 
 with a few serpents whose fangs had been abstracted, a lot of pipes 
 and charming sticks, and all kinds of pro:,ections, waited out- 
 side, and offered to give us an entertainment ? After such an 
 exhibition as we had witnessed the cleverest snake-charmer was 
 the merest impostor. Passing across the grounds, a valuable 
 piece of information was given us. Chained to a wall was a 
 pariah dog, with a severe wound on one of its legs. This animal, 
 we were informed, had been experimented upon by Dr. Wall 
 with wonderful success ; a large quantity of cobra poison had 
 been injected under its skin, and yet it had been recovered by an 
 antidote which Dr. Wall is said to have discovered. More may 
 probably be heard of this. In the hospital visitors' book was a 
 note in the writing of the Prince : " I am very much pleased 
 with the hospital, which I find in good order, and well venti- 
 lated. Albert Edward, Jan. 1.," — the signature of the Duke 
 of Sutherland being also appended. A little lower down was a 
 similar certificate from Dr. Fayrer. The hospital certainly 
 deserves the highest encomium. 
 
} 
 
 fiitiiimsmaiamiimitiiil^ 
 
 •mm 
 
 I ■ 
 
 
 ri 
 
 h"; 
 
 ■H 
 
 CHAPTEIt XVIII. 
 
 A CAPTIVE KING. 
 
 Wajid Alee, ex-King of Oude, is too well known in history 
 to need much description ; but of what sort is the Royal 
 prison in which he is now confined very few out of the pre- 
 cincts of Calcutta appear to have any idea ; and it was with 
 this impression that I accepted the kind permission of Colonel 
 Mowbray Thompson to visit the residence of the ex-King. 
 
 A drive of nearly an hour by the side of the Hooghly brought 
 me to an imposing gateway, guai led by troops. Not English 
 soldiers, mark, nor, indeed, sepoys in English pay, but men 
 belonging to his ex-Majesty of Oude, of the same type and 
 costume as those good fellows who committed the butcheries 
 at Cawnpore and elsewhere. However, they were undoubtedly 
 civil, and I was quickly admitted to what at first sight ap 
 peared to be an admirably designed garden. I think it is Miss 
 Carpenter who advocates the plan of endeavouring to reform 
 criminals by making delightful residences of gaols. If her 
 theory is right, Wajid Alee should certainly be reformed by 
 this time, for a more lovely succession of groves, parterres, 
 miniature park-like plots of grass and pleasant terraces I have 
 never seen. And what was more astonishing still to me was 
 to discover in these grounds a zoological collection surpassing 
 in many respects the grand menagerie in Regent's Park. At 
 first the prospect, however, was forgotten for a moment in the 
 contemplation of one of those extraordinary pictures for which 
 India is famous. Hung in a large window iu such a manner 
 that all its beauty, or rather ugliness, should burst upon the 
 spectator at once, this vvoii(h>ii'ul daub portrayed a battle-pieci-. 
 
A CAPTIVE KINO. 
 
 105 
 
 n in history 
 the Royal 
 of the pre- 
 it was with 
 a of Colonel 
 x-King. 
 ghly brought 
 Not English 
 ij, but men 
 ae type and 
 butcheries 
 undoubtedly 
 rst sight ap- 
 nk it is Miss 
 ng to reform 
 lols. If her 
 reformed by 
 s, parterres, 
 races I have 
 11 to me was 
 surpassing 
 Park. At 
 oment in the 
 es for whicli 
 ch a mannei 
 st upon the 
 battle-pieci'. 
 
 of whick Uio locale might perhaps bo the Crimea. One thing 
 was charming about the object, and only one — its absolute im- 
 partiaiity. A Russian officer, with a lobster-coloured face, was 
 cutting down a French soldier ; while an English infantryman 
 was bayoneting in the most satisfactory manner a Russian who 
 had injudiciously planted his back against the side of a gun. 
 I think the light might be described as ending in the defeat of 
 the French by the Russians and the rout of the Russians by 
 the English, which doubtless appeared the most satisfactory 
 result of the struggle to the artist engaged. 
 
 A step more, and the celebrated pigeons of the ex-King were 
 in full view. I do not wonder at their being famous ; you in 
 England have no idea of what Wajid Alee has achieved. It 
 would be no exaggeration to say that many scores of varieties, 
 most of th(!m surpassingly beautiful, appear in every direction. 
 I am not an ornithologist — I do not know the name of a single 
 pigeon ; yet my uninstructed eye was delighted with the success 
 of the Royal breeder. If he did not succeed as a potentate, it 
 was because he was accidentally placed in a position for which 
 nature did not intend him. He should have been a gentleman 
 of moderate means residing somewhere in the South of Eng- 
 land; his skill and his patience would have astonished his rivals; 
 he would have gained prizes everywhere, and everybody would 
 have united to praise him. He was unfortunately a King, 
 and all his excellencies are forgotten in the one fact that 
 he was a Royal failure. He is as fond of the birds as ever, 
 and here, in the centre of the garden set apart for them, has a 
 pretty little bungalow, furnished in Oriental fashion, with a 
 couch ut each window, on which he can recline and look at the 
 pets that brought him into trouble. There are not many men 
 who, if they lost a kingdom for the sake of pigeon-breeding, 
 would take great pleasure in that particular hobby afterwards. 
 Thus thinking, we passed into another garden, walled in, and 
 in its centre boasting of a marble tank of extraordinary dimen- 
 
 
( ; 
 
 I 
 
 ' it ' - 
 
 fi 
 
 l .' 
 
 !.:• .; 
 
 
 I 
 
 .' ':)''. 
 
 11)0 
 
 ^r/Ti/ Tifi; PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 sions. I sliouhl say, roughly speaking, that it is a hundred and 
 iifty yards s(i[uare ; it is very deep, the water is clear, and on 
 itc surface and at its sides are ducks r.nd fowl of all kinds. 
 Scores of pelicans, divers, teal, swans, curious ducks with won- 
 derful i)lunuige, storks, cranes, and peacocks wander all over 
 the garden or go to the tank as they please. They are in no 
 confined cage, cramped up in a space of twenty feet square as 
 in London, but roam all about the delightful square in the 
 bright sunshine, chirping, cackling, hissing, and chattering, and 
 withal as hapi)y as though all the world was before them. 
 Here and there an unruly one is confined in a large pagoda-like 
 cage till he learns to do well ; but these moral lessons do not 
 api)ear to be often needed, for there are only some twenty 
 ne'er-do-wells in custody. Perhaps the prisoner of Oude is 
 tender to evil-doers. 
 
 Our next step was into another walled-off space which is 
 even more notewortxiy. Here there are several large tanks, 
 trees of abundant foliage offer opportunities of shade, and lux- 
 uriant climbing plants cover the sides of the enclosure. Here 
 are buffaloes, goats, deer, and almost every species of herbivor- 
 ous animal in nature, and the larger birds as well. As you 
 stand under a tree you may be gently brushed by the feathers 
 of a passing ostrich, who winks at you confidentially as he 
 makes his way to a choice box of food he sees at a little dis- 
 tance, and which a cousin for whom it was brought has not 
 noticed yet ; or you may be prodded in the back by the horn 
 of a sacred bull as he hints to you the necessity of getting out 
 of his way. Indeed, if you would avoid having to beg the par- 
 don of a resident bird or beast, you must be careful not to walk 
 about quickly, for they are all around you, and, as the weather 
 is exceedingly pleasant, are apparently taking a "constitutional" 
 preparatory to the afternoon dinner. It is a grand idea of the 
 ex-King to give his mute subjects so much liberty ; human 
 beings would not have had the same amount had the mutiny 
 
 j tilii 
 
A CAPTIVE KING. 
 
 197 
 
 succoedctl anil he irinained at Lucknow. But that is a detail 
 into which we need not enquire too deeply. Less fortunate 
 are the ferie which are in an adjoining enclosure. It clearly 
 would be a mistake to let half-a-dozen energetic panthers, or a 
 leopard or two, loose in any garden, particularly if visitors 
 were invited to enter promiscuously. I saw a couple of chee- 
 tahs in a cage who would soon clear the place of its attendants 
 — three Rajahs, who, in purple and gold, we. a seated comfort- 
 ably under an arbour, and a Hindoo gentlemen, who was 
 a])parently engaged in worshipping the sacred Beble tree. Of 
 tigers, there are, singularly enough, none ; the two that were 
 here have just died ; but there is a pair of wolves who would 
 do nearly as much mischief if turned loose, and, fastened under 
 a tree by a strong iron chain, is an enormous stag, with antlers 
 nearly two yards long, who would be only too happy to be lib- 
 erated for a raome.t; indeed, he made several attempts to 
 reach the Hindoo gentleman, but fortunately failed. Of jackals, 
 too, there are some good specimens, but that is a superfluity, 
 for you can see as many as you wish any night in the less-fre- 
 quented streets of Calcutta, and will certainly be awakened by 
 them unless you live in the busiest part of the city. Hyenas 
 and foxes, porcupines, and many other uncomfortable animals, 
 from the lion to the mongoose, are here, and, if this collection 
 is not so large as the other, its deficiencies are more than com- 
 pensated for by what we next see. 
 
 In the centre of another garden, beautifully laid out, and 
 superior in point of style to most of those in England or France, 
 there is a structure of singular description. In form at a short 
 distance it looks like a magnified ant-hill, in three conical 
 portions, and the fact that its sides are full of round holes confirms 
 for a moment the suspicion that it has been produced by some 
 huge insects, and must now be their abode. But it is nothing 
 of the sort. Constructed with enormous care, this extraordinary 
 building is seen on closer inspection to be the work of liuman 
 

 r' 
 
 
 1 ■!" 
 
 t|j 
 
 •^ 
 
 
 198 
 
 Wrni THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 liandH. ItH baso is fixed in ji Ini'cfo sr(uaro woll, and is surroundod 
 by water ; you noto, too, that tlio sidoa of the excavation arcli 
 inward, as thougli to prevent tlie eacajje of Honiething or other, 
 but of what it is not very clear. All over these cones, which 
 rise to a height of about thirty feet, and are more than six times 
 that distance in circumference, are little spikes of iron ; the 
 holes are about three inches in diameter, and are very numerous. 
 While we are wondering what can be the use of this building, 
 our eyes light on a couple of big cages in the centre, looking 
 into which we descry two of the largest pyth.ons ever caj)tured. 
 At a rough guess they must be thirty or forty feet long, and 
 their bulk is tremendous. We at once divine that the structure 
 is a snake-house, and, looking up again, remark that in almost 
 every hole the head of a snake may be seen. While we watch, 
 too, a long cobra slowly emerges into the sunlight, clasps one of 
 the iron spikes by its tail, and so swings himself into an opening 
 a little lower down. Every minute, too, serpents are to be 
 seen moving in and out as though they are engaged in morning 
 calls or shopping. It is by no means a pleasant idea that 
 creeps over us just then. What if that arched wall and narrow- 
 stream of water failed to suffice for the imprisonment of these 
 animals ? There are five hundred of them in all, of which I 
 learn that half are venomous, and they all look strong and 
 healthy enough when two men come up with some baskets of 
 frogs, and throw the chirping struggling creatures to the snakes. 
 Out rushes every member of the colony, and, for a few moments 
 the frogs have a very uncomfortable time. Soma of them are 
 seized by two serpents at once, and are rent in halves forthwith ; 
 some are bolted before they have time to jump an inch, and all 
 of them are disposed of in ten minutes. Then the snakes go 
 back to their holes, some pieces of meat are given to the pythons, 
 and you move away. Not out of the gardens yet, however, for 
 we must first of all go through an immense series of huge cages, 
 full of small birds of lovely and varied plumage, and pu.sl 
 
A CAPTIVE KING. 
 
 109 
 
 anothor of tho six rcHidoncoa bcloncjinpj to tho Muhanijuh. 
 TliciP is little here, liowovoi, clmt wo do not see in ovory rich 
 Hindoo's liouHo; scorns of Hhillin^MJcrnmn-nmnufacturpd coIouhmI 
 prints ropresontinf? ^irls aniokinf:^ cif^arottcs, the Madonna and 
 Child, tho Kniperor Willinin, and Touton farmers and dairy- 
 maids ; a collection of chandeliers, such as wouhl fill a large 
 shop, and a ,u;roat number of couches. Gubbins, in his 
 " Mutinies of Oudo," says that Wajid Ah^o was a man of con- 
 Hidernl)i(' taste. If that is so, he must have left tho furnishing 
 of his domiciilo to some such genius as ho who decorated the 
 palaces of the Guicowar of Baroda. Tho gardens, the zoological 
 collection, tho bungalows themselves, are well-nigh enchanting; 
 and we are careful not to lose so pleasant an impression by a 
 prolonged inspection of the interior of tho habitations. In such 
 a mood we pass once more tJirough the gateway, leaving tho ex- 
 JCing of Oude alone in his glory. 
 
 |i 
 
f 
 
 .. 
 
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 LIFE IN CALCUTTA. 
 
 It lias been properly remarked that a ball is a ball all the 
 world over. There is the eternal quadrille to begin with ; you 
 are sure to waltz, galop, and polka; and although now and then 
 the air may be difl'erent, the measure is the same, and such a 
 thing as a new kind of dance seems unknown to the polish<;d 
 floor of conventional society. For this reason it is absolutely 
 unnecessary to describe at any length the ball which was given 
 at Government House, Calcutta. That the Prince danced 
 heartily and laughed merrily, that there was a tremendous 
 crush in ball-room and supper-room alike, and that the tune of 
 " We won't go home till morning " might have been appro- 
 priately hummed by everybody present, is all that need be said. 
 But a garden party at Calcutta is a diflerent thing from an 
 English yj'/e champetre. At a garden party at home you have 
 the same pathways to traverse, the same flower-beds to admire, 
 the same people to converse with, the same tent for champagne 
 and ice, time after time ; the same band plays the same tunes ; 
 you g'" at the same hour and you leave at the same moment ; 
 there s nothing fresh except the breeze, which makes a garden 
 party pleasant. In India all this is reversed. Let us x-epair 
 to Belvedere, the residence of Sir Richard Temple, Lieutenant 
 Governor of the Bengal Presidency. 
 
 Unless you have been in an Indian equestrian crowd before, 
 your patience will be sorely tried. Oriental imperturbability 
 may not be yours, any more than it belongs to an artillery 
 officer who is close to us, and who is just now yelling at his 
 driver. A thousand vehicles of all kinds are jammed togethcM- 
 
LIFE IN CALCUTTA 
 
 201 
 
 ^ball all the 
 in with ; you 
 now and then 
 3, and such a 
 the poUshe«l 
 is absolutely 
 ich was given 
 *rinco danced 
 a tremendous 
 at the tune of 
 been appro- 
 need be said, 
 hing from an 
 )me you have 
 ids to admire, 
 or champagne 
 3 same tunes ; 
 ime moment; 
 akes a garden 
 Let u8 x-epair 
 e, Lieutenant 
 
 crowd before, 
 
 jerturbability 
 
 an artillery 
 
 [yelling at his 
 
 limed together 
 
 in a very narrow road, and can only niovo over the ground at a 
 snail's pace. E\«'n the Maharajah of Ucnaros, all unused as he 
 is to being stopjjod anywhere, sees that it is usohiss to storm, 
 and, leaning hark, lets a honign .smile play upon his counten- 
 ance. He knows Sir Salur Jung is a good forty feet ahead of 
 him, and will get the best seat in the gardens without fail, yet 
 he never fuujes nor frowns. Very dillerently does a particularly 
 fat Jbijah in a very small gig behave. Tlie gentleman who has 
 the honour of ilriving his horses has a sore back, I trow, by this 
 time ; the JIajah's stick has been by no means idle for the last 
 live minutes. I do not see the Maharajah of Cashmere, how- 
 ever, although he is yet a great distance from the gate, confer- 
 ring any such di.^tiuction upon anybody. He is ajparr ntly 
 only too delight«'(l with the novelty of the scene to wish to be 
 out of it for a moment ; and the three stout sons of Jung Baha- 
 door are modc^ls of patient bearing. Not so a civilian official 
 in the next carriage to us, who is in a frenzy of fear lest he 
 shall miss the opportunity of displaying himself. If he could 
 see himself as others see him, he might perchance sit down 
 quietly ; as it is, he gesticulates as violently as though he were 
 entl(;uvouring to addiess a noisy constituency from a very high 
 hustings. However, he is kei)t in countenance by a hundred 
 others who are behaving in i)retty much the same manner, and 
 one only wishes that a photogiaph could be taken of fashionable 
 Calcutta going to Sir Richard Temple's garden party. At last 
 the gateway is reached, a ticket is given your carriage — which, 
 by the way, you see no more — and you pass over a carpeted 
 walk on to a grass plateau. Possibly after three hours spent in 
 gaining the gardens, the lefreshment tent, which is pretty much 
 like what one would see in England, offers most attraction, were 
 it not that the sound of the tom-tom is heard. It is certain to 
 be the accomijaniment of some entertainment ; the soui d of a 
 gong in a well-ordered house no more sui-ely betokens dinner 
 than does the noise of the black man's thumb and fingers on the 
 
 13 
 
r'': 
 
 :, 
 
 : \ 
 
 . M' 
 
 I -f 
 
 , I 
 
 ii Hi 
 
 I 'I' 
 
 202 
 
 mTJI THE PlilXCE IN INDIA. 
 
 tightly-drawn parchment, performances more or less amusing. 
 Besides, yonder wide ciicle of peoi)le, all craning their necks 
 forward, betokens what the vulgar would call " high jinks.' 
 Jinks, indeed, they are too — pretty much such as one would ex- 
 pect to see were the inmates of Dante's Inferno giving a holi- 
 day, and urged to lose no time but be merry. 
 
 At a moment when we enter the crowd, about a dozen of th(^ 
 most hideously-arrayed natives are engaged in a dance. To 
 dance before the I'rince — who, by the way is seated on one side 
 of the enclosure, with the Viceroy, the Governor of Ceylon, 
 Miss Bai'ing, and a host of Maharajahs on one hand or the other 
 — Sir Richard Temple has forty or fifty men and women, not 
 ail attired exactly alike, but varying their costume according to 
 their individual taste. Some wear their hair very long, reach- 
 ing down to their waists, and adequately supplied with the 
 stickiest of mud ; others are cropped as closely as though tlie 
 whole i^eriod of their dubious lives had been past in a convict 
 prison. Some bind their foreheads with rings of metal, others 
 wear an arrangement of coloured feathers that would move an 
 Ojibbeway to a paroxysm of envy. In the matter of paint- 
 ing, too, they are not guided by any hard and fast social line, 
 but are allowed to be as artistic and prodigal of paint as they 
 please, which also produces an eft'ect all its own. The weapons 
 differ as widely as the attire ; some have bows and arrows, some 
 swords of a cumbersome and ugly pattern ; others again hide a 
 club behind their backs, or clasp the handles of small daggers. 
 In facial expression, however, they are very much alike ; they 
 come from the hills of Assam, and are therefore Mongolians, 
 though not of pure blood. We hear various bystanders be- 
 stowing upon them all kinds of technical names ; but as those 
 authorities differ amongst themselves, and are moreover not at 
 all likely to be riglit, we leave that detail and watch the diincc. 
 We are told that the twelve fellows who are now jumping 
 about in front of the Prince uie illustrating" their mode of at- 
 
LTFE IN CALCUTTA. 
 
 2():\ 
 
 less amusing, 
 tier thoiv nocks 
 
 '' high jinks." 
 ; one wouhl e.\- 
 
 giving a holi- 
 
 b a dozen of tlio 
 a dance. To 
 ited on one side 
 nor of Ceylon, 
 md or the othor 
 md women, not 
 me according to 
 ery long, reacli- 
 iplied with the 
 f as though tlie 
 ast in a convict 
 of metal, others 
 would move an 
 natter of paii\t- 
 fast social line, 
 3f paint as they 
 The weapons 
 nd arrows, some 
 ers again hide a 
 small daggers. 
 uch alike ; they 
 ore Mongolians, 
 bystanders ho- 
 es ; but as these 
 moreover not at 
 vatch the dance, 
 •e now jumping- 
 leir mode of »<t- 
 
 ^;' 
 
 tcini)ting to avoid the arrows of their enemies. Thoy could not 
 make more ugly contortions of face or body if tluu? enemies' 
 arrows hit tliem. Wlien tliey move off, they are re})laced by 
 some of tlieir musical kinsfolk, who pipe and tom-tom for five 
 minutes, and then are induced to pack up and begone, only to 
 be followed, however, by four other musicians who come u}) 
 with ii kind of tliree-string(?d fiddle and scra})e away with great 
 (iKM'gy. They, too, have leave to retire, whereupon another 
 posse of savag(\s hop into the ring, and are beginning to <lance, 
 \\\uni the Prince, alwa}.' patient, but now very tiied, rises, and, 
 leading the way to the refreshment tent, stops the performance. 
 Night is coming on, the sun is down ; and all around us, light- 
 ing up the Lieutenant-Governor's mansion, his trees, his ponds, 
 and his gravel-walks, are almost innumerable oil-lamps. It is 
 a hap[)y finish to the spectacle in the ring ; and though we may 
 have to wait hours for our carriage, or possibly walk home five 
 or six miles in consequence of not finding it, there can be no 
 doubt that Sir Richard Temple's garden party has been a 
 novelty and a success. 
 
 Whatever else is missed, native entertainments given to the 
 Prince must be attf^ided. With a feeling of this sort I quitted 
 a dinner table at which sat the most genial of company, to pene- 
 trate the native town and to discover the place known as Bel- 
 gatchia Villa. Its history alone — printed on a large sheet of 
 j)aper — could not have warranted any extraordinary effort, 
 although to a native the record was doubtles flattering. The 
 place had at one time belonged to a gentleman with the name 
 the spelling and i»ronunciation of which might take rank as a 
 puzzle, who once had the honour of entertaining Lord Auckland. 
 To please this excellent native, the kindly Governor-Ueneral 
 went, it ai)pears, in a grand style, " making," to quote an extant 
 1 tter of his sister, "all the noise we could;" and, as such 
 another trij) to the Belgatchia Villa would please the natives 
 exceedingly, the Prince deLciniiued to go to the fete. 
 
 1 1 
 
 H 
 
ihi 
 
 \ 
 
 * ^ Wfc if 
 
 '2{H 
 
 11/77/ 77//.; /7>7,V<7<; / ,v ixniA. 
 
 TIkmc is a gre.'il <I('mI in jm M(lrMrli\(> prou^nnnmo. TIimI 
 issiKMl by \\\o u\i\u:\iX('VH oC iho iVlc w.ih nneonimonly tiHijicHvo. 
 A |»r('S(MW wMs <o 1)(' lUMili' io llir I'rimM' . lii^ IJoviil IIjj^Iiucmm 
 WMs <(> he " 1>1«^mm(m1" ii\ m .l;t|Mr N'tvlic MmmItm \vI|!|((M pi- 1 |i;i( 
 juiuhi Ix* -l»v <ln(M' \"('(lio mIuiIcmIm; m ^onllcnum wlio r.'ilird 
 hiiusi'ir r.'mdii S,H v.n imIm SMmMMWMiui. Iind promiMcd (o ili.inl 
 M hymn ; Wnxv u:\\\\o Mn\M<(Mn-H h.'ul \ (>l\int('(M<Ml lo sinii: •'' nvcI 
 0(MU(» soi\!4; i'^ UcMiijMli ; m nMiive innsticMl conpcri wah (l()\\n ^^\\ 
 Uu^lisl. iydov \vlii«'li <h(> HmIoo Kully l*ri»Mino l»Mnii(MJ('(> w.im 
 («> play on <\V(Hhi((>s mI on*'** hv hlowiuij. noi with hi.s nioulh. 
 l>ni witli his ncn^k. Mnd nnolhor j;(Mi(hMnnn. nMniod <u)|);ii 
 ("hnoKiMhnKy. wms (o siiio; m sonLj. 1 ho|>(> I Hhiill n('\(>r hen 
 (^hni'U(M'hii<iy sins^,' Mny nioro. A Irio on (hi* siliu- wmm jmo 
 nuso«l hy <hr(M» oIIum- nM<i\o ins(rnnu>n<.MlisiM ; m N.'Uilch djinro. 
 i\ s\i]>]VM". :\\\d \\vo\\o\'\:s wovo nior«'ov(M' Munounood. 
 
 Vo h«\'U' (ho ninsio. .nul so(^ ilu^ Prinoo. notnly two thonsMnd 
 nalivos li!\d nsscMuhh^l. in m Itnll hnih (^xpi'ossly loriho |Mir|)oso. 
 nonr (ho vill.'i. nonrly (wo h«nn's h«»(oro (In^ nnivMl ol' iUo rrinco. 
 Tho ;\|>:\v(nion( i(s(^ll' \V(>uhl hoin* sonu* ins|H>o(ion, \vi(h i(s Idiio 
 s(;vr-s]>nn!;lod roo\\ :ind i(s <:]"«'on s(;ir spMnijlod pillMrs. 'IMic 
 :\rnuiiivnion( ot' (lio \\\two was a li((h^ jjoonliar ioo. Vor (lio 
 IVinoi^ a (hron(\ widi (wo oliairs on «M(hor si(h\ was placcil 
 widi (iors «•»(' soa(s hohinci. risinu" on(» abovo ano(hor. in((>ndi(l 
 (ov (ho iiso i">f {ho Prinoi^'s sui((\ Facini; iho oar|)o(od n^anii^w.iv 
 wliioh \od to liio (liron(\ and was no( vorv wi(U\ W(M'(> iho sonfs, 
 in oqnal nnnibors on (\'ioh siili\ whiM'oon visi(t>rs sat. 'I ikmo 
 was no pla((orni. no raisoii dais tor tlio iHM'ibnnors— simply tln> 
 padiway ; (h(^ r«'snl( boinsi <li''^*^ ^^^ ^ho ])oi'tormanoo itsolt' soarcolN 
 anybody but tho Prinoo and liis attonchauts saw any thins;. L»ing 
 botoro tlio ontovtainmont bo<::;an thoro was a ffvoat oxoitonuMit 
 amonji^^t tho manaiiors. Baboos wore llittina: about liithov and 
 thitlior. as though tlioy had to maroli up and down tho hall •\ 
 otM't.ain number of tiuu\s botoro tho l"*rinoo arrived, and wimv 
 al'raid their task would scarcely be comploteil. ]Mor(» objec(iou- 
 
 
•stfMMMlll 
 
 Lirh: /;V (\iL(nJTTA. 
 
 201 
 
 inniMV TIimI 
 Iv iillriH'l iv(>. 
 Mil Hii!;lm(>MM 
 rhnlcvtM- ili.'H 
 M who ciiIKmI 
 liwcd lo <'li;ml 
 lo Hinu: M \v«>l 
 
 WMM down on 
 '.!innorj»M< \v;i'i 
 1 1) liis nionlli. 
 nMnu'tl ({oitnl 
 ill nov(>r Im'io 
 ^ilur WMH |>fo 
 Niinlch (l:nut\ 
 .1. 
 
 two <lionsMntl 
 >r iho |»in)>(>s(\ 
 
 ol' lln^ Trint'o. 
 
 I. will) its l»lnt' 
 
 jnllMi's. Tlio 
 
 too. l*'o<" <li'' 
 . wMs placctl, 
 lior. intcnditl 
 m^\k\\ ofMnijfwMV 
 ,-on> llu» soMts, 
 s sat. 'liuMv 
 s--sini]>]y tlu' 
 itsoU" so!>r»H"l_\ 
 lything. l^-ing 
 :\t oxcitoniont 
 out hithor iuul 
 u ll»o hall ;i 
 ived, and ^VlMV 
 loro objoction- 
 
 vv 
 
 w 
 
 iil»I(», |M>rha|»M, Ihan their (M)iitinuiil inovcMncnt, wiix it ronMtnu', 
 dionini,' sonnd, which |M'iM'lnit(Ml tho hiiihlin^', nnd l.old of 
 
 Mahoos nn I inHtinincnlaiiHlH rola'aiHin^ ihcir uhihic. vVmh iI. (ho 
 dian MnhnioMd who (hdiLddod in t.ho uo'iho of fiddh'-t,nidn;^'< 
 
 HI 
 
 lie would hav<> hccn rnchantod with the prcpaiid.ionH of our 
 Hindoo niiiHiriaiiH. Wo, whoso (aHloH woio not, thim ofinciitod, 
 wor(* less |»IoM,sod. 
 
 A(. l('ni,dh tin* IM'inoo's aiiival wmh hcnildo*! hy a riinl'aro of 
 hnni|t("ls ontHidc ; wo ronid lioai" an orchii- given to iho Sikh 
 regiment, drawn n|> at the door, to |)res(^id. arniH, and thcui in 
 t'Mnie th(> rrince. h'adini^ MiwH I'aiing, and lollowod l)y the 
 Viceroy, Sir Willuon (»re:;ory, and most of tlio niinoi' ineniWfirH 
 oi' his snile. Th(^ Duke of Sntherhin<l came hiter. You may 
 now spend a nionuMit in h)okin/if at the atidioncc. Yondor Ih 
 Sir llichai'd Temple in a cock«'d liat and foathcn'H of wondoH'nl 
 diniensionH, just .such a hat, in fact, an an ahhiiinan nii^^ht vi(!W 
 with envy ; hard hy \h tho desocnidant of Tippoo Sahil>, with a 
 sort of liUtina'an liat on h'm lioa<l, but a drcsH an uidik(! that of 
 tlio sober-minded (Jerman roformor a.s may well bo. Still that 
 solemn face and that V(;lvefc cap cannot bo disassociated from 
 tlie itlca. It is Luthor still; but Luthor goinj,' to races or a. 
 ball. I To would l»av(^ boon the last nuui in the world to wear 
 cloth of L,'old inacliurch, whatever his J*rotestant follow(Ms may 
 do nowadays. And then, seated (piite with a crowd— it is a 
 very fashionable, albeit native crowd — is the Maharajah of 
 Jhoend ; an ancient gentleman, with a long beanl, who delights 
 in a golden turban and a white dicss. He is not alone in Jiis 
 [)rincely glory ; for there arc at least twciity of liis compcjers 
 hero ; the JNtaliarajah of Travancore is not twenty i'vA'X away, 
 and his Highness of (^islimere is close by, smiling as ph-asantly 
 as ever. I fancy the ag(Ml chieftain of lienares is, aftei- all, tlio 
 haj)piost. How he rul)s his hands, and peers through his 
 spectacles at all that is going on around him. I verily believe 
 that even the Jiaboos, who are hopping past us every moment, 
 
 i 
 
 If 
 
 iio 
 
 I 
 
'!; i:' 
 
 206 
 
 IVITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 and wliose claim to be elected to the Wiinderers' Club should 
 bo incontestable, please him. Why should ho not enjoy it all 1 
 Time, which has dealt kindly with him, cannot long continue 
 its favours. In looking at his happy face one almost forgets 
 the banging and cracking that are going on outdoors. When 
 the Prince visited Kandy, gallant Captain Byrde, who had no 
 cannon, and could not bear the idea of receiving a Prince with- 
 out a Royal salute, manufactured twenty-one bamboo guns, 
 and, tilling them with powder, burst them one after another in 
 honour of the Royal traveller. So, too, at Baroda Station, the 
 tratUc superintendent, also a man of resource, laid fog signals 
 on the line over which the Royal train ran, and thus caused 
 sutiicient noise to satisfy the most exigeant. Outside the hall 
 to-night they are doing something of the sort, and the delighted 
 countenances of the managers show that the noise is quite 
 equalling their most sanguine anticipations. Inside, just in 
 front of the Prince, the three Vedic students are going througli 
 their " blessing," an edifying process, of which we cannot catch 
 a word. Directly after these are gone the hymn is chanted 
 from the Sama Veda. 
 
 I think I might be chary of criticism thus far ; the profes- 
 sionals are bearable, but alas for those who have to listen to 
 the four amateurs. There is no doubt about the song , the 
 words are in print on huge cards, already given us, and the re- 
 frain in Bengali runs : 
 
 "Though humble our reception be, 
 
 And though our strains may halthig run, 
 The loyal heart we bring to thee^ 
 Is wanner than our Eastern sun. " 
 
 Perhaps it is ; so we pardon the noise the amateurs mrke for 
 the sake of the words they sing. They should have very loyal 
 hearts. Their lungs are undoubtedly powerful, though nature 
 forgot to give them any vocal ability. But another crowd is 
 
■t=Q„ 
 
 LIFE IN CALCUTTA, 
 
 207 
 
 1, and the ro- ) 
 
 forcing its way up tho aislo — a crowd of dotormincddookingold 
 men who carry under tlicir ai'ins and on their shouhlers all 
 kinds of instruments. Their smile is portentous. They are 
 going to play b(^fore a Prince ; not a man in the dozen or so 
 now j)aHsing up tho hall would leave otf l)laying till tlie end of 
 the tune, if death itself threatened. And they do jday too ; no 
 mere short-lived galo}) or waltz, but a good set piece with i)lenty 
 of all kinds of bars in it, except bars of rest, an omission for 
 which we heaj) malediction on the head of the composer when 
 a quarter of an hour of thumping and scraping had passed. 
 However, they cease at last, and then the gentleman with the 
 two flutes stands before the Prince, and certainly does ju-oduce 
 a singular effect therewith. The two tin tubes are placed on 
 either side of his neck, he shuts his mouth and turns red in tlie 
 face, whereupon the flutes emit sounds, and a tune is played. 
 Then comes the redoubtable Chuckerbutty, who, sitting down, 
 begins the vocal music promised. To attempt to describe his 
 '* music "is impossible. He appears to have shut his mouth off 
 from all communication with the nose, and to be shouting from 
 the pit of his stomach. Enough, Chuckerbutty, the Prince longs 
 to be d«divered from thee. Nautch girls come now, some half 
 dozen in number, and begin such a shiilHe as I have previously 
 described. They are not pretty, but their movements are 
 graceful, and they have the good sense to divine when it is 
 time to go. Thankfully we now repair to the refreshment 
 room, on the tables of which is spread a liberal supper, and 
 from the windows of which the fireworks may be seen. Tell it 
 not how we were nearly all asphyxiated with the fumes of gun- 
 powder, and how at three o'clock in the morning we waited for 
 our carriages, Rajahs, Maharajahs, Paboos, Parsees, all. To 
 learn what native entertainments are, it is necessaiy to go to 
 them. But they should not take place too often. 
 
 I 
 

 : 
 
 I' 
 
 
 1 
 
 ^ 
 
 ( llAITi:!.' NX 
 
 UNKjUT MAMNU. 
 
 WtMiliI vo\i Know liow Ki\i!)I)<H o\' (lir Slur oj' Iixliti ino 
 mndo/ TluMi im;>uint' \\\t\i \«mi inc in ( 'mI. nl (h on (li<> ImIoI 
 .lauii.'ivy in (lio \ o;n ol' (Jr.-n'o |S7(>. Tlio Hcono \h jui oiu'loMnn* 
 <li<> l\nin ol whii'h i;* ;\n oMoiis; MtpiMro, <MUM)n>|»MMnin,i!,' n. Hpiu'c 
 noMvlv !i tjUiH<<M' of i\ u\\\o \\\ l«'n;;lli .'ind hI)om< IimII mm ItroMtl 
 \i stinuls in <li(* «'on<ro o( Mn <'\<oum\o nioml. va ilscH iiii'm»|(>(l 
 wiih (lu\ii;r<MM»os< <inl". And not only ilM< norllioi n :in<l Honl.h 
 ovw oxtroniitios. ImU <1\oso mIso wliicli poini io tlio omsI. mikI 
 west. Mr<^ iiai^^s Nvido (Miongh (o .-nhnit .s(>\(MmI IiormMnon iibroMMl. 
 A< i\wh o( ihoao porlals .n-o st.-Uivinod gunrds - H<.ron,i{ l)o(li(>M ol' 
 nuMi ;>t amis — for <lu^ |nu|>OH<» of nuiint Mining tudor, and mhcim 
 (;\ining also tlu' qnality *^1' <lu>s(> who prostMU <.li(Mns(>h ch mI. ilic 
 (M\tr!uu^^s. Alv>ng tl\o inuor vsidos ol' (Iu» (Mulosurt* looUinu 
 north and soutli aiv sixtoiMi pavilions, adoinod wilh ponnon^. 
 iho olioson oi^loiirs of <lio l<.ni<;li<s io whom lh(\v bohMiiyj. I'c 
 sid<^ (l\«^so p.wilions also stand tho s(piir<>s ol'tlio Knii;ht.s, man) 
 ol'tluMU q\iaintly attirod \\\ I'antastio di'oss. in <\u'h oas(« aocord 
 inii' lv> tlu^ tasto ol' his n\astor. At iho oast(M-n ond ol" I.Iummu-Io 
 svnv is a paMlion raisod highor and movo richly d('ooral(»d than 
 tho othovs. craood In two thronc^s and i\'Uiopy. on which th< 
 Koval ai'uis aro ou\hla;'on(\l S«|niros. pa^cs, and yi'oin(Mi in 
 lioh liNorios wai\ around tlu^ plaoo ol' honoui-, whii-h ih ch^arly 
 dosignod tor poi'sonagvs o\ high di\groo. (^allori(>s on (mIIht 
 sido arc tilled with knights auil ncolcs in thi-ir robes of pi^tc-c. 
 whoso rich, tints contrast with tlu^ splendid habits of tho ladii^s. 
 who. iu gro;iicr immbors tlian the nion, have come hitlier to 
 witness the sport. In a yet lower space are such of tho lest^ei 
 
MbMiMMMaMa 
 
 KNiailT M AKINU. 
 
 209 
 
 )li I li(> I mI oI 
 ill) ciiclomiir 
 HMinj; ti M|ni,r«' 
 
 mil' MM l)fo;|(l 
 
 '.t'H (;ir|»(>|(>il 
 n iind Monili 
 
 tlH> CMmI (lltll 
 MUIMI hIiI'DImI . 
 
 )iii{ hutlicM mI' 
 r, n\u\ MHiMM 
 
 H(>I\(>S m(. (Iu' 
 
 wvo lookinu 
 i(h p<<nnoiiM. 
 
 Ui;lilM. niMuy 
 case iioi'ord 
 
 coraictl iliMii 
 I wliicli (lie 
 yoonuMi ill 
 I Ii in rl(>;tily 
 s on (mMmm' 
 >os of |)(\n'i>, 
 t' till' Indites, 
 (' hither io 
 )t' the lessor 
 
 V 
 
 uiMili'v MH IVmim iiiofleMfy, |»«iv«'rly, oi fluhidiifi lillc, t,(» nay 
 imlliiii;; ol" iiiiil»ilily l.n pni'.iiiMln Mmn<"l»oily in oHifn io ^iv« 
 tlietn 11. liKiin ill' iiKililn )»imI., ijiiie iikI lUiMilliie M.riy lii^^licr |»liirn. 
 ThJH linliij li'-jil in wiliiiri ri, riiili> ol flin ril.y ol ( 'hIciiMm,. 
 ^'l»llll•)|■ liiiniii'M i»r .'lilvi'i Mini Itlno -Mil) oim fiiiririoiinled l»y l,h»i 
 crown, (Uiij llmolliir Ity I In re leiillierM, hot li ol I liiiii jdiMerl on 
 n «liHH niined lliii'e n(.e|(i( I'miii llie ;^roiinil, (umI under (i, c(ifio|iy 
 III' llie Hiinie ni.'ilci iiil iiti Mm- lliii>ne:i Mieninej ven (ue infendeij 
 rorllu^ Viceroy ol Indii iind (lie (,^iie< m'm non. The l,enl,H, m,I 
 (lie dooiM ol wliicli sliiiid I iiinli'iH ol' nin;j;iilaily aM-ired ret,ainerH, 
 hide Kiii;^li(Mor (lie Slur ol I iidiii, (iiand ( JornrrianderH fVoni 
 Sciii(l(\ ( 'iiMliiinTe, Trfivdiicore, , -11111 liidore; ( li») j^inudH »il, (,lie 
 ^a(«'M (ire hill IuIIohh ol' SilJia, hion/id waiiioi.s I'lom l.lie I'lui 
 jah, a(lile(ir HoldidM of llen;^'al, I niide, ( |ii; liidrfiel.H of vvliK.e 
 Hiid i^dil.icrin-; wciiponH are (,liofie of I»ri(.ifili ircjopH and iJritJHh 
 Hailiirs, dni.wii up in alroti;^' litiea in I'lonl, ol" (Jie l,entH, M,nd lorni 
 in;^ a f^Miaid ol' lionoiu- on lil.lier' aide (if Uie pa,l,liway whirdi 
 jeada (o flie I'.oyal jiavilioii. I'lie .splendid Hj)ee,(,a,eh) IH nol, only 
 loniantic in it: dl", hut. to pi'i'soiiK aripiain(,ed wi(,h thf) H(,yJo and 
 (ill(> of all tha.(. are no(ah|i: lure, i(, ia an exlraordinary hut very 
 intejli^'ihle Hc<'ne. Inside (lie iJoyal pavilion, and on oithe,r- 
 .side of th(! dais, no less than at tiie hack of it, were, ijerH oi' 
 Hoat;.s Idled with native ^'raiidees, l^jfi;^dirth generals and naval 
 captains, poiiiica,! olli(;(;rs, and ladie.s, Uie hcajity of whoH*; 
 unih)rnis and dresses was marvi'lloiis to heliold, Searle,t, \>]\k:, 
 ck>th of 'J,o\(\, silks of (lie l)ri;^diti'.it lines, all eojnl»inf;d to;(iv<5 
 warnitli and (colour to this delightful pict.iir-f;. Tjje |,ale filiif;f>rthe 
 Onh'r, whi(;h was apjianjnt evcay where, on tlirone and cano}>y, 
 in hanuers pendant fiom the roof, and in the cloaks of those, who 
 "wvA-v about to b(3 inv<'st(!d as Kiil;;hts (Jrand Coniniandcrs — the 
 recipients, as yet invisible — actually relieved the eye, so over- 
 whelming was the assomblago of ijaiidy coloura. Nor were 
 "Queen's of Ileauty" wanting; there were many here who.se 
 beauty entitled them to bo every whit a fpieon j it was an 
 

 210 
 
 ^VITII TILE PHTNGE IN INDIA 
 
 ibl 
 
 HSMomuiago of all tlio fair aiul all the bravo in f*onii;al. Allow- 
 incf your eye to run aloni^ the red carpet, on which was embla- 
 zoned the Royal arms, and so looking riglit and left, you found 
 at the entrance to the lloyal tent other galleries erected for and 
 tilled by those whose rank or deeds were not sulHcicnt to entitle 
 them to the premier places. Yet oven these were much to be 
 envied, and, indeed, were envied accordingly by those whoso 
 fortune it had not been to receive an invitation They wore 
 content to sit under insullicient canopies, braving the hot sun 
 for hours, rather than lose an opportunity of being present at 
 the greatest fete which India witnessed in modern times. It is 
 a long and striking vista — the vastnoss of the enclosure and the 
 brightness of the sunlight render objects somewhat less distinct, 
 mellow down the tones of colour outside the i)avilion, and give 
 to the whole spectacle more than may be easily imagined the 
 attributes of an admirably painted picture or a fairy scene, 
 rather than the idea of life and reality, " Nothing shall be 
 omitted which will redound to the dignify of the said Order," 
 says the Royal Warrant which commands the Prince to hold 
 the chapter. 
 
 Standing, as we do, in the Royal pavilion, then, this splendid 
 morning, before the Prince arrives and the chai)ter is opened, 
 there is much to notice. Of the tents outside this throne-room, 
 but, of course, inside the enclosure, that on the right-hand side 
 looking towards the entrance is reserved for the Vic(u-oy, who, 
 as Grand Master of the Order, has the chief place ; the opposite 
 one belongs to the Prince of Wales. Next to that of Lord 
 Northbrook is the tent of the Maharajah Scindia ; nex to the 
 Prince of Wales' the pavilion of the ruler of Cashmere. In order 
 of precedence as follows are the tents of the Maharajah Holkar, 
 the Maharajah of Jeypore, the ]\Iaharajah of Rewah, Sir Bartlc 
 Frere,the Maharajah of Travancore, Lord Napier, the Maharajah 
 of Puttiala, Sir Salar Jung, and the Begum of Bhopal. Round the 
 doors of thesfe tents, for their occupants have already arrived in 
 
 1 1 '^^s^^ 
 
•jum 
 
 KNWUT-MAKlNii. 
 
 211 
 
 ^iil. Allow- 
 
 M 
 
 was embla- 
 
 ■1 
 
 't, you found 
 
 
 ^ctcd for und 
 
 ■''■ 
 
 cut to entitle 
 
 
 3 much to be 
 
 • 
 
 those whoso 
 
 \ 
 
 They were 
 
 
 the liot sun 
 
 » 
 
 g present at 
 
 
 times. It is 
 
 
 )sure and tl.e 
 
 
 less distinct, 
 
 
 on, and give 
 
 
 magined the 
 
 
 fairy scene, 
 
 
 ing shall be 
 
 
 said Order," 
 
 
 •ince to hold 
 
 
 :his sjolendid 
 
 f- 
 
 r is opened, 
 
 
 hrone-roon), 
 
 
 it-hand side 
 
 ) 
 
 ic(U'oy, who, 
 
 
 the opposite 
 
 
 liat of Lord 
 
 
 nex to the 
 
 
 re. In order 
 
 
 jah Holkar, 
 
 
 , Sir Bartle 
 
 
 Maharajah 
 
 ■ 
 
 Round the 
 
 
 y arrived in 
 
 1.' 
 
 ordoi- ii})}>oiiited, stand their njtainers, in all the costumes of lIu; 
 Indies. There are two mori; largo tents, one foi* Kni'^hts (com- 
 manders and another for Compiuiions of the Order. Pathways 
 to allr^f these have been mnrked by red carpet ; their doorways 
 are all guarded by English troops. Inside; tlu; pavilion fresh 
 arrivals are swelling the already crowded audience every 
 moment. Several of the Prince's suite, headed by the Duke (-. 
 Sutherland — who wears the scarlet coat and plaid of a IFighland 
 reginumt, the plaid being fastened to his Grace's epaulettes by 
 the aid of white ribbon — and Lord Alfied Pag(;t, in a geneial's 
 uniform and sash, stroll in at one door at the precise moment 
 that Sir William Gregory, brave in his Governor's gold- 
 embroidered uniform and newly acquired collar of St. Michael 
 and St. George, enters by another, leading Miss Baring and 
 followed by his aide-de-camp. Miss Baring stands and chats 
 with the Duke, Lord Alfred Paget and Sir William Gregory 
 are apparently wishing each other a ha[)py new year, when a 
 s<ir at the door betokens the arrival of somebody of great im- 
 portance. One marvels who it can be, and has reason to marvel 
 still more when the apparition makes its way into open view. 
 Surely nothing more grotesque was ever seen before. Four 
 olive-coloured gentlemen with Mongolian faces, attired in 
 fashions so fantastic as to provoke a general murmur of surprise, 
 even from people somewhat used to singular dresses, are wait- 
 ing for seats. Golden hats, red collars, green robes, dragon- 
 headcid swords, all belong to the representatives of his Majesty 
 of Burmah. What reason for wonder that the subjects of that 
 potentate occasionally commit little excesses if the uiairnates 
 of his empire wear dresses like these. The sons of Jung Ba- 
 hadoor are just entering, and are led to a post of honour. Their 
 aigrettes of diamonds and horsehair plumes are no mean addi- 
 tion to the head-dresses of the audience ; besides wliich one of 
 them is to be decorated presently. There is a native oHicer, 
 too, of Ihe Viceroy's stalf— a fine, soldierly man, dressed like a 
 
 J 
 
\.' 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 
 ) 1 i 
 
 
 
 ' it 
 
 : i- 
 
 
 1. 
 
 1 
 
 i \ 
 
 212 
 
 n^rrir the vhince in india. 
 
 Eurojtoiin, savf timt lie woars ii tiiHtan ami u short plaid jx^tti- 
 
 coat. aiul h 
 
 )li 
 
 rood 
 
 tl) 
 
 \,t ; and another luitivc- 
 tiiiu a civilian, ono of tliOHO who is to rci-oivo tho modal of t]i(! 
 Onh'r — hy nanio l>al)oo Dogunihor INlittcr, follows, and is 
 phu'od close to (\)loncl llanisay, who, liko his native friend, 
 will shortly bo called up and he puhlicly honoured. At lenij;(h, 
 liowiHcr, a far more notable incident occurs. Amid hc^avy 
 salvoes of artillery, the presentinn of arms by the troops, playini,' 
 of bands, and hurryinu; of uml)rella beaii'rs and aides-de-cam|), 
 tho entrance of the l*rince and tho Viceroy to tho enclosure is 
 announced, and they are conducted to their tents preparatory 
 to the forming of a procession to the Koyal i)avilion. For a 
 moment there is a i)ause ; the chiefs of the Order are seen 
 moving from their tents across the enclosed plain, while a lively 
 march is played and distant guns are firing. 
 
 The first Knight Cirand Commander of the Star of India is 
 just upon the point of entering the tent, heralded as becomes 
 the j)Ossessor of titles and di^ iiity so undoubted, by a goodly 
 array of men-at-arms. Turbamnl warriors in pairs, eight in 
 number, two of them Nawabs in their own right, precede tho 
 knight, while an otlicer of rank b(>ars the Bhopal escutcheon. 
 Fancy pictures a stalwart soldier in rear of that silken sheet of 
 blue and gold — a broad-shouldered, fierce-looking winner of 
 honours, when following the banner, which by this time has 
 entered the tent, totters forward a native huly, so closely 
 miiiUed-\ii> and \eiled in blue silk that not a hair of her head 
 or a feature of her face can be descried by the most inquisitive ; 
 a little Mahommedan dame, dressed in the blue robe of the 
 Order, with a shield in the place wliere her right arm should be, 
 an embroid«^red star on her left side, the medal of the Order 
 hung round the nuilUers which cover her neck, and the star of 
 brilliants })inned to her breast. It is certain that she can in 
 some w^iy or other, to us unknowm, peer through that thick. 
 bliie veil, or that tottering shullle would degenerate into a 
 
 li i *.^»w. 
 
KNUniT-MAKlNG 
 
 2V.\ 
 
 rt plaid pditi. 
 r native — tliis 
 ) iiuulal of Um! 
 llowH, and is 
 native IViend, 
 1. At l()ni:f(li, 
 Amid lu^avy 
 roups, pl.iyiiii; 
 iidt's-do-c'ani[>, 
 
 euclosuio iy 
 
 1 preparatory 
 ilion. For a 
 *rder are seen 
 while a lively 
 
 ir of India is 
 
 I as becomes 
 
 , by a goodly 
 
 lirs, eight in 
 
 precede the 
 
 escutcheon. 
 
 Iken sheet of 
 
 ^* winner of 
 
 lis time has 
 
 ', so closely 
 
 of her head 
 
 inquisitive ; 
 
 robe of the 
 
 n should be, 
 
 :' the Order 
 
 1 the star of 
 
 she can in 
 
 that thick. 
 
 ^•ate into a 
 
 # 
 
 hclplesM lialt. As it is, Hh<^ moves slowly forward, hor irnin 
 being heUl up by two little pages in yellow tmbans, till she finds 
 her chair of slate, and subsides. T.ut anoth(!r group is roTuing 
 forward, and we have not time to look longer at the; little P^egum 
 of iJliopal. Make way for Sir Salar Jung, who is pnrccded by 
 eight att(>ndants. (Jlad in a black v(dv«'t coat richly (jmbroidered 
 with gold, and with the blue robe of the Order thrown over 
 his shoulders, the great Minister of the Nizam steps slowly 
 forward, a single page upholding his train, and takes his 
 jilaco exactly o[)[)Osite to the Begum of lihopal who, by 
 the way, is standing uj) once more. Then his Magnificence of 
 Puttiala, with l)ann<!r and attendants, ai)pears in the way. A 
 broad-shouhhned potentate, truly ; the front of his tui-ban and 
 of his coat alike neaily covered with those famous brilliants 
 which once glittered at the Tuileries, and at St. Cloud, at the 
 assemblies of the Knights of the Legion o^ Honour, when the 
 Empress Eugenie looked on the grandest pageant which France 
 could afi'ord. Their owner stands by the side of the tiny lady 
 Knight, a very tower of strength — a giant magnified the more 
 by the contrast, he makes with the Begum of Bhopal. Behind 
 him, not very far behind, is a more notable Knight than he, 
 Lord Napier of Magdala, eight English officers heralding him, 
 and one bearing his banner aloft — a broad silk flag of brown and 
 gold. For pages this hero of many fights has a midshipman 
 from the " Immortality," in navy blue, and a sub-lieutenant in 
 bright scarlet uiiiform ; tit followers of one who has achieved so 
 much by sea and by land. The little Maharajah of Travancore, 
 with only four heralds and two little boys attired in Bengalee 
 fashion, is close behind, moving in as graceful a manner as 
 though he had all his life long made Chesterfield and BrummoU 
 his models and study. Sir Bartle B\ere follows, and then the 
 Maharajah of Rewah, preceded by his banner of black and gold, 
 and having pages prettily attired in cloth of gold. Jeypore 
 the Rajpoot is next, with a bannei- of curious kind. Divided 
 
>«;-<w.tai«i?sf,tM 
 
 '» ' 
 
 214 
 
 Ml Til TUE VlilNCK IN INDIA, 
 
 ' u^'lliwisc into strips of various colours, it nortniyHUt once yol 
 low, ItliH', wliiti?, <,'i('('n, i(mI, ami Idack. His train is sujjportcd 
 by boys in Iiats liko mi^'iir loaves — yellow luits, and extrenieiv 
 tiijfly. Ilolkar's red |»uf,'^aroo is in view a luinuti! later — 
 llolk.'ir, the plainly-dressed JMuliarajali, elad wholly in white, e\ 
 icptiiii,' th(! blue robe which ho wears in common with all 
 Kni<^'hts (J rand (-ommandiu's — and then the Maharajah of (Jasli 
 mere, whos«r banner is of p)ld and white, and wliose little pajL^iis 
 wear tiny junk turbans. Scindia the senior now approaches, 
 weariui,' a whito Tyrolesc hat trinuned with a yellow feather, 
 and as he a)llows his blue and yellow banner, stojts Iktc to shake 
 hands with Lord Najuer, there to bow to his Hiijhness ol 
 Travancore, thi-n to exchange a word with his vis d vis of Cash 
 mere, and lastly to speak to Ilolkar, whos(^ seat is next his own. 
 All the Knii,dits (J rand Commanders are then in their places ; 
 the band plays the march still ; all are noW in suspense, for the 
 Prince and Viceroy are coming ; tlu^ir processions are movinn 
 towards the tent. 
 
 About the dignity connected with an umbrella, many great 
 anthoriiies, from King ColFee in the West to the Jam of Now- 
 anuggur in the East, are agreed. But when there are not only 
 one, but three umbrellas, when one of these is of gold, and tla 
 two otlu'rs of blue and red, with massive gold broideries, there 
 can be no manner of doubt in the minds of the most ignorant 
 in sucii matters as to the amount of dignity and honour they 
 confer. In front of these insignia of pomp march with steady 
 tread twelve chosen esquires, attendants on the Knight Grand 
 Commander whose banner it is which is seen in the distance;. 
 That banner, too, is worthily borne, for it is carried by no less 
 a warrior than General Probyn, to whose name attaches all that 
 is dear to a soldier. And close behind, under the gold um- 
 brella, comes the Prince of Wales, clad in a general's scarlet 
 uniform, with the blue cloak of the Star of India over his 
 yhoulders, the ^old chain of the Order about his ueck^ and thut 
 
 S 
 
 •m. 
 
Tii 
 
 KNKillT-MAKINO. 
 
 2i.n 
 
 rmit once yd 
 I is supported 
 1(1 (jxtriiinclv 
 
 • 
 
 iiiuto Ijitor — 
 ' ill wliito, «'x 
 ion with all 
 •iijuli of (/Jisll 
 Hi littlo pni(('s 
 '' npprojiclicH, 
 (How toiitlici', 
 hvYo to ahakc 
 
 lli^hnosH ot 
 I vis of Casli 
 next his own. 
 
 their phicos ; 
 )onso, for the 
 I are moving; 
 
 many great 
 
 am of Now- 
 
 are not only 
 
 ;old, and tlu 
 
 deries, then; 
 
 lost ignorant 
 
 lonour the}- 
 
 with stead V 
 
 night Grand 
 
 he distance. 
 
 d by no less 
 
 ,ches all that 
 
 16 gold II m- 
 
 ral's scarlet 
 
 ia over his 
 
 ik; and tliut 
 
 of tlie Ciirtor beside it. KoMowing tliJH procoH.sion ih that <»f 
 tlie Viceroy, very similar and (piite as grand, boasting tw(> othci- 
 little pagt's almost the counterparts of those who follow the 
 I'rince. His Kxeellency takes his seat on the <lais. Ilie audience 
 sits down, there is a short consultation between Lord North- 
 ])rook and his Foreign Secretary, ami then Mr. Aitidii.son stands 
 forwanl, a long roll in his hand, and proceeds to call out thf; 
 names of the nunnbers of the chapters. lie begins with Albert 
 Edward, l*rinc(^ of Wales, and the J'rinee, in a loud tone of 
 voice, says " Ifcrt! !" Lord Noithbrook comes next on the roll. 
 " Here ! " Then the Duke of Kdinbuigh. to whoso name thei'o 
 is no res))onse. So the roll goes, on, oaeli Knight present 
 answering to his name, until at length it is fii.islie<l, and then 
 the chapter is declared open, and we wait "ith curiosity for 
 f»irth(!r i)roceedings. 
 
 In a loud, clear voice Mr. Aitrhison reads the warrant 
 authorising "our well-beloved son" to hold a eerenumy of in- 
 vestiture of the Order on Ixdialf of her Maj(>sty, and (h^tails by 
 all those repetitions of which hiwyers are so fund, but ot which 
 all other people are so tired, the separate rights and pow(us to 
 which certtiin and sundry chosen already for the honour will 
 hereafter be entitled, "all statute, rule, or usage' to the con- 
 trary notwithstanding." After which satisfactory statement, 
 there is silence while the Prince and all present stand up, and 
 his Royal Highness is saluted. Hereupon ]\Ir. Aitchison 
 moves forward again — he is the principal personage here after 
 all, and will appear very often, but he is a good and untiring 
 official, and deserves all prominence — and hands to tlie Priiice 
 the warrant, which by his Royal Highness is transferred to the 
 hands of one of the pages at the back of the throne, and the 
 ceremony proceeds. 
 
 Mr. Aitchison now goes in quest of the Maharajah of Jod- 
 pore, who is hidden away in a tent in the dim distance, taking 
 with him four macebearers, the Undei-Secioturv of the Jboici^n 
 
..u; 
 
 ii'i: 
 
 :! ! 
 
 ' 
 
 216 
 
 WITH THE PEINCE Ili INDIA. 
 
 Dei)artment, and two junior Kniglils-Commandcis, while tho 
 bands outside strike nj) a quick march. It is a long di&iance 
 that has to be traversed, and it is some time ere the little pro- 
 cession has turned to the left and gone towards the pavilion of 
 the waiting Maharajah. But as time [)asses it is seen return- 
 ing, this time swelled by the attendants and person of his 
 Highness of Jodpore, who with pages and bannermen is now 
 coming up. It may be that you are tempted to laugh outright 
 as that extraordinary party from the tent approaches, till you 
 remember that you are in the very presence of Royalty and 
 in the chapter of a lodge of Knights. Six very fat men, with 
 long pink gowns drawn tight to the knees, so that thoy can 
 scai'cely walk, but bulging out thence, and Irillpd so stiilly as 
 to resemble a large Chinese umbrella, are not, pei-liaps, stately 
 objects, alb' it that one of them is a jMahurnjah. However, 
 the soldiers ;ind sailors present arms as the cortege passes, the 
 bands play a kIow march, and it enters the Koyal pavilion with 
 all state and show. Conducted to the foot of the dais, where 
 he makes profound bows, kissing his hand in approved style, 
 the Maharajah hears the warrrait for his decoration read ovei-, 
 is then taken to a table on one side, where he receives his 
 cloak and badge, then back to the Prince, who, ejaculating the 
 words, "In the name of the Queen, and by her Majesty's com- 
 mand, I here invest you with the honourable insignia of the 
 Star of India, of which most exalted order her Majesty has 
 been graciously pleased to ap[)oint you to be a Knight Grand 
 Commander," places the chain round the bent neck of the re 
 cipicnt without himself rising from the throne. Immediately 
 a salute of seventeen guns is begun ; the ncAvly-made Knight 
 bows to the Prince and Viceroy, who both remain seated with 
 their helmets on ; a blast of trumpets heralds the pro':lama<::n 
 of his style and title, and Jodpore of the red petticoat is led to 
 his seat. 
 
 Then another pause eiisaeS; Air. Aitchison siillies forth ai^anw 
 
 [ 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 \ 
 
 }JK^ 
 
W liw ft .ll — 
 
 M Lii ai i UMW 
 
 \i 
 
 urs, while the- 
 I, long diaLanee 
 the little pro- 
 the pavilion of 
 .s seen return- 
 person of Ins 
 lerraen is now 
 laugh outright 
 xiches, till you 
 f Ro3^alty and 
 • fat men, with 
 > that thoy can 
 lod so stillly as 
 )evhaps, stately 
 ih. However, 
 it6ge passes, the 
 ,1 pavilion with 
 fhe dais, where 
 pproved style, 
 ,tion read ovei-, 
 e receives hi.^ 
 aculating the 
 lajesty's cora- 
 insicinia of the 
 [r Majesty hrs 
 iKnight Grautl 
 lieck of the re 
 Immediately 
 -made Knight 
 [in seated with 
 fc proclamati.""'! 
 licoat is led to 
 
 KNIGHT-MAKING. 
 
 217 
 
 this time in .search of the Kajah of Thceud. He presently 
 ai>i)car.s, folh)wed by the Foreign Secretary, clad in cloth of 
 gold, and wearing a golden turban. He is a grand man, in 
 appearance firstly, for his long, grey beard and manly carriage 
 betoken a }»atriarchal warrior ; in repute secondly, for he it 
 was who first led Sikh troops to compier the fiends at Delhi. 
 The ceremony of his investiture is the same as in the case of his 
 predecessor of Jodpore, save that eleven guns only are tired in 
 his honoiu'. And then the Knights Commanders are brought 
 up. The first is Mr. Robinson, of Madras, who immediately 
 rcjceives a collar of blue silk and medal from the hands of the 
 I'rince, and then is made a Knight J3acheIor of Great Britain 
 l)y the })lacing of a sword, which General Probyn has ready, on 
 liis left and right shoulders. The rest, with the excei)tion of 
 Colonel Ramsay, who receives the same honours as Mr. Robin- 
 son, are unknown to the English public. Companions of the 
 Order are next nominated, the Prince handing the medal to 
 Mr. Aitchisoii, who pins it upon the breast of the selected one, 
 who bows reverently, and so the ceremcay draws to an end. 
 Th<.' newly-made Companions take their appointed places ; their 
 names are called out and responded to with much humility : 
 the Secretary informs the Prince that there is no further busi- 
 ness before the chapter, whereupon he is commanded to declare 
 the lodge dissolved ; a Royal procession is once more marshal- 
 led ; the guards of honour present arms ; bands play a grand 
 march; one more Royal salute is fired, and tlie Prince and 
 Viceroy leave the pavilion, stop{)ing in their way out to speak- 
 to the great chieftains as they pass, A few minutes later, and 
 the enclosure itself has been quitted by the Royal party, and 
 the rest of us are moving to the gates on our way home. Tlu; 
 cha})ter of the most exalted Order of the Star of India is dis- 
 sohed. 
 
 es forth iiuaiii; 
 
 U 
 
i ■a 
 
 ■''i .; 
 
 \4 i 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE SACRED CITY OP BENARES. 
 
 Benares is undoubtedly a fine city. The view from the river 
 is perfect ; but a person beholding it for the first time on a 
 chilly moonlight night, in a rickety vehicle that threatened to 
 turn over every moment on a bridge of boats, with only a very 
 vague idea of where he would find a bed for the night — that 
 bed being, at all events, quite six miles ofi" — might fail at that 
 particular moment to recognise the attraction of Benares. On 
 the other hand, a believer in Shiva, a red-turbaned, shulUing, 
 white-petticoated, olive-coloured native of Hindostan, with liis 
 heart set upon visiting the sacred city of India, would leap lor 
 joy ; would forget the mist and the dimness, the chilly wind 
 and clammy air, the chance of having no bed, and possibly no 
 board either, and rejoice with exceeding joy at the prospect of 
 plunging in the Ganges next morning, and washing away what 
 peccadilloes and worse might cling to his soul." The slow-moving, 
 shrunken stream — for the rains are long sinco past — Avoukl 
 assume a new appearance. Yonder innumerable steps down to 
 the river would be but as Jacob's ladder reversed ; not, indeei.1, 
 leading upwards to glory, but downwards to happiness here and 
 hereafter. 
 
 A grand position is that of a Hindoo pilgrim to Benares — a 
 lot to be envied by the myriads who live in the far North, and 
 the millions who inhabit the distant South, the natives of the 
 Malabar Coast and those whose vista is a view of the (,'oroiuandel 
 Sea. These may yearly send their roll of fortunate men — men 
 who have done wrong and had misgivings, but who come hither 
 to bathe and be morally clean hencelbith and for over ; but tlie 
 
~> 
 
 i 
 
 THE SAC HE D CITY OF BENARES. 
 
 219 
 
 from the river 
 first time on a 
 ,t tlireatened to 
 ith only a very 
 blie night — that 
 iilht fail at that 
 r Benares. On 
 janed, shuliling, 
 lostan, with his 
 , would leap tor 
 the chilly wiiul 
 and possibly no 
 the prospect of 
 ing away what 
 e slow-moving, 
 [CO past — woukl 
 e steps down to 
 d ; not, indcetl, 
 piness here and 
 
 to Benares — a 
 far North; aiul 
 natives of lIhj 
 ItheCoroniandel 
 Inate men— men 
 ,dio come hither 
 )r ever ; hut the 
 
 I 
 
 vast majority can hope for no shriving, no indulgence, no pardon; 
 the waters of the Bombay Abana or tlie Madras Pharpar may 
 be bhie and beautiful ; but the Benares Ganges, the sacred 
 river, can alone do good to tlie crowds of natives whose dread is 
 Shiva the destroyer. Of course, the wealthy of the land can 
 come hither and be blest. " See Naples and die," say the 
 Italians, " See Benares and die," echo the Hindoos ; and, in 
 hope of dying here and being consumed by fire on the river 
 shore, many a rich native hurries up, dcsi)ite agony of body 
 indescriba>jle. What becomes of him when he readies the 
 sacred city ? Visit the river banks, and entering a dingy, or 
 covered boat, move slowly down the stream, and see. 
 
 On the right bank is a wide plain, somewhat similar to the 
 Essex marshes which skirt the Thames below Tilbury ; there is 
 the palace of the Maharajah of Benares at a distant point, but 
 with this exception the right side of the Ganges is deserted. On 
 the left, however, a very different picture presents itself, and 
 such a one as cannot be forgotten so long as memory lasts. A 
 great city suddenly fronts us — a city not only sacred, but grand 
 in its edifices of palaces and temj)les, the chief of which are on 
 the water's edge. Here are hundreds of flights of stone steps 
 forty or fifty feet broad, rising high up the river bank. The 
 steps, or " ghauts," lead to magnificent Oriental buildings. 
 Here is the Ghaut Scindia, with the palace of the Kuler of 
 Gwalior above ; there the Ghaut Nagpore, with the Rajah's 
 house at the summit ; a little further on the Ghauts of Viziana- 
 gram, Benares, Nagpore, and Peshwa, with the mansions 
 attached. The subsisting Maharajahs and Ptajahs, Laving 
 always an eye to the possibilities of fate, and anxious to make 
 *' the best of both worlds," have a house in the sacred city, where 
 they can comfortably retiie when the warning comes and prepa- 
 ration for departure is judicious. Poorer people must manage 
 without all this, and indeed do so manage. Tn view at this 
 moment are thousands of them bathing in the water, lap]jing it, 
 
i 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 j 
 
 . 1 
 
 .1 
 
 1 ^ll 
 
 A \ 
 
 I 
 
 It ' 
 
 220 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 washing their clothes — if a waistcloth can be called " clovhes " 
 — and taking up a vesselful of the sacred water for the benefit of 
 their friends. The water is not bright or clean. It might, were 
 it not so sacred, be called very dirty. And there are, just now 
 at any rate, some thousands of people bathing in it continually. 
 But that matters not ; it is the holy river, and the worshippers 
 of the Ganges fill their mouths with the water, lave in it, 
 drink of it, quite happily. Every dip they take, every drop 
 they swallow, washes off moral uncleanliness. To us strangers 
 the sight is amazing. Under the shadow of temple and mansion 
 alike, troops of men, women, and children are coming down the 
 steps. A short prayer, a momentary uplifting of the hands, a 
 ceitain, or rather uncertain, rolling of the eye-balls, and then 
 a plunge into the river. All along the bank, huddled together 
 against the landing stages, in the stream up to their necks^ 
 clinging to the bamboo posts to which boats are fastened, every 
 devotee is happy, each ready to pay for a garland of yellow 
 flowers, ei-ch determined to make the most of a liberation from 
 the ill-deeds of the past. 
 
 While thinking about this unwonted scene, the boatman 
 attracts attention by a touch on the arm, to say we are opposite 
 the burning ghaut. To be burnt at Calcutta or Bombay may 
 be a satisfactory contemplation for the dying native ; but to ha 
 placed on the funeral pyre at Benares, to be first of all wuslied 
 in the Ganges, and then to have his ashes thrown into tlio 
 sacred river, is indeed a happiness. As we look on the shore, 
 the boat being drawn close to the edge, a curious sight meets 
 our eyes. In a little space, fashioned somewhat after the shape 
 of an amphitheatre, are three burning heaps of wood. Looking 
 down upon these, quite thirty feet high above tlie pyres, and 
 enveloped in the smoke, are some forty or fifty men and 
 women, perched on the steps like so many rooks, looking ct)iii 
 [)lucently down while the remains of their ridativcs are being 
 consumed. Down at the water's edge, partly in tlie water 
 
 ^ 
 
THE SACRED CITY OF BENARES. 
 
 221 
 
 3d " clov.hes " 
 the benefit of 
 t might, were 
 are, just now 
 t continually, 
 e worshippers 
 ir, Uwe in it, 
 :e, every drop 
 'o us strangers 
 ie and mansion 
 ;ning down tlu' 
 )f the hands, a 
 )alls, and then 
 iddled together 
 to their necks^ 
 fastened, every 
 land of yellow 
 liberation from 
 
 the boatman 
 we are opposite 
 r Bombay may 
 tive ; but to be 
 of all washed 
 irown into the 
 k on the shore, 
 lus sight meets 
 after the shape 
 /ood. Looking 
 the pyres, 'in.l 
 fifty men aiul 
 :s, looking com 
 Itivos are being 
 in the watei 
 
 i 
 
 indeed, are two human bodies. One is tliat of a woman, the 
 other of a man ; each is wrapped in white linen. Very little 
 ceremony is needed, but that little is observed. Tiie fire pile 
 has been prepared for the reception of the corpse to be burnt. 
 The body is therefore placed by the side of the river, and then 
 dipped into the water, so that all the sheet is covered. Lest 
 there should be any doubt about this, however, a vessel of 
 water is twice emptied over the head of the corpse before it is 
 removed, and then the two men in attendance, lifting the boily, 
 place it upon the pyre ; logs of wood thrown to them by assis- 
 tants are laid on it ; light, dry chips placed beneath ; a torch is 
 fetched, and the light applied ; there is a blaze, and — of the 
 rest nothing need be said. 
 
 Our boat is now propelled a little further down the stream, 
 till the Great Mohammedan mosque is reached. Two minarets, 
 one of which may be ascended without danger, stand on either 
 side of it ; but we decline the proffered opportunity. 
 
 I have said that Benares is a holy city; it is notable in 
 many other respects. Were nothing more to be seen, its 
 Observatory, its Golden Temple, its sacred well, and its strange 
 bazaar, would give it the titlo to be ranked amongst the most 
 notable places in the world. But it has, in addition to all 
 these, and the most holy point of the Ganges, long groves of 
 trees— orange, citron, plantain, and palm ; and the most singu- 
 lar monkey temple in the world. On arriving at the temple 
 the Prince was supplied with a plate of parched peas and a 
 number of white sweetmeats, of which it was said that i.ie 
 monkeys had many times signified their approbation, and thus 
 furnished, his Royal Highness entered the temple. We had 
 been told that on stepping inside a great assemblage of monkeys 
 might be expected, and sundry signs had not been wanting 
 that monkeys were somewhere about in great numbers. Up in 
 the neighbouring trees, on the walls and roofs of liouses, in the 
 roads, chasing luckless children, and on the fronts of the shops, 
 
 I 
 
 m. 
 
ir''y^" III ■iimijiMnigrinijiaiimi 
 
 ---a ^i.^..a^aifci^ 
 
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 III 
 
 0')'> 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 (licsd cicalurcs sccniod to l)o ovorywlioi'C. That thoy wen 
 mischievous was also uiKhiiihtod, for now and tlion they would 
 hui'l stones or [)i('ccs of wood at passers-by with an aim by no 
 means to bo despised, or would lean over the wall and quietly 
 snn}) oif th(» turban of some thoughtless })edestian, who might 
 shout, and call not only the monkey but the monkey's sister 
 and motlier — th(^ a])proved style of abuse here --all kinds of 
 unpleasant names; but his turban might be considered as gone, 
 all ctForts of its owner notwithstanding, and the best thing he 
 could ilo would be to buy another puggaree as quickly as i)Os- 
 sible. Our entry to the temple was the signal for a general 
 asseml)lage of these pleasant animals. They tumbled dov,-n 
 I'rom the minarets of the temple, they came over the walks by 
 scores, they wriggled through holes and crevices, rushed in at 
 the doorways, and, in short, so. readily obeyed the summons as 
 to form a body that could, without the slightest trouble, have 
 had a great piece of fun with the Prince and his suite. For 
 tunately, tht^y were peaceably inclined, and as the stock ot- 
 sweotmeats and peas was large, and their hunger not great — for 
 they are fed on an average fifty times a day by pilgrims and 
 worshi})pers — they were content to take Avhat was thrown 
 them, and filling their cheeks as full as possible, make ofi". I 
 am not sure that at times the gold lace on the Prince's coat 
 was not a temptation, for the monkeys* eyes glistened as tlioy 
 looked at the Royal uniform. But the visitors were, fortun- 
 ately, on three steps, kept clear by energetic priests, and the 
 Poyal party came away without any accident. 
 
 Not fur from here is the celebrated Golden Temple, to visit 
 which is the ambition of every Hindoo. To see it tho' ouglily, 
 the Prince was, on arrival, conducted to an adjacent window, 
 whence the golden dome, with its surrounding minarets, ont^ of 
 them golden also, could be inspected. The stone carving of this 
 edifice is very rich, and so minute as to cause a feeling oi" ci'ii- 
 siderable surprise in the minds of all strangers. It is as ne.illv 
 
 t 
 
1. 
 
 at they wcit 
 (n tlicy would 
 an aim by no 
 11 and quietly 
 n, who might 
 lonkoy's sister 
 — all kinds of 
 dcred as gone, 
 best thing he 
 ;][uickly as pos- 
 l for a general 
 tumbled dov.n 
 L- the walks by 
 ;s, rushed in at 
 le summons as 
 t trouble, have 
 is suite. For 
 the stock of- 
 not great — for 
 y pilgrims and 
 ,t was thrown 
 ', make off. I 
 3 Prince's coat 
 istened as tliov 
 ■s were, fortiin- 
 jriests, and tlic 
 
 em pie, to visit 
 ! it tho' ouglily, 
 jacent windinv, 
 ninarets, ont^ of 
 3 carving of t\\'\^ 
 feeling oi" '^'ow- 
 It is as nt'atly 
 
 
 h y 
 
 TIIK MuNKfcV ih.MlLh; AT J.tXAKLS. 
 
ff 
 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 ^ii 
 
 i 
 
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THE SACRED CITY OF BENARES. 
 
 22[\ 
 
 carved as the finest ivory boxes, and the sharpness of the 
 figures, although they were fashioned hundreds of years ago, 
 remains to this day. Inside, some hundreds pf Hindoos were 
 going through their worship as they did in the days wlien the 
 carvings were new, without variation or alteration. 
 
 There is a well hei-e which, as the residence of a deity — no 
 less a personage than Shiva himself — is greatly worshipped. 
 
 The proi)er thing for a pilgrim on arrival at Benares is to do 
 "Poojah" in the first instance to this well. This he accom- 
 plishes in two ways — by throwing holy Ganges water and 
 flowers into the well, and as much money as he can scrape to- 
 gether into a bright silver box, which a thoughtful priest is 
 careful to point out. One may look at the well without throw- 
 ing anything into it, and be just as much rewarded as if he 
 had brought the Ganges into the temple, provided that he place 
 something in the box. But if you throw all the flowers in 
 Benares into the tank, and only look at the box, be good enough 
 to remember that you are still an unregenerate Hindoo, and 
 not at all a favourite of the very respectable deity who, strange 
 to say, prefers for a dwelling-place one of the most horrible 
 stench-holes in the universe. We, as pilgrims, held our noses 
 and gave up our purses. It was an act of homage which the 
 priests understood and approved — the most effective way of 
 doing Poojah at the Gyan Bapee. 
 
 Other wells in Benares are almost equally holy — one named 
 Mankarnika, which is said to have been built by divine hands, 
 and sanctified by the dropping of one of Parvati's earrings into 
 the water. The dropping of flowers and refuse into the water 
 since that memorable moment has made it so unbearable a 
 cesspool that one glance is suflicient, and a hasty retreat neces- 
 sary. We did no Poojah here — perhaps we were good enough 
 already. A Brahmin told me — he was a highly educated man 
 — that originally the well was tilled with the perspiration from 
 Vishnu's body ; but it was his belief, and here he became quite 
 
' 
 
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 li-i 
 
 ' 'k 
 
 224 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 confidential, that Vishnu had not visited the well for some time 
 — a statement which credits Vishnu with great good sense. 
 But tlio Brahmin was an attendant on a rival well, so he must 
 not ha implicitly trusted. 
 
 From the well a move was made to the Observatory, where* 
 a considerable number of interesting objects were to be viewed. 
 There was a stone wall eleven feet high, nine feet one inch 
 broad, in the plain of the meridian, which is used as a quadrant, 
 iind I was told that the sun's altitude and zenith distance at 
 noon, as well as its greatest declination, and the latitude of the 
 place, could all be ascertained by the help of this instrument — 
 if so a stone wall can be named — by a very aged and excessively 
 dingy astronomer, who was chattering in Tamil to one of the 
 party. There were two large circles of stone, and a square, and 
 another arrangement of stone in the shape of a staircase, by all 
 of which various astronomical problems may, it is said, be 
 woi'ked. The staircase was called Yantrasamrat, or Prince of 
 Instruments ; and a very knowing old gentleman was pointed 
 out who could tell the declination or right ascension of a star 
 by the aid of it. As a staircase, I may impartially admit that 
 it was respectably constructed, and not difficult of ascent ; 
 moreover, that it afforded an admirable view of the city and 
 the river, when once we were perched on the topmost step. As 
 to its use as an astronomical " guide, philosopher, and friend,'' 
 I can say nothing. The old gentleman tried to explain some- 
 thing to me, but as his language was not similar to mine, the 
 conversation was of a very one-sided character. However, the 
 sum of two annas, politely offered and gratefully received, was 
 at least understood and accepted in lieu of learned discourse. 
 
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L 
 
 r 3omo tiriKi 
 
 good sense. 
 
 so he must 
 
 itory, wliei(i 
 ) be viewed. 
 Bt one inch 
 1 a quadrant, 
 distance at 
 titude of the 
 tistrument — 
 1 excessively 
 one of the 
 \ square, and 
 ircase, by all 
 ; is said, be 
 or Prince of 
 was pointed 
 lion of a star 
 y admit that 
 t of ascent , 
 the city and 
 ost step. As 
 and friend,'' 
 plain some- 
 to mine, the 
 'owever, the 
 •eceived, was 
 discourse. 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 CHArTErv XXIT. 
 
 A LEVEE OF THE «UAVE. 
 
 Lucknow saw the levee of the F^iave. Not a dress exhibition 
 of such braves as may be found anywhere ready to march past 
 a Prince — the brave in gold and tinsel, in moustaches and 
 uniforms ; but the brave who, at the i)cril of their lives, and 
 desi)ite the entreaties of friends, remained true to tlie Hag at », 
 moment when fidelity i)romised nothing but suffering. 
 
 It was about four o'clock in the afternoon wIkmi a sharp drive 
 landed me in the midst of an extraordiiuiry scene. In tlie back- 
 ground stood a pile of charred ruins, bullet-seamed, shell-beaten, 
 fire-broken heaps of stones. A circle of trees enclosed the 
 whole scene — trees heavy with foliage, deej) groves of bright 
 green leaves. In tlie centre was a mound of earth, on the top 
 of which was a triangle of wood, surmounted by two Union 
 Jacks. In front and on the two other sides, the third of which 
 was the ruin I have referied to, were long lines of troops ; those 
 in front Sikh and Punjabee regiments, attired somewhat after 
 the fashion of Highland soldiers, except that they wear 
 '' breeks," while those at the sides were European battalions. 
 In rear of the Sikhs, and under the shade of the trees, two 
 batteries of artillery were drawn up ready to salute. Inside 
 the space thus held by the soldiers, and close to the mound, 
 were ladies and gentlemen in brilliant costumes. Natives, too, 
 in the bright-hued dresses of holiday attire, helped to fill in the 
 already striking picture by clustering round the lines of the 
 troops and endeavouring to peer over their shoulders and 
 between their fixed bayonets. But neither ladies nor gentle- 
 
THE I'UINCE IN fNhlA. 
 
 men, Kn<,'liHli noi- Punjaljoc HoldiovH, worn tlic; most iiotiibh; of 
 those prosont. Tlio dark liiios of the artillory and 8iklis con- 
 trasiod with tho briglit scarlet of the Line; the deep, full 
 turbans of the PuTijabecs and the helmets of the English, with 
 the snowy white puggarecis of the Bengalese — all this and mucii 
 more might have been noted, but they were not all. Only as 
 a s(!tting to a rich g(!m such as might be gazed at again and 
 again, could all this bo considered. You wonder what this may 
 be. On the top of the mound, close by the foundation stone, 
 stand some two hundred veterans, grizzhxl and grey, their 
 breasts covered with medals and stars of valour. Their uni- 
 forms are as varied as are their castes and races. Sikhs tall 
 and stalwart, Bengalese small and wiry, Portuguese and halt- 
 caste, Punjabees and natives of the Malabar coast, all are there. 
 These are the brave of Lucknow, the natives who kept yonder 
 charred ruined in those dark days when death stared them in 
 the face and escajjc seemed only possible by treachery. 
 
 Suddenly the guns under the trees thunder out a salut(\ 
 How the buildings rattle, how the noise echoes through tiie 
 corridors of the ruin ! From the very spot where that artillery 
 is placed — not one gun at a time, but fifty, loaded to tlio 
 muzzle with grape and canister, or crammed with heavy shot, 
 hurled missiles against those trcmbUng walls. Ladies and 
 men, too, are actually shaking their heads at the clatter and the 
 din which these little nine-pounder xVrmstrongs make as they 
 are discharged singly. The veterans on the mound swerve not ; 
 they could tell you of an hour when the earth tiemblcd witli 
 the vibration of artillery, when thousands of blood-thirsty 
 ruffians, hidden away under the trees round the mound, were 
 discharging their muskets every moment at anything that ;q> 
 peared like a human being on the walls of the Eesidency. One 
 gun, forsooth ! — that pandemonium of 1857 cannot be forgotten 
 in the clatter and the din of to-day. The firing is not intended, 
 however, to remind us of the teirible noise of the Lucknow 
 
 ^ 
 
A LF.VRE OF TUE HUAVE. 
 
 22' 
 
 b notiiblo of 
 [ 8ikhs con- 
 e deep, full 
 ngliHli, with 
 is and much 
 11. Only as 
 it again and 
 hat this may 
 elation stone, 
 grey, their 
 Their uni- 
 . Sikhs tall 
 ese and halt- 
 all are there. 
 > kept yonder 
 ;ared them in 
 lery. 
 
 out a salute. 
 through the 
 that artillery 
 oaded to tlu 
 1 heavy shot, 
 Ladies and 
 atter and tlio 
 make as they 
 y\ swerve not ; 
 remblcd with 
 blood-thirsty 
 mound, wero 
 ;hing that up- 
 idency. One 
 ►t be forgotten 
 , not intended, 
 the Lucknow 
 
 
 siege; it is a «aliito— a sound of joy. Tlie Priiu-e is coming, 
 attended by his suite, to lay the foundation-stone of a memorial 
 to the native brave who f<'ll in the tight, in the presence of the 
 brare who survive. 
 
 All on a. sudden the word of command is given for a Royal 
 salute ; arms are pre.sented along the lines ; the bands iinited 
 play the National Anthom, and the I'rince and his suite, the 
 Duke of S\itherland, Lord Alfred Paget, Lord Suiiield, Lord 
 Aylesford, Cfflonel Owen Williams, Major Sartorius, Mr. 
 Knollys, and some other peisons, come past the corner of the 
 ruins, and so upon the mound. The veterans raise their hands 
 to their foreheads ; the spectators bare their heads ; the Prince 
 bows ; and then Mr. Cooper, himself one of the members of the 
 brave band who held the Residency, ste})^ forward and delivers 
 an oration on the merits of the grey soldiers who stand before 
 the Prince. It is a subject upon which he may well be elocpumt. 
 Who could not wax warm when dwelling on that fight of 
 heroes'? His address, too, is extempore, and, what is more to 
 the i)urpose, at tim(\s impassioned. He remembers the dark 
 days when, had yonder brave men faltered, the dark sea of 
 rebellion had swallowed them up alive ; and, mindful of the fact 
 that he is one of those who owe their lives to the fidelity of the 
 vieux soldats, he stints not language in telling of their deeds of 
 valour. You and I have heard addresses of which we grew 
 tired ; many a time we have wished the laboured speech could 
 be " taken as read." But in presence of the dark ruins, in 
 presence of the piece of stone which, hanging from the triangle 
 of wood, is to commemorate forever, telling to generations ur 
 born the grand deeds which faithful natives achieved, he may 
 well be careless of time. How one turns round and looks with 
 new interest at the tiny fortress, the mere house in fact, which 
 for five montlis sustained that terrible siege ! How shut out 
 from all the world it seems by that dense circle of trees ! Why, 
 it is in a hollow, that hollow in tlio centre of a wide-stretching 
 
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 ;■ 
 
 ■^ i< I 
 
 5 ii 
 
 .1 
 
 I \ 
 
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 Pi 
 
 228 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 phiin wljicli it has taken you hours in a swift morning train to 
 pass over. You remembei that when these veterans were in 
 tljose -battered walls, help was far away, and vengeance very 
 near. Ymi need not fancy to paint the myriads of bloodthirsty 
 villiiins in the groves, or working under cover of '^nts and 
 broken houses, close by the Residency. Gaze around you ; place 
 a musket in the hands of the thousands Vvho are now quietly 
 looking on this peaceful scence; send 500 men, women, and 
 children into the " fort " once more, give to the Sikhs and 
 Punjabee regiments, with many more of their comrades, plenty 
 or artillery, an unlimited supply of ammunition, and leave to 
 kill and destroy — thought need travel no further — yet you have 
 not then half pictured the scene which Lucknow beheld before 
 Havelock had reached it, while yet Lawrence lived. 
 
 The Prince as he stands there is evidently no careless listener, 
 V7ithout any sign of weariness he hears Mr. Cooper to the end, 
 and tijen, without notes of any kind, touches his hat and replies. 
 Brief but to the point are the words he chooses. He acknow- 
 ledges Uie bravery of the men he meets to-day ; he praises them 
 for their fidelity, and then points out that such monuments as 
 that about to be constructed must tend to the good of all, niust 
 act as incentives to bravery and fidelity to Europeans and 
 natives alike. Then, icoving back to the stone. His Royal 
 Highness takes the trowel in hand with all the air of an accomp- 
 lished mason, and spreading the mortar carefully, while the 
 veterans look curiously and inquisitively on, himself superin- 
 ieLds the placing of the stone, gives it three taps with the 
 ruallet, and declares it well and truly laid. 
 
 Then comes the levee of the brave. There is no raised dais, 
 no servants with maces, no punkah-bearers, no carriers of um- 
 brellas, no clerkly person to call over a roll of names. There 
 are those on the Prince's suite who would like something a 
 little more stately — some fitting ceremony in a proper place — 
 somewhere from which the common herd could be excluded 
 
h 
 
 A LEVEE OF THE BRAVE. 
 
 229 
 
 ling train to 
 ixns were in 
 igeance very 
 bloodthirsty 
 of ^nts and 
 d you ; place 
 now quietly 
 women, and 
 e Sikhs and 
 rades, plenty 
 and leave to 
 yet you have 
 beheld before 
 d. 
 
 eless listener, 
 er to the end, 
 ,t and replies. 
 He aeknow- 
 praises them 
 Lonuments as 
 \ of all, niust 
 iropeans and 
 His Royal 
 Df an accomp- 
 while the 
 iself superin- 
 ips with the 
 
 o raised dais, 
 rriers of um- 
 
 ttmes. There 
 something a 
 
 iroper place — 
 be excluded 
 
 Mr 
 
 f 
 
 and from which special correspondents might be shut out. 
 This is scarcely dignified enough for such exquisites ; and one 
 or two of them do not fail to say so. But the Prince is of 
 more sensible stuli', is more of a man than many around him, 
 and he holds his lev^e of the brave in sight of the place where 
 their glorious deeds were done. Standing, tliou, on tlie green 
 mound — a little in advance of his suite — his Royal Highness 
 awaits the introduction of his courtiers. Major Cubitt at once 
 steps forward to act as Master of the Ceremonies ; Canon Duck- 
 worth, minister of peace, but none the less admirer of the brave, 
 assumes the role of Assistant-Master of Ceremonies ; Lord 
 Alfred Paget and General Probyn ar 3 close at hand to direct 
 the movements of the veterans as they pass by, and thus tlie 
 Court is formed. 
 
 The first who have the honour of being introduced to the 
 Prince are a number of scarlet-coated Jeminda^'s and Soubad- 
 hars who lutve since the memorable days of 1857 risen from 
 the ranks to the dignity of officers. As they go by they salute 
 the Prince, and then, at the bidding of General Probyn, hold 
 out the handles of their swords, whereupon the Prince touches 
 them, and the veterans, saluting again, move on slowly. Those 
 officers know their duty, are well disciplined, and have not for- 
 gotten the rules of the service Not so those who follow them. 
 These have, since the days when they were on parade — years 
 ago in the case of many of them — lost sight of the golden maxim 
 of strict obedience, and are altogether unmindful of the injunc- 
 tion to " move on." They linger, indeed, as long as tliey possil)ly 
 can, gazing wistfully into the lace of the " Burra Sahib," the 
 Prince, for whose Royal mother they once fought .^o well. 
 They are not content with one salute, or two even, but raise 
 their withered hands over and over again tj their grey heads, 
 and smilingly bow to the great stranger without so much as a 
 notion of leaving the mound and making room for some one 
 else. The Prince, too, shows no haste to be rid of them, but 
 

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 ( 
 
 ':■ 1 I; 
 
 hi i'' 
 
 \l 
 
 230 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 good iiatu redly bows to each of them several times, smiling at 
 their honest, loyal enthusiasm, and forgetting for the moment 
 that the sun is setting. Very differently, however, does the 
 stern, though kindly General Probyn view the m otter. All 
 must pass the Prince, or endless jealousies would be aroused 
 and grievous wrong done — therefore all must obey the ruie of 
 motion, and go forward. So when one lingers long he is taken 
 gently by the arm, and passed quietly along to the rear of the 
 mound, generally receiving in such a case a kindly word from 
 Lord Alfred Paget or a pressure of the hand from the worthy 
 Canon Duckworth. The old soldiers seem to understand it all 
 — at any rate, they are the last men in the world to mutiny 
 now that they know what the Sahibs wish. 
 
 Then come by a number of turbaned veterans, in light brown 
 uniforms. Many of them have four medals on their breasts ; 
 they are now officers in the police, and admirable fellows they 
 are. They, too, hold ouo their sword-handles, which are touched. 
 After them come a number of old men, whose appearance fills 
 the '^yes of many present with tears. There is one who can 
 only walk with the aid of his two sons, for he is blind ; a 
 splinter of shell within the walls of the ruins deprived him 
 of sight ; another, who cannot walk at all, even with help, 
 but who comes by on the palms of his hands, i^ winging a 
 crippled body as he moves along. How that poor face lights 
 up with joy as he is addressed by the "ince, and actually 
 asked to extend his hand that his Royal Highness may 
 touch it ! This is, indeed, an h(mour which he had never ex- 
 pected — to have his hand taken by one who is greater than the 
 greatest Princes of his own land. To be spoken to at all seems 
 too great an honour to one poor old fellow, who forthwith bursts 
 out crying, and has to be led away sobbing by Canon Duck- 
 worth. It is, indeed, too much for many of the poor souls, who 
 quite forget the necessity for going on, and, lost in amazement, 
 stand chutCuring and gibbering like bevvilduied monkeys. Some- 
 
A LEVEE OF THE BRAVE. 
 
 231 
 
 i, smiling at 
 the moment 
 T, does the 
 n otter. All 
 be aroused 
 Y the rule of 
 ; he is taken 
 e rear of the 
 y word from 
 1 the worthy 
 jrstand it all 
 id to mutiny 
 
 1 light brown 
 heir breasts ] 
 fellows they 
 L are touched. 
 Dearance fills 
 one who can 
 is blind ; a 
 eprived him 
 n with help, 
 swinging a 
 Dr face lights 
 and actually 
 Lghness may 
 ad never ex- 
 ater than the 
 ) at all seems 
 thwith bursts 
 Canon Duck- 
 >or souls, who 
 1 amazement, 
 nkeys. Some- 
 
 V 
 
 times, however, a smile is raised by the furtive attempt of 
 some disappointed one who has carefully prepared a petition 
 which he intends to present to the Prince. Furtively he con- 
 ceals it in the palm of his hand, and just when he thinks 
 General Probyn's quick eye is a little less wakeful than usual- 
 he pushes the paper into the Prince's hand. But it is all to no 
 purpose. The Prince would look at it, perhaps ; but he must 
 not. The crumpled, soiled document is promptly handed back 
 to its owner, who shuffles away full of disappointment. What 
 is his grievance ? Can it be that some of those brave ones who 
 saved India for us are in actual want ? I hear a whisper that 
 3uch is the case. Would that that whisper could be proved un- 
 true ! I fear it cannot. 
 
 In this way the procession moves past. There is a man with 
 only one leg and another with a curiously wounded foot, which 
 he shows the Prince ; another has no legs at all ; several have 
 only one arm. In uniforms they vary, as I have said, very 
 greatly. One old gentleman has got on a coat which looks as 
 though it belonged to a field-marshals uniform ; another looks 
 like a Frenchman of Pondicherry. They totter up one after 
 another ; some are touched on the hands ; others are specially 
 introduced to the Prince by Major Cubitt. Men who carried 
 messages through the enemy's camp ; men who risked their 
 lives over and over again in open conflict ; men who were 
 patiently faithful in the presence of all kinds of temptation and 
 danger — such were honourably mentioned as they went by. 
 Two hundred men of an Old Guard, superior in point of bravery 
 to the windy corps that made its boast that it died but never 
 surrendered ; two hundred faithful followers of Horatius, who 
 in days of old kept the bridge ; two hundred valiant ones thus 
 passed by the Prince in presence of many thousands of their 
 countrymen just outside the c'ty of Lucknow. Then, the levee 
 over, the troops once more presented arms, and again tlie band 
 played. The guns rallied out a lloyal sahUe. and Ihe Prince 
 
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 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA, 
 
 I 
 
 piissed to his carriage. Wliile many a one, mindful of the da;^^ 
 in which the veterans gained their honours, wandered into i!^j-\ 
 Residency, through the vaults, between the bullet-scarred ^*§**<^ 
 lars, and past the loopholed walls, wondering how so frf^M^ /ib,„ 
 structure, riddled as it was with shot and shell, could he j}^ .'^^0^ 
 for an hour against the hordes of the rebellious soldiers — w^i\j*,jr 
 thoughts came into our minds at such a moment time forbids ^^jj^r. 
 tell. How the tablet which marks where Lawrence fell, tTi^j^.^ 
 board which points out where the Baillie guard was stationed, 
 the charred walls and the sashless windows, affected such of us 
 as had never looked on so thrilling a scene before, need not be 
 dwelt upon. The levee of the brave was over ; darkness was 
 coming on ; it was high time to leave the scene of England's 
 pride and her enemies' humiliation. 
 
 The next day was partly spent in an inspection of the ruins 
 of Lucknow, and partly in a pig-sticking expedition, which was 
 about as unsuccessful as the previous attempts of the Royal 
 party, and resulted in an accident to Lord Carington, who broke 
 his collar-bone while attempting to spear a boar. 
 
 On the previous evening, however, a short ceremony took 
 place in the Kaiser Bagh, or King's Residence, which deserves 
 some notice. 
 
 6 "e, without doubt, a noble set of 
 intric and their habits objection- 
 
 men ; M 
 
 The Talukdars of - 'e 
 dresses iHc, 
 able, b..' i their v 
 titles when our respecu 
 their toilots with the aid 
 gilt card was received a 
 Oude " requested the honoi. 
 the missive with about the . 
 cahaUero of Si)ain were he 
 Castile to favour them with 
 
 )igment. 
 •ing that 
 
 e blood of the barons who had 
 
 rs lived upon acorns and made 
 
 When, therefore, a 
 
 the Talukdars of 
 
 ' my company, I looked upon 
 
 feelings that would animate a 
 
 ited by all their worslii})s of 
 
 company. There was nothing 
 
 on the document to denote uhe nature of the ceremony con- 
 templated. It might be a Nautcli dance and a song or two from 
 
 f 
 
A LEVEE OF THE VJIAVE. 
 
 233 
 
 of the dcay^^ 
 :ed into tlfei --^ 
 -scarred ''^f^ 
 w so fr{^ ?^'ifc., 
 )uld he 1)^ S-^" 
 diers — w):i\i^jf 
 lie forbids ^^> 
 snce fell, tli%.^ 
 as stationed, 
 ed such of us 
 . need not be 
 larkness was 
 of England's 
 
 I of the ruins 
 
 p, which was 
 
 of the Royal 
 
 n, who broke 
 
 iremony took 
 Ihich deserves 
 
 noble set of 
 kts objectiou- 
 [■ons who had 
 L-ns and made 
 \^ therefore, a 
 Calukdars of 
 
 looked upon 
 lild animate a 
 
 worships of 
 
 was nothinj? 
 fcremony con 
 
 ortwofroiii 
 
 i 
 
 m 
 
 'rival of 'Mv. Chuckcrbutty, of Calcutta. It could not well 
 banquet, for the hour was too late ; and if only an address 
 ••l*;o be presented to the Prince, the occasion could scarcely 
 ■led a/^'f'.'. Tlicre was something very mysterious about 
 '' I accordingly set off early in search of the famous hall, 
 ishercd in with equal expedition by a mute giant who 
 >■ ^ ed a sword, and so entered the apartment in which the 
 
 .'Ortainment was to take place. 
 
 I remember, when very young, receiving as a present from a 
 thoughtful friend a box of wooden slabs on which were imprinted 
 re))resentations of the Kings and Queens of England. But for 
 the knowledge that I was actually with the Talukdar.s of Oude, 
 I should have imagined that those slabs had been ^dvified in 
 some unknown way, and that the Kings of England were all 
 walking about in the room. There were no Queens. Elizabeth 
 with her abnormally long bodice and huge frill, and the much 
 meeker Queen Anne, were neither of them to be seen ; but 
 King John most distinctly sat in a corner with the very crown 
 he always used to wear, according to those painted bricks, on 
 his head and his sceptre in Lis left hand, also like the ancient 
 picture. King Richard, a little dark perhaps, but undoubtedly 
 the original Cceur de Lion, marched up and down with a great 
 hatchet in nis belt and a very serviceabie-lo^ v .mg steel coronet 
 on his head ; and although I could not detQ^;u Rufus of the red 
 hair, I came across Edward II. two minut^f i. Awards. Indeed, 
 had I still had those bricks with me, I could have fixed upon 
 the names of every one present in a few minutes, for the twenty 
 or thirty gentlemen present all wore crowns, and though some 
 were seated on chairs and others squatted on the floor, they 
 looked all of them kings " erv^ery inch." One, however, 
 attracted my particular attention, and, without minute reference 
 to history, I named him Edmund the Uneasy. Incessantly this 
 worthy monarch wandered about as though he were the troubled 
 ghost of somebody who, having centuries ago hidden his crown, 
 
 10 
 
 
If' 
 
 ■*' 
 
 i 
 
 t ' « 
 
 ■\ 
 
 234 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA, 
 
 had ooine back to tell treasure-seekers where to fiiul it. Ili.^ 
 mission, however, turned out to be the very reverse of this, and 
 what that was will presently transpire. Up to this the Kings 
 were all alone — no one else had had the curiosity to come early 
 — but now the compjiny began to arrive and to be placed. The 
 natives who came found no difficulty in this. The floor was 
 wide ; it was only necessary to preserve the line of march to ;i 
 throne which stood at one end of the room, so they pleasantly 
 sat down on the boards, crossed their feet and their hands, and 
 were hapj)y. As for the Europeans, they stood in the rear, or 
 walked out on to a large balcony where chairs were placed, and 
 whence they could see the illuminations of Lucknow. 
 
 All this'^me Edmund the Uneasy flitted about anxiously. 
 At length he appeared to gain confidence, and after some con- 
 sideration invited several of up into an inner room where lay 
 the treasure he so carefully guarded. There were golden vessels 
 for betel nut and pan leaves, intended specially, we were told 
 for the use of the Princess of Wales, though in what way hoi 
 Royal Highness is to use them we were not told. But tlicso 
 were only subsidiary gifts. The real present was a great crown 
 of crimson velvet and gold, covered with gems of considerable 
 value, and decorated with all the skill that natives could devise. 
 We were not allowed to touch the precious h3ad-dress — only to 
 look, being kept at a very respectful distance, while the crown 
 was lifted an inch or so out of its case, and then popped back- 
 as quickly as though it had been a sensitive plate which could 
 not bear the light. Just at this moment a band announced the 
 approach of the Prince, whereupon five or six Talukdars entered 
 the apartment and proceeded at once to take charge of the 
 treasure. Then a procession was formed, which, between the 
 rows of people seated on the floor, passed up to where the 
 Prince was with the crown, and the betel nut and pan-leaf 
 cases, and a huge address on an enormous roll. I do not know 
 what the Prince thought of the apparition; but he had [jleni)' 
 
A LIVEE OF THE BRAVE. 
 
 2:\r^ 
 
 find it. Hi.- 
 ^e of this, ami 
 liis the Kings 
 to come early 
 i placed. The 
 The floor wns 
 of march to a 
 ley pleasantly 
 eir hands, and 
 .n the rear, or 
 jre placed, and 
 low. 
 
 out anxiously, 
 ifter some con- 
 oom where lay 
 p golden vessels 
 ■we were told 
 what way lu'i 
 Id. But these 
 ,s a great cro^vn 
 |of considerahlM 
 es could devise. 
 ■dress— only to 
 hile the crown 
 n popped back 
 ^te which could 
 announced the 
 llukdars entered 
 charge of the 
 |h, between the 
 to where the 
 it and pan-leaf 
 I do not know 
 .t he had pi* lu)' 
 
 of time to recover his com})Osure before the address was finishcil ; 
 for the declaration of loyalty from the Barons of Oude was not 
 a light or insignificant document, but a work of considerable 
 labour, and as such required to be read slowly and with em- 
 phasis. At length it ended, the crown and other presents were 
 produced and accepted, the Prince returned thanks, and then 
 a general move was made first of all to the balcony for a peep 
 at the tire-works, and then to the supper table, where Taluk- 
 dars and j^eople who till that night were not even aware that 
 such notabilities existed sat down together and feasted. A 
 notable fact in connection with the visit to Lucknow might 
 here be mentioned. Both on coming to and departing from tlie 
 fete the Prince received a royal salute of artillery ; his every 
 •novement, indeed, was the signal for heavy firing — an arrange- 
 ment which seemed to impress the native mind most satis- 
 factorily. 
 
 " I was standing by this well, sir," said an old Sikh to me as 
 we passed through the Residency, *' saying pre^yers to my God, 
 when two bullets came and killed an Englisli officer who was 
 on one side of me, and a comrade who stood on the other. I 
 come to this well every year now to say a prayer, and that is 
 why I am here to-day." It was a grand old veteran who thus 
 spoke, one who had been presented to the Prince the previous 
 day, on whose breast four medfils and the star, which bears the 
 words " For Valour," hung ; so we thankfully accepted his 
 offer to guide our portion of the party over the ground so bravely 
 held by Sir Henry Lawrence. 
 
 Lucknow Residency has been too often described for a detail- 
 ed account of what the Prince saw to be written. Yet there 
 are several facts to be mentioned. We found the ruins them- 
 selves in excellent preservation ; the tops of the broken walls 
 had been covered with a composition which retained the loose 
 stones in their places ; and the Residency bids fair to stand, 
 black, shot-riddled, ruin as it is, as a monument of English 
 
 \4 
 
I* i 
 
 p 
 
 I 
 
 y 
 
 I 
 
 i;:> 
 
 ' ) 
 
 \\ 
 
 1^: 
 
 
 I I 
 
 i, 4 
 
 ! ; 
 
 t.! 
 
 236 
 
 PriTH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 endurance. Here and there plants have climbed the walls, 
 found their way through holes, and covered desolate corners^ 
 with a warm covering of leaves ; but this does not affect the 
 appearance of the place. These bare walls tell their own talo, 
 though the ground round them is now converted into one of the 
 loveliest gardens, and roses and honeysuckles are being traininl 
 up the tower. Happily the spot where each particularly bravo 
 action and heroic deed occurred has been fixed, so that the 
 Prince as he went along could learn, from tables fixed on little 
 pillars specially erected, which wan Sikh-square, where were 
 . gl <=>' quarters, where the celebratod house in which Mr. Gub- 
 bins lived, and in what room the brave Sir Henry Lawrence 
 died. Even the rent by which that fatal shell entered was 
 pointed out, and the places struck by pie(?es of the Iragments 
 noted. Some one complained that the monument which was 
 erected some years ago inside the garden, had been placed upon 
 a mound, and by that means a full view of the position was ol)- 
 structed. But when the celebrated tower was ascended the 
 whole was seen at once, and the fearful odds against which the 
 handful of British soldiers fought appreciated. 
 
 A field cf moderate size, pai^tly enclosed by a wall, partly by 
 a hedge, containing two or three buildings of no very solid 
 description — such was the place which these brave people hold. 
 They were shut out from all the world, could see nothing but 
 the trees and the enemy, except when they ascended the tower, 
 whera the distant river and the stone bride by which the muti- 
 neers eventually escaped could be descried. I do not think the 
 Prince went down into the cellars in which the women and 
 children were placed, but some of us did, and found tb? place 
 in the same condition as they left it in, except for the facL that 
 all the Smiths, Browns, Joneses, and P.obinsons in the world 
 appear to have written their names on the v/all with i^ number 
 of remaj^kSj amongst which passages of Scripture are freq uent. 
 It is a pity f-hat for such an outrage they were not shut up in 
 
 I 
 
 • ^ i 
 
A LEVEE OF THE BRAVE, 
 
 237 
 
 3d the walls, 
 olato co^nel■f^ 
 lot affect tlio 
 leir own talo, 
 ito one of the 
 being trained 
 icularly brave 
 [, so that the 
 fixed on little 
 3, where were 
 liich Mr. Gub- 
 iniy Lawrence 
 1 entered was 
 the fragments 
 ent which was 
 en placed upon 
 osition was ob- 
 ascended the 
 inst which the 
 
 wall, partly by 
 no very solid 
 VQ people held, 
 e nothing but 
 df^d the tower, 
 diich the muti- 
 L» not think tho 
 \e women and 
 3und th e place 
 )r the fact that 
 3 in the world 
 with ^ number 
 are frequent 
 lot shut up in 
 
 the vaults for a few days in the hot weather — their loquacity 
 would have diminished with considerable rapidity. 
 
 The Secunder Bagh, where two thousand rebels were caught 
 and put to death, a great square enclosed by a high wall, re- 
 mains as it was, save that a road has been run through at one 
 end. Still the walls are otherwise untouched ; the loopholes 
 which the Sepoys made are there yet ; the gate is a ruin, and 
 the tomb inside, a wreck. All over the ground a number of 
 young trees are shooting up, so that in process of time the scene 
 of the massacre will be exceedingly pretty. Where Havelock 
 rests in the Alumbagh roses cover the ground ; the walls here, 
 too, are untouched, the breaches made in them have been left 
 as they were, and the palace itself has not been rei)aired. Most 
 of the party received from the hands of a native who takes 
 charge of the grave a bunch of roses and other blossoms as a 
 sou vonir of the place. 
 
 At Cawnpore the Prince's visit was a very short one. His 
 Royal Highness arrived late in the afteinoon, dined at the house 
 of one of the local civilians, visited the scenes of the massacre, 
 the Memorial Gardens, the river, and the church, and then took 
 his departure for Delhi. A full moon had risen in a cloudless 
 sky when we started for these historic places. Of course there 
 was a certain order to be observed, quite different from what 
 the chronologial course of events would warrant, but in the 
 end everything was shown us. 
 
 Tj\e first place to which we drove was the well, situated in 
 the centre of magnificent gardens, at the gates of which all 
 natives were requested to remain. Slowly moving up the path- 
 way between richly-flowering beds of roses, the cuttings for 
 which had come from England, we came at last to the Memorial, 
 " sacred to the perpetual memory " of the slain. As is already 
 well known, the well is covered with a marble seraph, which, 
 with outstretched wings, watches over the place where the dead 
 were hidden. X cannot describe the eilect of the briuht moon's 
 
 
■ M *"*** -" ^-'' 
 
 14 
 
 J' 
 
 1 
 
 ■'; I 
 
 i 
 
 ■\ 
 
 238 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 rays on the white marble work — how the whole memorial stood 
 out in its lonely grandeur on that delightful night. They did 
 well to exclude natives from the place ; the feeling aroused by 
 the sight of that memorial and the adjacent graveyard is not 
 congenial to them. The slaughter-house where women and 
 children were hacked to pieces is gone, but scores of graves, 
 some with monuments erected by " passers-by," by " brother- 
 soldiers," by " men of the regiment," and some without either 
 name or date, tell their own story. Over each hang roses from 
 England ; the gr.i.ss is carefully tended, the pathway admirably 
 kept. If they must be buried in alien soil, no more beautiful 
 spot coukl be discovered in the world. 
 
 From thence to the Memorial Church, which is an extremely 
 pretty red brick l)inlding, and built on the site of Wheeler's en- 
 trenchment, was no very great distance. It has only just been 
 consecrated, and has therefore an appearance of newness, which 
 does not quite accord with the objects around it. It also boasts 
 an echo, which, I am told, bewilders the clergyman and as- 
 tonishes his hearers, so that, en the whole it is scarcely a suc- 
 cess. But we had little time for a prolonged inspection, having 
 to hurry away to the river side where the Nana began his miser- 
 able butcheries. 
 
 Coming to the top of a slope which led down to the water's 
 edge, we were requested to dismount, there being no road tor 
 carriages; and quitting the vehicles, therefore, at the corner 
 where the victims first gave themselves into the hands of their 
 destroyers, and where later on the brother of the Nana was 
 hanged on a gallows, we passed down the gully which was be- 
 fore us. It was no gi'eat length, some two hundred yards per- 
 haps, and then the Hindoo temple in which the Nana planted 
 his cannon was reached. The scene 'of so much villainv is 
 
 ft/ 
 
 happily a ruin, yet not so greatly destroyed as to prevent a full 
 appreciation of what took place on that memorable day. On 
 the left of the pile was the place at which the fugitives embaik- 
 
A. 
 
 A LKVEH OF THE BlfAVE. 
 
 239 
 
 memorial stood 
 ght. They did 
 ing aroused by 
 aveyard is not 
 re women and 
 ores of graves, 
 ' by "brother- 
 
 without either 
 lang roses from 
 way admirably 
 
 more beautiful 
 
 ed ; their desire was to pass the temple, and so go down the 
 river. The Nana had stationed his men all along the shore on 
 the opposite side of the river, and in the temple too, and how 
 he used them need not be related again. An aged Hindoo said 
 that the Nana, after giving the order for the massacre, ran away. 
 I connot trust myself to give; expression to the feelings which 
 we experienced as wc looked at the astonishing scene in tho 
 bright moonlight. 
 
 s an extremely 
 »f Wheeler's en- 
 only just been 
 newness, which 
 It also boasts 
 jyman and as- 
 scarcely a siic- 
 Dection, having 
 egan his miser- 
 
 to the water's 
 ig no road for 
 at the corner 
 hands of their 
 the Nana was 
 which was be- 
 red yards per- 
 Nana planted 
 ch villainv is 
 prevent a full 
 ble day. On 
 itives embark- 
 
\ 
 
 ] 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 t 
 
 i 
 
 ( 
 
 1 
 
 ,1 
 
 ' 1 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 I ''( 
 
 Ih; 
 
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 I 
 
 1 1 
 
 '!• 
 
 CHArXEli XXIII. 
 
 A REVIEW OF DELHI. 
 
 Although it is unnecessary to describe at length the Prince's 
 entry into Dellii, there ciin be no doubt that of all places in 
 India this city of the Moguls boasts historic recolleetions most 
 dear to Englishmen. It was the scene of fighting such as must 
 ever stamp our soldiers as the bravest of the brave, the centre 
 and the stronghold of the mutiny, tho key to the possession of 
 India ; and when it was proposed, therefore to hold a grand 
 review on the plains where less than twenty years ago the 
 great struggle took place, English from all parts of the land, 
 from the plains of Madras to the hills of Simla, from the mouth 
 of the Hooghly and the frontier of the Punjab, from Bombay 
 and even from Ceylon, came to see and be seen. Nor were 
 these all the strangers. A goodly number had come out from 
 the mother country itself to be present at the spectacle ; there 
 were American Generals and a German Count; a nervous little 
 man whispered, too, that there were Russian spies, which was 
 very likely true, but also very possibly only the creation of the 
 imagination. Foremost among the spectators of course was the 
 Prince, in whose honour, indeed, the fete was to take place — 
 one which will long be remembered in military annals. 
 
 Six o'clock had scarcely struck, when, driving into the road 
 which leads to the Cashmere State, I found myself in a motley 
 throng such as could not be met with outside of India. People 
 in every description of clothing, from the simple waistcloth to 
 the thick quilt, people with turbans and people with hats, peo- 
 ple on horseback and people afoot, riding on ele])hants, on camels, 
 on mules, on cows, some in open carrriages, and others in the plea- 
 
A REVIEW OF DELHI. 
 
 241 
 
 th tho Princo's 
 )f all places in 
 Dllections most 
 ig such as must 
 a,ve, the centre 
 le possession of 
 ) hold a grand 
 years ago the 
 |ts of the land, 
 rom the mouth 
 from Bombay 
 3n. Nor were 
 come out from 
 lectacle ; there 
 nervous little 
 lies, which was 
 creation of the 
 bourse was the 
 take place — 
 [nnals. 
 into the road 
 If in a motley 
 ndia. People 
 waistcloth to 
 ith hats, peo- 
 |nts, on camels, 
 lers in the pleu- 
 
 Hant vehicles of tlio countj-y— contrivances somowliat of tho 
 shape of parrot cages, very little larger, and nuich less inviting 
 — some again in bullock gharries, and otluM-s in nondescript 
 carts, which, for the want of a bettor generic title, must be 
 called gigs, hundreds in close oblong boxes, light cabs, and 
 many more in palancpuns, all crowded togetluir in tho road, 
 hustling, shouting, slirieking at each other, beating their ani- 
 mals, occasionally thrashing each other, and always regardless 
 of tho comfort or convenience of everybody else sav(; themselves 
 and frieiids, so anxious were they to be at the review. For 
 many reasons it is well that the streets of Delhi are not narrow. 
 They might be the hiding-place of rebels ; they would certainly 
 be the receptacle of much that is ecpially objectionable, and, 
 what is more to my purpose just now, would have been simply 
 impassable to such a mass of struggling life as tilled them that 
 morning. The elephants would have trodden down the muh^s, 
 the camels would have cannoned against the horses, bullocks 
 would have run wild, gharries been upset, and soldiers and 
 civilians alike, horsemen and footmen too, would have been 
 mingled in disaster. Hai)pily this was not the case. We 
 giunibled, we shouted , some, sad to relate, used expressions 
 which would have shocked good Lord Chesterfield ; we now 
 and then grazed wheels, trod on each other's corns — it was just 
 as well not to tread on the elephant's toes — but, though we all 
 made everybody else and ourselves supremely uncomfortable, 
 open collision was avoided, and, like a very troubled stream, 
 we slowly rolled along. Still the ^.lace was conveniently fitted 
 for a struggle — the very air seemed to smell of powder. 
 
 We were in the exact place where in 1857 the most desper- 
 ate fights on record took place. For were we not under the 
 shelter of the Cashmere ^ to, that terrible entrance which wit- 
 nessed the slaughter and the final entry of the British troops 
 
 the place whore deeds of valour were done at which both lis- 
 tener and recounter even to-day tui-n pale ? Why, yonder was 
 
 .'i 
 
WITH THE PIUNCE IN IN 1)1 J. 
 
 the breach made by the English guns, now filled up by miitl, 
 but never to be rebuilt, fit monument of English pluck and 
 Mohammedan defeat. We can fancy how the crowd of treacli- 
 erous Sepoys fled as red-coated soldiers poured in at this gate 
 and over the wall, catching them at the base of a stone triangle 
 and bayonetting them as they ran. Some such struggling as 
 then was seen we aie sufi'ering now. Ours, iiowever, is, after 
 all, a peaceful fight, a bloodless war, a strife for place, not for 
 life — we are not revengeful or despairing ; we only wish to get 
 away from each other to be the best of friends for ever. For- 
 tunately for us, no battery is placed on the ridge opposite to 
 meet us as we pass through the gate, and throw us into more 
 confusion than ever ; we cross the breach in the wall and the 
 mosque from whence it was made, and so into the oj^en country, 
 though not into an open road. There is no space anywhere — 
 it is going to the Derby in the good old days, in company with 
 a more disorderly throng than ever filled the way to Epsom, 
 A very Babel, too, is this pla?e, so great is the confusion of 
 tongues, and so intent is everybody upon making as much noise 
 as possible. Our onward progress is more due to the fright of 
 the draught animals than to any skill on the part of their 
 drivers, as many a broken panel and splintered pole abundantly 
 testify. As we go along we see lOng lines of elephants drawn 
 up on either side. One is for the Prince ; its head is covered 
 with a mantle of gold made wholly of gold mohurs, worth 
 at least thirty ,«i:Iiiings a piece, and not so large on the face as 
 on English sovereign — you may guess the value. Its liowdah 
 is of scarlet clotli, richly embroidered with gold ; the Im})erial 
 crown is on one side of its trappings, the three feathers are on 
 the opposite one. Other elephants have less splendid equip- 
 ment, yet all are equally decorated, and seem to know it. A 
 mile further on we find the Prince's horses waiting to take him 
 on to the review ground ; about a mile further still is the lla;,'- 
 tttall' itself. 
 
i 
 
 illed up by miul, 
 iglish pluck and 
 I crowd of treacli- 
 id in at this gate 
 f a stone triangle 
 ach struggling as 
 iiowever, !.->, after 
 for place, not for 
 } only wish to get 
 Is for ever. Fov- 
 ridge opposite to 
 irow us into more 
 . the wall and the 
 the open country, 
 space anywhere— 
 in company with 
 le way to Epsom, 
 the confusion of 
 ing as much noise 
 lue to the friglit of 
 the part of their 
 d pole abundantly 
 If elephants drawn 
 Its head is covered 
 d mohurs, worth 
 li'o-e on the face as 
 lue. Its howdah 
 [old ; the Imperial 
 le feathers are on 
 ;s splendid eiiuip- 
 11 to know it. A 
 iting to take him 
 ler still is tlie Ihi^'- 
 
 A BE VIEW OF DELHI. 
 
 243 
 
 ¥M' 
 
 Once in position we have time to survey the field. A wide- 
 stretcliing plain surrounded by trees is that upon which you 
 stand. In front of you are the' troops drawn up, the infantry 
 in columns of battalions, in their rear the cavalry, artillery, and 
 siege train. At the distance which separates you from them, 
 you might imagine yourself standing beside a huge table on 
 which a kind of Kriegspiel is presently to be played, so level is 
 the ground, so compact and toylike look the columns. Every 
 kind of uniform is there — Engli.sh, Aflghan, Bengalee, and 
 Sikh. There is unfortunately no control or trans})ort service 
 present ; a hundred camels or so are close behind you, but they 
 are not in review order, and will not be officially inspected. 
 
 In the immediate neighbourhood of the flagstalF an oyum 
 space has been reserved for the Prince ; on each side of this 
 rows of carriages are drawn up, and then, extending in a long 
 line, leaning over ropes as though they were expecting races 
 rather than a review, are tens of thousands of natives. Had 
 you time, this crc j. is worthy of minute inspection. You 
 would see men passing huge pipes one to the other, taking a 
 prolonged draw and then handing them on; and scores who have 
 brought out with them not dogs, but little birds, partridges, 
 hawks, or, more proudly still, the jay, perched upon their arms. 
 For the last, be it known, is the bird in whom VLshnu especi- 
 ally delights; it is his steed, carries the god, and is venerated 
 accordingly A curious fancy is this of the Hindoos for 
 feather<'d pets ; they stroke them, tend them, kiss them, talk 
 to them, just as the Arab does to his horse, or you at home do 
 to your pet dogs. 
 
 While you are looking at them, however, the noise of horses* 
 feet behind you draws attention to the fact that Lord Napier 
 and his stati' are coming by, and the good old General, attended 
 by Colonel Martin Dillon, his private secretary, dashes to the 
 front at once. He has hardly taken his place before the I'rince 
 rides on , j the ground, advances to the General, shakes hands 
 
 H 
 'i'i ,. 
 
 w 
 
 li-(F 
 
I' 
 
 h 
 
 !) 
 
 '! 1 '' 
 
 ' \ 
 
 -> ir 
 
 1:! 
 
 I :' 
 
 ■i I 
 
 i ! 
 
 244 
 
 H'lTH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 with liim, exchanges d, word with Colonel Dillon, and then 
 proceeds to inspect the troops. To us, who have to wait behind, 
 this would in any other place be a tedious business. But on 
 such ground as this what half-hour could be badly spent 't The 
 Prince is actually on the very soil where the first battle of tlie 
 mutiny, excepting a slight skirmish at Meerut, was fought. 
 You can just see the walls of Padlee Ke Serai, where the fear- 
 ful struggle took place. An officer who stands by tells you 
 how on that day two thousand English troops routed hosts of 
 the enemy, captured twenty-six well-served guns, and drove 
 the discomfited wretches headlong into the city — how, at one 
 period of that action, he became so confused by the uniforms 
 which the rebels wore — spick and span direct from the arsenal— 
 that he gave orders to his men to cease firing, so nearly did 
 the enemy resemble English troops. And another recounts 
 hair-breadth escapes, relates to you how the deep seam across 
 his face was made by one of a great party of Sepoys who cut 
 him ofi" from his men, and almost from the face of the land alto- 
 gether ; while a third, a Victoria Cross man, modestly describes 
 the fighting which took place where he stood. They occupied 
 the ridge which faces you before noon on that fearful day, and 
 began the investment of Delhi which resulted in the suppres- 
 sion of the mutiny. 
 
 At length the bands have ceased to play the National An- 
 them in difierent keys, the Prince is returning to the flagstaff, 
 and the musicians themselves are massing for the purpose of 
 })laying as the troops go by. Then you hear " Bonnie Dun- 
 dee," and know that, if not the Campbells, at least the artillery 
 are coming. With superb dressing the famous chestnut Trooj> 
 A of the A Brigade sweeps past, the guns in exactest lini", the 
 men and equip)ment perfection itself, and the 2nd Battery, with 
 Armstrong guns, is quite its equal. The 3rd Battery has some 
 white horses in the centre of its line, and these somewhat sjioil 
 the effect; but the 4th Battery, under Major Eitzgerald, i- 
 
DIA. 
 
 A RE VIE TV OF DELTTT. 
 
 245 
 
 Dillon, and then 
 ,veto wait behind, 
 business. But on 
 )adly spent 'H The 
 first battle of the 
 srut, was fought. 
 li, where the feav- 
 nds by tells you 
 ps routed hosts of 
 
 guns, and drove 
 city — how, at one 
 I by the uniforms 
 from the arsenal— 
 ing, so nearly did 
 
 another recounts 
 ) deep seam across 
 f Sepoys who cut 
 ce of the land alto- 
 tnodestlv describes 
 They occupied 
 t fearful day, and 
 ed in the suppres- 
 
 he National An- 
 g to the flagstaff, 
 or the purpose of 
 Lir " Bonnie Dun- 
 least the artillery 
 IS chestnut Ti'oop 
 exactest line, the 
 Jnd Battery, with 
 Battery has some 
 e somewhat spoil 
 or Fitzgerald, i>^ 
 
 simply superb. This completes the Horse Artillery, of whom 
 it may be said that a finer brigade was never seen. The fieli* 
 batteries follow, headed by Colonel Corder, six of them all ful- 
 mirably turned out, and presenting a magnificent a})pearance — 
 in all sixty guns, well horsed, woli manned, perfectly discip- 
 lined, and fit for anything. It would be invidious to pick any 
 out from amongst the others — they are all so good. 
 
 And now came a sight which could not be witnessed in 
 England. A company of Bengal Infantry, in blue uniforms and 
 red turbans, marched two deep, with their curved swords on 
 their shoulders, followed by a number of mules bearinc: all kinds 
 of curious and useful implements. There were six little moun- 
 tain guns, with the use of which King Theodore became so well 
 acquainted ; there were enginc;)ring implements of all kinds, 
 and generally all that is useful to the soldier in mountain war- 
 fare — in all thirty-six mules well equipped, after which came 
 another company of men armed like the first. Then the huge 
 forms of some particularly large elephants were seen approach- 
 ing with peo})le on their backs, carrying little steel picks in 
 their hands. Wondering what use these particular animals 
 were put to, we eagerly leant forward, and, in doing so, saw 
 that three 40-pounder Armstrong guns, each drawn by tv^^o 
 elephants, were being brought along as easily as though they 
 were "unconsidered trifles light as air" in reality. On they 
 came at a slow, measured pace, apparently quite oblivious of the 
 fact that they were drawing a siege train which it would have 
 taken twenty-four or thirty horses to have moved, and quite 
 double that number to take for any distance over Indian roads 
 and rough ground. Traction engines indeed ! What need of 
 engines at all in a country which boasts such natural means of 
 locomotion, save when rapidity of transit is required'? The 
 elephants go by, a bullock train along with them, draogin^ 
 three large howitzers and tumbrils for ammunition, and then we 
 prepare for the cavalry, who are now coming oii. 
 
 I 2 
 
 r'.tf 
 
 H,, 
 
E 
 
 i I 
 
 ' 
 
 i ■M 
 
 ^ri 
 
 •I 
 
 i 
 
 ( 
 
 [ A 
 
 I ;! 
 
 246 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 But what tune is that 1 It was " Bonnie Dundee" just novv, 
 reminding us sadly of that terrible hour we spent in the native 
 entertainment at Madras, where four uncomfortable scarecrows 
 sang it with a conch-shell and tom-tom accompaniment. There 
 is somo confusion, for the Scotch melody is not yet finished by 
 some of the bands, and some of the players are not yet certain 
 that " it's up wi' the bonnets o* bonnie Dundee." At lengtli, 
 however, the struggle ceases, and the tune, *' Among our ancient 
 mountains," rises above everything. The 10th HusbCirs are 
 coming by, and the Prince's air salutes them. I need not say 
 how the old rivals of the 1 2th Lancers looked ; three such 
 squadrons as theirs are scarcely to be seen anywhere, certainly 
 nowhere but in the English Army. Yet they are worthily 
 followed, for, to the " March of the Men of Harlech," the 4th 
 Bengal Cavalry come by, their serviceable blue uniforms and 
 turbans suiting them well. Lord Mark Kerr says he could lead 
 such men against any troops in the world, and he is no mean 
 judge. They are a Hussar regiment ; those who come next are 
 the 10th Bei'igal Lancers, coloured Uhlans, with red and black 
 pennons, revolvers at their waist, and medals on the breast of 
 nearly every one. They go past magnificently, quite equal to the 
 11th Hussars who follow, gay in their cherry-coloured breeches 
 and high boots, and especially noticeable for the white .squadron 
 which comes second, which would be perfection were it not that 
 they have a roan and two duns to make iip the number. Tijc 
 5th Bengal Hussars, whose officers have breast-plates of gold 
 lace, march next. A buff regiment of exceptionally tall men 
 follow ; tliey are the Central India Horse. Somebody whispers 
 thxt their commander has picked the best squadrons out of the 
 two regiments he has, but perhaps they are only envious of 
 their admirable appearance. We notice that the front rank 
 of each squadron are lancers, while the rear rank are armed as 
 hussars, with sword snd carbine. 
 
 We have heard of mounted infantry before^ but what say 
 
ndee" just non , 
 
 at in the native 
 
 :able scarecrows 
 
 niment. There 
 
 yet finished by 
 
 not yet certain 
 
 10." At length, 
 
 long our ancient 
 
 ih HusbCirs are 
 
 I need not say 
 
 :ed ; three sucli 
 
 where, certainly 
 
 3y are worthily 
 
 arlech," the 4th 
 
 le uniforms and 
 
 ,ys he could lead 
 
 . he is no mean 
 
 o come next are 
 
 ,h red and black 
 
 on the breast of 
 
 uite equal to the 
 
 )loured breeches 
 
 white squadron 
 
 were it not that 
 
 B number. ThG 
 
 t-plates of gold 
 
 onally tall men 
 
 lebody whis})crs 
 
 drons out of the 
 
 only envious of 
 
 the front rank 
 
 ik are armed as 
 
 ^ but what say 
 
 A REVIEW OF DELHI. 
 
 247 
 
 . Ti 
 
 
 • >* 
 
 
 European soldiers to a cavalry regiment compo'^ed half of 
 lancers and half of hussars? The liolmcts of the ofllicers are 
 of purple velvet and gold, the most superb head-dress I 
 have ever seen. As to the 13th Hussars, wlio follow them, and 
 wlioso officers, like their brethren of the 10th, liave leopard 
 skins on their saddles, but little can be said in praise ; tliey are 
 scarcely so good as the Gth Bengal Cavalry, who have made all 
 their troop pivot men lancers, the rest being hussars. The 15th 
 Mooltanees, in dark green dresses and red puggarees, a wild set 
 of horsemen, go by in excellent order just afterwards, followed 
 by the 15th Hussars, who are in good condition ; and the rear 
 is brought up by the 11th Bengal Lancers, in dark blue uniforms, 
 the same regiment which Probyn once commanded, the name 
 of which spread far and wide to the terror of the rebels. With- 
 out loss of time the infantry go by — English and native vieing 
 with each other to do their best. Needless is it to specify each 
 as they pass — all are good. Perhaps the 7brd of the line are 
 the best, with the 15th Sikhs, tall, strong men in scarlet coats 
 and yellow striped turbans, as formidable rivals. To the eyes 
 of such of us as are used to military spectacles in England, the 
 appearance of the Rifle Brigade, as it comes on in black hel- 
 mets with black puggarees, looks strange, and, m good truth, 
 they are almost outdone in their marcli past by two battalions 
 of Ghoorkas, who are dressed in dark green with black forage 
 caps, and step out as well as any troops in the service. They 
 are not very big men ; they are little fellows, of a Chinese tj'pe 
 almost, very like the savages from Assam whom we saw a week 
 or two ago at Sir Richard Temple's garden party. Yet that 
 they are valiant in the fight we well know, for they were 
 Ghoorkas with whom Sir Charles Reid held the lidge o[)posite 
 Delhi for five long months in face of all the efforts of the rebels. 
 Then, too, there is the 33rd Native Infantry, recruited almost 
 entirely from herdsmen, and led by Colonel James Harris, of 
 Chinese fame, who are as well drilled and set up as any regi- 
 
 )^!« 
 
', 1 
 
 111;: 
 
 '/.I 
 
 ' I i i : ' I 
 
 /I 
 
 \ , I 
 
 n 
 
 248 
 
 iriTH THE PinNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 iiiont could well be, and an admirable proof of what can be 
 effected by an intelligent commander who has skill and patience. 
 Other regiments there are which deserve praise of the highest 
 kind, but to recapitulate their names would be to write a long 
 catalogue for which you would not care. Suffice it to say that 
 the army corps thus placed in the field reflects the highest ],os- 
 sible credit upon Lord Napier and his excellent secretary, 
 Colonel Martin Dillon. The hero of Magdala and his alte7' eyo 
 may well be proud of the force which the Prince reviewed. 
 
A. 
 
 )f what can be 
 ill and patience. 
 ) of the highest 
 to write a long 
 ;e it to say tluit 
 :he highest pos- 
 Uent secretary, 
 md his alter eyo 
 e reviewed. 
 
 CIIAPTEIl XXIV. 
 
 THE BATTLE ON THE RIDGE. 
 
 Were the fate of the Emi)ive dependent — which happily it is 
 not — ui)on the battle which took place just outside Delhi on 
 the Friday and Saturday during the P)*ince's visit, it would 
 doubtless be matter of greatest interest to know exactly how 
 the contending forces were disposed, with a thousand other 
 technical details dear to a soldier's heart. But as, after all, the 
 figliting was unreal — very unreal indeed — and ended only in 
 fiasco and smoke, I do not propose to trouble you with more of 
 f;nch particulars than are absolutely necessary, but to take you 
 at once to the field in the capacity of a spectator who is quite 
 indisposed to be critical, but anxious to see of what stuff are 
 our troo})s in India, and of what ca})acity their commanders. 
 To reach the scene of the struggle it is necessary that you 
 should pass out by the Cashmere Gate, close by the famous 
 breach, and so over the rocky ridge which, in 1857, was the 
 vantage-ground from which English soldiers peppered their 
 lebellious adversaries. This latter place would, in case of 
 actual fighting, be a very ditlicult part to assail ; in fact, it 
 could bo rendered impregnable by a force sufficient to hold it. 
 Such being the case, it was not given to Sir Charles Reid, who 
 commanded the army of defence, but was reckoned only as an 
 ulterior line in case the troops whose object it was to prevent 
 Delhi from assauL should have to ftill back in disorder. It is 
 for this reason that we find the defenders a couple of miles in 
 front of the ridge, occupying a straight line of ground, the left 
 of which is on a canal, the centre on a village called Wazeerpore, 
 situated in a wood just as was the German centre during the 
 manoeuvres of 1874 at Hildesdorf, and the right on another 
 
 16 
 
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t 
 
 I • 
 
 'I ■ 
 
 '{ 
 
 Vl 
 
 J .: 
 
 I I 
 
 i- i 
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 i 
 
 i' ;: 
 
 
 :| 
 
 ^1 
 
 il.|:i|l,l 
 
 1; I i.i 
 
 250 
 
 H'lTII THE riUNCE 7iV TNDTA. 
 
 hamlet named Daheerpore. All round these points is a widf 
 stretching plain, without cover for troops of any kind, an<l it is 
 over this that General Hardinge has to advance to the attack. 
 Reid's force is behind entrenchments in the line I have men- 
 tioned ; Hardinge 's army in front of it, but some miles distant. 
 It being now nearly eleven <^;'?lock, 'e . re able to take a vie v 
 of our 1 >3itio 1. A. way oa fie fv-vrreuie right are tlie heavy 
 Armstrong guns drawn by el'^phm-'H, liie mortar battery drawn 
 by bullocks, a battery of horse atullery, md our cavalry, con- 
 sisting of the 10th and 11th Hussars, the 4th and 5th Bengal 
 Cavalry, the 2nd Punjab Cavalry, and the Central India Horse, 
 all hidden away in a little wood. The 2nd Infantry Brigade, 
 consisting of two battalions of Ghoorkas and the Rifles, are in 
 the centre ; and on the extreme left, under Biigadier-Geneial 
 Brown, is the 1st Brigade, comprised of the 73rd Foot (Englisli) 
 and the 33rd and lltli Native Infantry. Two brigades of 
 infantry are somewhere close to Daheerpore. They hold their 
 ground well, do nothing very noteworthy, and in the end arc 
 held to have defeated the attempts of their opponents. 
 
 We who are just now on the extreme ieft have something' 
 very pretty and interesting to look at, for the commander th(n(> 
 — Colonel Harris, of the 33rd Native Infantry — a soldier (>t 
 great ex})erience, one of those who fouglit on the ridges in 1857 
 and was desperately wounded. He has seen plenty of service 
 in China and elsewhere, and earned many an honourable A\>- 
 tinction. but while the arrav is in the hands of Societv, lie 
 stands less chance of promotion than if he had done notliiiiL; 
 more than rely on influential friends. Our left is, as I liaM' 
 said, the canal, and the two battalions of native infantry, h.alt' 
 a battery of artillery, three companies of sappers, and a troo}) of 
 native cavalry, are holding a lung shelter-ti-ench, which readier 
 from the water's edge to the wood of Wazeerpore. In that the 
 73rd Infantry, with half a battery of guns, are posted. Th;' 
 canal has a banked pathway on either side, and on this, tin 
 
 i;, 
 
THE BATTLE ON THE RWdE. 
 
 251 
 
 loft side of '.'6 wator, Colonel Harris has constructed an en- 
 trenchment opable of concealing the three ^'uns he has with 
 him ; almost 4ronr( enoiiglr to resist the tire of artillery. Down 
 in this tcnij"' .ary bastion aro posted tiie trio of cannons, their 
 nirzzlef peeping through ^in} portholes just big enough to admit 
 of their discharge and nothing more. In the low ground under 
 the pathway the cavalry are hidden out of sight. The infantry 
 men of the 33rd N.I. and the 11th crouch down in the shelter- 
 trench, and two or three com})anies with some mortars that 
 luive been posted along the canal up to the point which has 
 Ijeen fixed as the extremity of ground to be raanreuvred over, 
 are all in their places. Not a head is to be seen, not a sound is 
 heard — all we want is an enemy. The brigade opposed to us, 
 as our scouts tell lis, is that commanded by Colonel Basden, a 
 gentleman wlio has not apparently instilled much terror into 
 the hearts of our men. They do not believe he can take the 
 position, and they shake their black heads and show their white 
 teeth as they look over the top of their shelter, and laugh at 
 the English who are coming against them. For remember that 
 to take this line of Sepoys Colonel Basden has a battery of 
 artillery, three troops of horse, two battalions of English troops, 
 the 1st of the 8th Foot and the 85th Foot, with the 32nd 
 Xative Infantry, to watch the 73rd, who are at Wazeerpore. 
 Just while we are looking out the cavalry does make its appear- 
 ance on the other side of the canal, but rushes away directly 
 fifty shots are discharged, so that for another half-hour we are 
 • [uiet, and can only hear a distant banging of guns. At k ngth 
 there is a movement in our front ; it is certain the enemy is 
 ooming, for two miles distant we can descry by the aid of a glass 
 the white faces, white helmets, scarlet coats, and bfight bayonets 
 of the English battalions, as they advance, in close skirmishing 
 order, only one pace apart, upon the trench. Of course we expect 
 to see their approach heralded by artillery fire ; very naturally, we 
 JDok i-ound for the cavalry which but lately disappeared, but 
 
 \\'~ 
 
 i ^ «■ 
 
252 
 
 WITH THE PIUNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 tlieio jire nono of them present; so our men, witliout more ado, 
 Wiiit till th(! enemy is within range, and tlien open a rattling fiiH; 
 upon them such as no English or German troops could excel. 
 Suddenly uj) ri<les an umpire out from the attacking force, one; 
 Colonel Chippcjndale, and in a confused manner gives us the 
 order to retire. Of course our commander remonstrates, but 
 this military Daniel come to judgment refuses to hear a word, 
 and back we have to go, till Colonel Harris points out firmly 
 that his force behind shelter is much superior to that of the 
 enemy in the open, whereupon Colonel Chippendale is obliged 
 to yield, and gallops away rather faster than he came, to td\ 
 our opponents that they must go back. In actual warfare they 
 would never have done so ; a few might perchance have escai)e<l 
 our rifles, artillery, and cavalry, but Colonel Basden and all his 
 merry men who were not shot would have been taken prisoners 
 to a certainty. It was altogether the most ridiculous exhibition 
 I have ever seen. Two battalions of infantry marched two 
 miles in the oi)en to attack more than their own numbers 
 snugly entrenched and supported by cavalry and artillery, witli 
 guns posted in Wazeerpore Wood raking the flank of the 
 advancing force every moment. 
 
 But, grotesque as this spectacle is from a military point oi' 
 view, something much more funny is about to follow. We are 
 all in our trenches. A company and a half of the Englishmen, 
 who came across the plain just now are ordered out of action, 
 and we are wondering what will be the next move of tlio 
 strategic Basden. when Captain Dyke, who, we know, commands 
 the artillery of that gentleman's brigade, comes pleasantly along 
 the path on our side of the canal, his charger caracoling as 
 though it wefe heading a procession. There is no hesitation. 
 no distrust; he gently ambles up to our trenches, antl, pull- 
 ing up, says, " Can you tell me where Basden's brigade is f 
 ^' Of course I can," is Colonel Harris' reply, as he lays hold of 
 Captain Dyke's bridle-reins ; " only, as you are my prisoner, tlic 
 
Hit moro atlo, 
 a rattling tin ^ 
 
 could CXC(!l. 
 
 ing force, ono 
 gives us the 
 mstrates, but 
 hear a word, 
 nts out firmly 
 o that of the 
 lale is obliged 
 B came, to tell 
 il warfare they 
 !e have escaped 
 iden and all his 
 aken prisoners 
 lous exhibition 
 marched two 
 own numbers 
 artillery, with 
 flank of the 
 
 klitary point of 
 lllow. We are 
 le Englishmen, 
 out of action, 
 move of the 
 LOW, commands 
 Leasantly along 
 caracoling as 
 no hesitation, 
 les, and, pull- 
 brigade i«r 
 lie lays hold of 
 
 THE llATTLE- ON THE llIlXiE. 
 
 
 ly prisoner. 
 
 til 
 
 iii'ws won't be worth much to you," saying wliich h(^ led the 
 ust(mished Dyke gently into our enclosure, took his paroh', 
 imd sent him to the rear. Now, whert^ on(^ sheep goes tiie rest 
 are sure to follow, and we had not to wait long for ( 'aptain 
 r)vke's batteiy, A (piick-eyed Sepoy (h'scried it, Colonel Hariis 
 prepared for it, and a gun was trained on to the }>athway, as 
 it came on. Why should it foar < Was not its coinnnmder in 
 front, and had there been any alarm < So it trotted forward, 
 with the canal on one side and a i»recii)ice of twelve feet on 
 the other, until it got another four hundied yards, when our gun 
 was discharged point blank at it. Had this been a real light, 
 vonder battery wo«ld \ui\ e been overthrown at once, for seven 
 hundred rifles are pointed at it, three guns cover it, and the 
 Punjab Cavalry are all ready to rush upon its Hank. Again 
 the men, like their leader, are not distrustful. They innigine 
 that a mistake has been made. They are determined to con- 
 sider us as friends, and so they come on still further. We are 
 determined to claim them as ]:»risoners. Colonel Harris oi'ders a 
 company of the 3oid to spring from their trenches and i-un along 
 the bank, and then calls to the gunners to surrender. There 
 is no option — the native riflemen have every one of them at 
 their mercy. They must submit — the choice is not pleasant, 
 but what can they do in presence of five times their number \ 
 They accordingly give in ; are conducted down the bank under 
 the escoit of half a company of sappers and half a company of 
 infantry ; hand up their linch-pins and washers, theii- ammuni- 
 tion and arms ; and are then led to the rear, guns and all 
 guarded by native troops. What use are the boasted English 
 artillery if they can walk into such a trap ? And now we hide 
 away once more in hopes of other wanderers. Nor are we dis- 
 ap})ointed. Five minutes elapse, a rumble of wheels is heard ; 
 we look up very cautiously, and see the spare ammunition 
 wagons of the battery, their hospital doolies, and their provision 
 carts, all coming along. No gun is tired this time, for the 
 
2r>4 
 
 n'lTIJ THE PlilNCt: IN LWhlA. 
 
 : ■ 'il 
 
 !/ hi 
 
 QiiiirtniiiiiiHtor-fjIcnonil of tlio onomy's cunn) can bo Ho«m in liis 
 cluMTV-colouicd trouHors riding at the head of the train — 
 C*a[ttiun C/'arnac, of tiif 11th HuHHaiu A troopof cavalry in got 
 in ri.'j.dincss, a company of infantry fixoH bayonets, and as soon 
 
 as (Captain Carnac shouts out, ** Have you seen V they are 
 
 upon liim. A bold nuin is this Quarterniaster-Cioneral, used 
 to tight and to danger, and without ado ho makes a struggle 
 for liljerty. Down the bank, so steep that in descending it 
 just now a gun was neaily upset, ho dashes, cutting through 
 the Sepoys, albeit that om; dischaiges a rifle close to his ear, 
 and foi- an instant it seems tluit lu; will get ch^ir. iiut the 
 cavalry close up round him, twenty Sepoys spring upon his 
 bridle, and he is powerless at last, to be at once led in, sent 
 to the real-, and oli'ered some lunduion. So, too, ai-e tin; 
 drivers of the wagons with th(nr charge all placed under guard ol" 
 native soldiers. You need not look round to see how the 
 Sepoys enjoy all this. The low chuckle which indicates satis 
 faction is heard on every side. What can be thought of white 
 sahibs who run into such a snare ? On the left, too are now 
 perceived the enemy's cavalry, the three troops we saw before, 
 just the other side of the canal, and almost within easy rilli^ 
 range. A very few moments and they will be our own. The 
 artillery is being trained on them, the infantry is being got 
 ready, and the cavalry are in saddle, when an excited jemac w 
 gives his men the ortler to fire ; a musket or two is discharged, 
 and the horsemen, taking the hint, wheel round, and rush away 
 without ever finding the artillery of which they are in search. 
 We should have liked to introduce them to each other in rear 
 of our entrenchment, but that unfortunate jemadar has pre- 
 vented a meeting. 
 
 While all this has been going on, the cavalry near Daheerpore 
 have been preparing for a fight, and by this time are advancing 
 in full force, excepting only the few squadrons which have been 
 detailed tbi- other duty, upon each other. Ten minutes' ridi' 
 
Hocn ill l>i^ 
 ^ho train — 
 IV airy in got 
 ami as soon 
 -'{" they aro 
 Bneral, used 
 i a Htrugglt' 
 escontUng it 
 ing throiigli 
 3 to his ear, 
 IV. But the 
 ng upon his 
 i led in, sent 
 too, are the 
 ndor guard o" 
 see how the 
 dicates satis 
 ight of whiti' 
 too are no\\ 
 B saw before, 
 lin easy vill<' 
 r own. The 
 is being got 
 iited jemn.t w 
 s discharg(Hl, 
 id rush away 
 a,re in search. 
 other in rear 
 iliir has pre- 
 
 Daheerpore 
 ire advancing 
 ch have been 
 minutes' ride 
 
 THE n.iTTLE o.v nrE nuuiit 
 
 2:.-) 
 
 hrings uh to the village, fruiu whence we are able to watch all 
 tluit pasHCH. On our riglit are the 11 th ICu.ssars, supported by 
 the 10th. In front of the houses ai'e three scpiadrons of the 
 5th iJcngal Cavalry and three of the ('ontral India Horse. All 
 are in line, except one s(piadron of the latter, which is about a 
 hundred yards in rear. The reserve is formed by the '2nd Pun- 
 jab Cavalry and the 4th Bengal, and thes(5 are placed on the 
 left of a village. Now, were these in the hands of an expei'i- 
 enced cavalry gen( ral going into action, there can be no doubt 
 as to how they should \m us(mI. ( !aptain Chevenix Trench's 
 admirable translation of the new Cei-man cavalry regulations 
 and our own new orders, whieli, if 1 mistake not, were issued 
 somewhere about last June, would dictate all that is required. 
 You reuKunber that we are in an o[)en plain ; that we are su])- 
 portcd by tin? elephant train of 40-pounder Armstrongs ; that 
 we have a mortar battery to aid us, and a battery of horse 
 artillery in rear. The enemy's cavalry are well in sight ; already 
 the huge guns drawn by the elephants have opened upon them, 
 so eliectually that the 15th Hussars are ordered on to fight, and 
 any German cavalry ollicer would tell you in a moment how to 
 overwhelm and destroy a whole force opposed to you. But, 
 fortunately for the unmilitary spectator, the Prince has ex- 
 ])ressed a desire to see a charge, and although under actual 
 circiunstances this would not take place, and the enemy would 
 be in full llight long before the horsemen had time toman<euvre 
 upon their flank, the request must be listened to, and a piece 
 of unsoldierly pei'lbrmance gone through. So we allow the 
 squadron of the 15th Bengal Cavali y to approach our left flank, 
 acconq)anied by two guns, the 13th Husi-jars to advance against 
 our 11th, and the 6th Bengal Cavalry, with two scjuadrons of 
 the 15th, to come towards our centre. Then the fun begins. 
 You are perfectly well aware that nothing of the kind could pos- 
 sibly happen in war, and you are tlierefore not very much alaini- 
 0(1 when you sec; the 13tliand llili Hussars rush full liltuteaeh 
 
 i 
 
 f I 
 
 I 
 
 Ui 
 
 «' 
 
 i 
 
 ' ,S:'li 
 
r 
 
 i 
 
 f*i 
 
 1' 
 
 : 
 
 I 
 
 .» 
 
 iL. [ 
 
 h I 
 
 ; 
 
 '* , * 
 
 orn 
 
 irrrn tuk riuscE in ixdia. 
 
 f)tli(;r. i )u tliey go at a terrible charge, tliO I3tli going througli 
 a littl(! streiun which runs by Daheeporo at headlong speed. 
 There is c^very prospect of a collision ; when suddenly the charge 
 is sto])[)ed, the men being at a distance of ten yards only from 
 each othor, and victory is declared in favour of the 13th. They 
 cannot, however, advance, for the 10th is in front of them, so 
 they scmmble off tlie ground without more ado. By this time; 
 th.: Centi-al India Horse and the 5th Hengal Infantry are form- 
 ing up and preparing to charge the enemy, whicli consists, as I 
 have already stated, of native horsemen. On they go, too, at a 
 lieiullong speed, their tuibaned heads lowered, th(3ir lances and 
 swords r<3ady, and a fight takes place which ends in the defeat 
 of the enemy and the ordering out of action of a squadron or 
 two of them. The extended line on our side is admitted to 
 have won, and notwithstanding that the attacking force hasdis- 
 moun ed some of its men for the purpose of using them as 
 skirmishers, we are admitted to have outflanked and beaten 
 them. Then, while everybody is wondering what will be the 
 next ridiculous spectacle, the sound to cease firing is heard, and 
 the battle all along the lino is ended. Infantry regiments hear 
 the word of command, and go home, officers jump into the sad- 
 dles and ride away, while we join a pleasant tiffin party and 
 luncl; on the ground which but a few minutes before, was so 
 hotly contested. 
 
oiiig tlii'ouuli 
 ulloiig speed, 
 ily the charge 
 :ds only from 
 
 13th. They 
 t of thcmi, so 
 By this time 
 .try are form- 
 consists, as J 
 y go, too, at a 
 sir hinces and 
 in the defeat 
 I squadron or 
 3 admitted to 
 ; force has dis- 
 ising them as 
 d and beaten 
 at will be the 
 
 is heard, and 
 egiments hear 
 
 into tiie sad- 
 hn party and 
 
 efore, was no 
 
 CHAl'TEii XXV. 
 
 FEATS OF SKILL AND STIJKXGTH. 
 
 Yet if tlie battle at Delhi was somewhat theatrically man- 
 aged, there was a contest of a different natuie on the following 
 IMonday which was very real indeed. It had been announced 
 that after a cavalry parade in the morning tlie Prince would b(^ 
 present at some s})orts in th(^ cam[) of the 15th Ifussars, at 
 which both English and native soldiers from the whole army 
 would appear as coiiipctitors. As on the day of the review, 
 therefore, all fasliionable Delhi turned out ; some on horses, 
 elephants, ind camels, others in vehicles, with multitmles on 
 foot. For just then the native of Delhi was quite i-eady to don 
 his most startling dress at a moment's notice, and would, 1 be- 
 lieve, have slept in it if that arrangement would have ensured 
 his gazing at every sight engendered of the lioyal visit. This 
 being the case, he systematically appeared everywhere with 
 his children and his birds, leaving orJy his wife at home. She 
 never came out. Unlike the dame of Madras or liombay, she 
 might be curious, but she must not be visiljle ; she might 
 see, but must not be seen. No rows of handsomely-attired 
 ladies with olive complexions and long oval eyes welcomed 
 the entry of the Prince to the old capital of In<lia ; no 
 bulijck-gharries full of native damsels, rolled and jolted on 
 i/he camp-ground to look at the sports. Had the revelry 
 been held in front of the houses in the Chadni Char.k, inquisi 
 tive faces might have been pressed ag vinst the gratings 
 which act as windows in the native houses. But, there being 
 no houses near from which they could look, the Hindoo and 
 Mahommedan ladies were shut out fiom witnessing the sports; 
 
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 wliil(! their loids put on tlie )>u.st [)U^^gai'(!e tind (jiuIumI c»>;it, iiiul 
 sjiUicd foi'tli for the cLiy. llo\v(;vor, it was not foi- them that 
 the frfe took place, but for the English ladies and gentlemen, 
 who came up in hundreds, and began a grand pic-nic an hour 
 before the time announced for the 8[)orts. It was a bright day. 
 The sjtace was pleasantly shut in by trees; all round, under the 
 shade, well-appointed equipages might be seen. There were 
 luncheon-baskets of all shapes and sizes ; the sound of the 
 champagne-cork was heard in the land, and brilliantly dressed 
 ladies might be seen everywhere. Those huge elephants with 
 gohl and scarlet howdahs, thosi; camels with trap[)ings of bright 
 colours, those black servants, that singular crowd of dusky 
 faces, and those broad-shouldered Sikhs with gold-striped tur- 
 bans, belonged to no English city. Where the Prince was to 
 sit long lines of native infantry were drawn up to keep the 
 ground, and there the native horsemen, preparing for the con- 
 test, were also in full view. I remember how varied were the 
 feelings with which I waited by the arena at Baroda to see the 
 li'dits between Avild beasts. There was all the curiosity 
 wliich belonged to ignorance. One wonJ.ered what a rhinoceros 
 contest would be like — after what fashion elephants would 
 struggle ; but withal there was a strong sense of the brutal 
 which would crop up every moment and si)oil all interest in the 
 sport. But here was a sight which could be regarded with un- 
 mixed satisfaction ; the swordsmen of India were to be pitted 
 against the ITussars of England, the Lances of the Punjab 
 against the best horsemen from home. Then too, tliere were to 
 be races afoot, high jumps and low jumps, tournaments with 
 blunted spears, and many another diversion. Oddly enough, a 
 band of European strollers, their faces bedaubed with lamp- 
 black, their heads covered with woolly wigs, in their hands the 
 familiar banjo, concertina, and bones, and on the backs of tlu ir 
 necks the old, old hats, which we used to look at with amaze- 
 ment when very young indeed, aj>peai'ed close to the Prince's 
 
C(»at, iiiul 
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 entlomeii, 
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 •o see the 
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 FEATS OF SKILL AND STREmmr. 
 
 2;')!! 
 
 dais, and favoured his lt0}al Highness with ji version or ".a 
 off to Charlestown," from a Christy's Minstrel melody book. 
 The effect was almost too ridiculous for anybody to request 
 them to go to Charlestown at once. They sang their song in a 
 villainous fashion, hehl out their shabl)y hats for money, and 
 forth witli departed to frighten elephants, camels, and horses 
 with their discordant shouts. 
 
 The National Anthem sounded the arrival of the Prince, and 
 immediately afterwards the bands — there was plenty of them — 
 struck up a more lively tune, and the competitors entered the 
 lists. The first champion, a broad-sho\ildered Sikh, wore a blue 
 puggaree round his head, and a blue linen coat. On the head 
 C'f the lance he carried was a huge piece of cork or indiarubber, 
 and on his breast shone many a medal ; the; star, with the 
 nuigic words, " For Valour,'' glittering on his dress ; at the 
 sight of him many a caitiff rebel had fled ; his lance had in days 
 not very l':>ng gone by been couched at stubborn foes, and had 
 overthrown them. To meet him there came another no mejin 
 antagonist, a burly Punjabee, with his puggaree curled round 
 his head in military fVishion, with a red end turned over the 
 fiont. He, too, led by the gallant Nicholson, had used his 
 lance against Sepoy foemen. No child's play was the thrust of 
 his arm when his blood was up. The spectator looked on with 
 some awe. Botli warriors were well matched, and it was a 
 great question who slioidd win. The chargers of the opponeirts 
 were ijawinii; the i-round waiting for the signal. At last it was 
 given, and each dashed against the other. Tliud ! Thud ! but 
 to no purpose ; the shock has effected nothing, for the horsemen 
 have wheeled i-ound. Once more they rush, and again without 
 success, though you and 1. and Ic-^s marvellous hoisemen, would 
 have been hurled out of the enclosure. No fear is there that 
 their lances will shiver; as well might you expect to see a 
 Muniporee's polo stick break. They clash and then charge 
 ugain, they strike each othor on the hacks as they wh^el round, 
 
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 tlicy plunge their lances into each other's stomachs, but all to 
 no piu-pose, till aftei" some minutes the Sikh contrives to get 
 upon the flank of his antagonist. Only for a minute, but what 
 a minute is that 1 Out goes his arm, in goes the spear. His 
 op})onent receives the liead in his ribs, his horse staggers, rocks, 
 and the rider falls to the ground, as the lance is i)ressed home 
 by that terrible Sikh. Cossack, or Uhlan, would that you could 
 hear the crash of that falling man. 
 
 Nor was the scene less exciting in another part of the arena. 
 Those who have not seen tent-jx'gging as practised in India may 
 like to know wluit the work for the competitors was. Driven 
 into the ground so as to remain about six inches above the sur- 
 face was a genuine tent-peg — hardwood, nothing more or less 
 than the piece of hard fibre which is used to fasten the canvas 
 down. To stand by it and strike it with one of the ponderous 
 lances which our cavalry, Indian and English, carry, is no easy 
 task. You might try a hundred times and not thrust it through. 
 But what will you say to a man who could ride at a full gallop 
 three hundred yards, and, while his horse rushed past it, almost 
 like a flash of lightning, could pick up the piece of wood on the end 
 of his spear ? Yet this was the task set, and how it was fulfilled 
 you shall see. A signal being given, an English cavalryman 
 burst from a group at the distance named, and rushed up the 
 course. I noticed that he did not keep his lance's head near 
 the ground ; that, indeed he held the head up, but lowered his 
 own face somewhat, so as to see the little white mark the more 
 readily. All depended upon his being able to strike at the pre- 
 cise moment when he should reach the miniature target set up 
 for him ; there was no jugglery, no trick ; all depended upon a 
 quick eye, a cool nerve, and -^ strong and ready arm. Onward 
 he flew with lightning-like Lipidity i ot diminishing his pace 
 one whit till he reached the peg when, vvith a dexterous turn 
 of the wrist, he stiuck the wo. td la tlie ceuLre and carvied it off 
 ti iuniphantly. Less succcsf^lii m.^ Is is rival who iollowed, or 
 
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 FEATS OF SKILL A\U STUEM^TIl. 
 
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 near 
 ed his 
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 pon a 
 award 
 pace 
 turn 
 it off 
 ed, or 
 
 the one who came after that, the man of the 11th Hussars re- 
 maining yf«ci7e pr biceps till three or four liad gone, when another 
 achieved a like distinction, and was loudly a})pla)'.ded. Two or 
 three more came very near it, and then it was the turn of native 
 horsemen. At a given signal a rider in blue turban and dress 
 came flying towards us, his lance held rather more slanting than 
 those of the English, and a little more loosely. He rode easily 
 however, with his eye fixed on the peg, and, Just as he came up 
 to it, sent his spear clean through the middle, and l)ore the 
 trophy away. Another peg was fixed, and another horseman 
 rode at it. But this time the fates were not propitious ; ho 
 struck the ground a foot from the little mark, and was nearly 
 jerked out of the saddle ; another and another came on, but 
 some went a little too high and others a little too low, three 
 only of the party succeeding in carrying off the peg. And now 
 came the deciding heat, for each horseman was to have two 
 trials, and the conqueror was yet to appear. This time three 
 Englishmen in succession struck the mark, one of whom won 
 the prize. Of the natives there were none who struck the peg 
 twice , each did so once in the two trials without difiicidty, but 
 none were equal to the hussar, and so the {irize fell to the 
 Englishman, and the Sikhs and Punjabees acknowleg/d the 
 justice of the award with a loud cheer. 
 
 Jumping over a bar was the amusena^^/ vt'fach followed this 
 achievement, being duly rewarded by a j^fi/Xt t/l ;^/^;me value, 
 and this occupied the attention of the spectato/>: till tjw ar- 
 rangements for the next trial of skill, as distinguish/d ittms 
 force, were completed. Then the horsemen who had be^ft H^frt* 
 the course left it, the jumping ceased, the perspiring competitors 
 retired, and made way for other men. What had been done 
 in the interval was simply this. Three sticks, duly prepared, 
 had been driven into the ground, and on the top of these three 
 little limes, none of them lai'ger than a respectable pigeon's 
 egg, had been placed. At a distance of three or four hundred 
 yards a body of swordsmen had been collected, and these, native 
 
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 iriTU Tilt: PRINCE IN INI) FA. 
 
 and l*]iiglisli, now waited to try tlicir skill. No iiicau trial 
 was that to which tlicy wore invitod. It was simj)]y this — 
 to ride four hundrod yards at a galloi), sword in hand, and to 
 cut the throe limes in halves as they passed the sticks with a 
 sword. The iirst man was a trooper of the 11th Hussars; his 
 name was Jones. He carried tlu^ ordinary cavalry sahre of the 
 service. As he came on I noticed that lie leanc^d very much 
 on the right stii-rup, with his head lower than the pommel of 
 his saddle. His sword-arm was free, an<l th(^ W('a})on loosely 
 held. As he came by tlie first lemon fell in halves, the second 
 was clipped of its rind, and the third was cut in the middle 
 with a powerful l)low that showed Mr. Jones to Ix; one of the. 
 keenest swordsmen living. Three such strokes i^.i less ihan 
 seventy yards were not easy to deliver. Tnen there camo 
 another hussar of the same regiment, carrying a native ivwoid,, 
 curved but sharp. To him the tirst and second lemon fell, but 
 the third was untouched as he galloped by. A third English- 
 man came and missed all three, overthrowing, however, two 
 of the stands as he swept on. Then a fourth rode u]), and 
 rivalled the feat of Mr. Jones, cutting all three lemons with 
 the ease of a man who was aiming at a world rather than at 
 such a tiny mark. In this way the trial of skill proceeded : 
 three more Englishmen achieved the feat, but the rest had less 
 success. Then came the native swordsmen, dashing along at a 
 iurious rate one after another. They, too, were very success- 
 ful, four of them, as against five Englishmen, clipping the limes 
 in half. A neater feat of horsemanship could not be imagined ; 
 Cossacks of the Don would have shuddered to see these Sikh 
 horsemen dash along the plain. The second trial ended no 
 better for the natives ; the Englisli carried oft' the prize, and 
 even Punjabees and Sikhs shouted ap})lause, so great was the 
 feat these soldiers achieved. Races on foot came next, in which 
 the Englishmen won laurels again with ease , and then the 
 entertainment ended, the trials of strength and skill were over, 
 the Prince went away, and the coiiipany dispersed. 
 
 
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 jail trial 
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 I 
 
 CFAriEK XXVI. 
 
 JUMMOO THE MAGNIFICENT. 
 
 At Jummoo the farthest ])oint of onr journey -..as reached. 
 The trij) culminated in the frontier town of Caslimcre, and, as 
 was betittinr^, the Prince found his most splendid reception 
 there. It was eai'ly in the morning that a party s})ecially in- 
 vited by the Maharajah of Cashmere as liis guests startcnl from 
 Laliore by rail to Wazirabad, the last railway station in the 
 North of India. We did not [)ass over the land where Porus 
 fought and Alexander conquered, with unseemly haste. Six 
 hours were consumed in a journey of some tifty miles. We 
 had plenty of time to meditate upon the ups and downs of 
 political fortunes, to gaze at Runjeet Sing's famous burial place, 
 where thirteen faithful wives shared the tomb with their lord, 
 and at tlie grave known best for its four towering ininan'ts and 
 its splendid wall. Save for its historic recollections, the country 
 could scarcely be styled interesting. A constant succession of 
 plains and ditches without monuments of any kind is not L-alcu- 
 lated to create enthusiasm, and until Wazirabad was nearly 
 reached, and the snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas came in 
 view, something very akin to monotony was observable. But 
 this was not to last. The poetry of motion wliich a " dak 
 ghurry," or Indian stage-coach, engenders was in store for us, 
 and very soon we were seated in two of the funniest burlesques 
 upon vehicles that can be conceived. How we went over 
 heiigeiows and ditches, plunged into cart-ruts, and ver} nearly 
 tiiraed over; how we passed the last British outposts, t(jok 
 ^it»^*l•t etits over ploughed lields, and at last arrived in si^ht of 
 -iiAuiUHOO^ needs not to be described. ft was at the mouunic ol 
 
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 WITH THE i'lUNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 smis»'( when tlio town was seen. IJeliind it w(»re tli(3 over- 
 lusting Iiills, on ono, iiideod, of which it is scutoil. All round 
 was dense Jun^lf. For lioiirs the sky had lieen beelonded ; we 
 hud not seen u l)iight ray ull the uftcM-in'Oon, till at this moment 
 the sun hurst out and lit up the landscu[)e with its marvellous 
 light. Tilde, orange, dark purple fell u[)on the snow-capped 
 ii(lg(S threw the three-peaked Tri-couta into bold relic^f, glittered 
 upon the dome and minarets, the golden sj)ii'es and white atone 
 buildings of Juiumoo, rightened the dark green of the jungle, 
 anil then left us in gloom. After this we entered the thick(^t, 
 pusscd by devious ways from the altitude we had reuched 
 numely, u thousand feet, to the l)ed of the river Tow, wlu>re a 
 surprise not altogether pleasant awaited us. By the light of 
 the stars, now shining pretty clearly, we could just discern the 
 sluggish stream a^ our feet. Upon a hill on the opposite side 
 twinkle.^ ^Ih '1^,'- of Junimoo. Our means of conveyance 
 were ele[>hants, whicli wai ^ on their knees for us to mount 
 and ride. It may be prejudice, it may be ignorance, but if 
 asked for a positive opinion, I should not travel for choice on 
 the back of an elephant at night time where the rivers have to 
 be ford(!d and the hills ascended. A ^Cember of Parliament 
 who M'as one of the party, finding that the liowdah which he 
 was invited to ascend was not fastened so rigidly as to abso- 
 lutaly warrant security against a fall, implored some other 
 means of transit, and was eventually conveyed to Jummoo in 
 a palanquin, which was borne on the shoidders of four men 
 across an exceedingly rickety bridge of boats. The rest of us, 
 however, mounted and started for the water. Down a steep 
 bank, the elephant cautiously feeling his way, at one time deep 
 in the mud, and the next in the water, with the elephant's 
 head, huge as the animal was, only just clear, and its great 
 trunk lifted higli in the air, our progress was not very rapid. 
 Occasionally the elephants would stand still as though unde- 
 cided which way to go ; then an advance of half-a-dozen strides 
 
tlio over- 
 
 (Vll round 
 
 lid eel ; we 
 
 i moment 
 
 larvollous 
 
 >w-ciii»pcd 
 
 , glittoi-ed 
 
 lite stone 
 
 le jnn<:;le, 
 
 ; thicket, 
 
 I readied 
 
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 [) light of 
 
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 •osite side 
 
 mveyanee 
 
 to mount 
 
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 JUMMOO THE MAGNIFICENT, 
 
 2i;r) 
 
 would be taken, and another standstill arriv' d at. Sluggish as 
 was the stream, it was very wide, and it seeuied as though the 
 oi)posite shore would never be reached. At length, however, 
 we stood on dry ground, and prepared to ascend the hill. Our 
 way lay through roads not more than six feet wide, througli 
 passages crammed with horses, <!amels, and men. Up steep 
 staircases, whereon the elephants' feet sli[)ped, and from whith 
 a fall would have been extremely inconvenient ; and so through 
 tlie narrow gate of the city, where the streets were thi-onged 
 and Pandemonium reigned. Still there was no time to stop, 
 for the howdahs shook violently, and threatened to turn round 
 every moment. Some of us urged our way to the palace of the 
 Maharajah, where tents were provided and a welcome rest was 
 found. I am particular in thus detailing the peculiarities of 
 the way to Jummoo, as it was over this ground that the Prince 
 of Wales had to travel on the following day. 
 
 Day had scarcely broken, the light had hardly struggled over 
 the mountains, when such a drumming and trumpeting as 
 could only be heard in an PJastern city roused everybody from 
 sleep. Every Cashmere regiment — and the city was full of 
 troops — was in motion, every band was playing what it liked 
 best. And when it is noted that scarcely any two instruments 
 were in tune with each other, that some hundreds of musicians 
 were doing their best, and thac at least thirty different airs 
 were being performed at once, some idea may be formed of the 
 din and the clatter. Meanwhile, the Maharajah and his son, 
 each mounted on a beautiful Arab, attended by all kinds of 
 horsemen, and surrounded by scores of runners on foot, entered 
 the city to inspect the preparations. More troops, too, filed in 
 at the gateways, thousands of workmen prepared the roads, 
 gave the finishing touches to a grand palace which his Highness 
 has especially erected in honour of the Prince, while the police 
 went round and shut up the shops, clouted the recalcitrant, 
 overturned the money tables, and bid everybody be merry. 
 
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 WITH THE I'laXCE IN INDIA. 
 
 As w consoquonco Jumnioo decked itself out in its very l)ost, 
 gave its tinest shawls to its inludntjiiits, displayed a wonderful 
 collection of flai,'s, and received the soldiers with all demonstra- 
 tions of joy. The visitors fi-om Leli, specially l)rouL,dit hither 
 to aid in iUoJ'He, were invited to lend the energy of their arms 
 and the noise of their tom-toniS to the general rejoicing. And 
 if anybody was not inclined to be merry, he went wherc^ the 
 eye of the ins[»octor and the staff of the polifcmen could not 
 reach him. As for the troo[)s, they poured in till, with shinddcr 
 close to shoulder, they lined all the way from the river to the 
 Princii's tent on both sides, a distance of nearly three miles, 
 and the) e stood, the great shakos and heavy muskets weighing 
 down their diminutive forms very nearly to the ground. At 
 very short interv.als their bands were placed in position, rocket- 
 guns were in the street by scores, the artillery of the Maharajah 
 was posted inside the gates of the city and the gates of the 
 palace, and the po])ulace filled up the picture. This was ready 
 at twelve o'clock ; but the Prince did not arrive till five. 
 
 Down at the river-side a very extraordinary scene presented 
 itself. To have an idea of the locale take any one of the wider 
 reaches of the Rhine, trebling the width of the river and the 
 hills on either side. Kound the natural amphitheatre thus 
 obtained bring the highest mountains of the Alps, with their 
 snow-capped tops. There would, of course, be no vines, but in 
 place of these tiny trees substitute a dense j ungle. Then fix on 
 one of the nearest hills behind the river a city of white and red 
 stone, plentifully decorated with palaces and temples, towers 
 and golden minarets. A palace not unlike Windsor Castle, at 
 one point of a precipice, would then suffice to represent Jum- 
 moo very nearly. Otherwise, ride along tlie banks of the Tow, 
 at the moment when the last rays of the sun are gilding the 
 peaks of the Pier-punjal range. Then we are transported back 
 centuries upon centuries. Nothing that meets the eye has any- 
 thing to do with the age in which we were living a minute or 
 
very host, 
 wondoi'ful 
 ili'iiionstru- 
 ;4lit Ijitlici- 
 tlioir anus 
 inp^. And 
 wliorc tlio 
 could not 
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 iree niilos, 
 s weiijhinr; 
 ound. At 
 on, rockot- 
 Maharajah 
 ates of the 
 I was ready 
 ive. 
 
 pi'csentod 
 the wider 
 r and the 
 atre thus 
 ;vith their 
 les, but in 
 len fix on 
 e and red 
 )S, towers 
 Castle, at 
 ent Jum- 
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 llding the 
 Irted back 
 has any^ 
 binute or 
 
 JUMMOO THE MAONTFrC'ENT. 
 
 2r. 
 
 ' / 
 
 two ago; the West has altogcthei' disappeared ; we are lost to 
 civilisation ; only the East, with its barbaric splendour, is 
 before us. 1 cannot call to mind any such other spectacle. 
 A like sight may have been witnessed in the old days, and now. 
 as then, there are in the procession which stands on the bank 
 Persians with high Astrachan caps, long cloaks, gaiters, an<l 
 sandals. Tlicy certainly have a kind of blunderbuss on their 
 shoulders, but from the huge bell mouth of the weapon nomoi-e 
 cHective missile; could be sent than those which the followers of 
 Darius and Torus used to hurl. Then, too, there are men-at- 
 arms here — no counterfeit specimens, but real men in nrmoui-, 
 witli little brass caps something like inverted tea saucers with 
 a spike in the centre, on their heads, chain mail covering tlx^ir 
 ears and necks, brass breastplates, brass backplates })arti('idarly 
 thick — brass guards for the elbows and arms — gloves of brass, 
 and brass \)rotections for the ribs, hips, knees, and ankles. In 
 their hands are long javelins, at their sides curved swords, 
 called tulwars, while from their waistbelts hang jnstols of the 
 good old pattern prized in the days when such things were first 
 invented. They surely have no part or lot in the nineteenth 
 century. Nor is a party of men who wear turbans, and, ap 
 parently, carry any weapon they like best, more modernised. 
 Away with tlie drill which makes machines and destroys inde- 
 pendence ! Here are some warlike gentlemen who are allowed 
 to make themselves look as fierce as they choose. Thit their 
 parti-coloured petticoats, their boots, their blankets, their s])ears, 
 their shields, and their tulwars all belong to his Higlmess the 
 Maharajah, whose emissaries they are. And the two golden 
 banners round which they swarm are his escutcheons. Peihai)S 
 I was wrong in saying there is nothing modern. A body of 
 cavalry in front of all have certainly got heluiets which closely 
 border upon the headdress of the French Cent-Gardes. But 
 that is all. Lose sight of the casque for a moment, and glance 
 at the bodies and nether extremities of these warriors. The 
 
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 11 
 
 268 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 present is forgotten at once ; the past remains. The most 
 gentle object in view is the elephant which stands close beside 
 you and jiiigles every minute or two the great bells which hang 
 at his side. Yet even he has his peculiarities, as you discover 
 when he reaches out his trunk towards the neck of your terrified 
 horse, and after you hear in more detailed fashion of the ease and 
 grace with which he has captured and killed no less than thirteen 
 human beings during his stay at Jummoo. There are plenty of 
 his brethren here. Thirty, in fact, are on this bank of the river, 
 all highly decorated and painted in approved style, while across 
 the river, well within sight, are nearly two score more, two with 
 grand worked gold and silver howdahs, fit, as indeed they are 
 intended, for the Prince and Maharajah. They are regal 
 elephants, these ; on their backs and tails the painter's skill has 
 been recklessly lavished ; their foreheads and trunks are master- 
 pieces of pictorial art, and on their trunks are the faces of gods 
 and goddesses portrayed with endless care. Even their ears are 
 not forgotten. On the wide-spreading flaps are drawings of 
 lions leaping upon fishes or whales encountering tigers, while 
 on their sides are Royal coats of arms and pictures of the three 
 feathers. Perhaps with a very strong glass glimpses might be 
 caught of a troop of English Lancers — the 9th — who wait the 
 coming of the Prince as he will emerge from the jungle, but 
 this is only momentarily ; they are lost immediately afterwards 
 in the crowd of black horsemen who sweep along the bank and 
 envelope the tiny company. 
 
 A gun from a distant hill just now wakes the echoes, and 
 immediately afterwards a stir on the opposite bank of the river 
 announces the arrival of the Prince. Salute after salute is 
 fired; the Persians shoulder their blunderbusses with more 
 pride than ever ; the men-at-arms stand closer together ; yonder 
 horsemen in helmets ait straight in their huge Eastern 
 saddles; the crowd of chieftains who have descended from 
 Jummoo, and whose horses have brought them down to the 
 
he most 
 je beside 
 ich hang 
 discover 
 terrified 
 ease and 
 thirteen 
 plenty of 
 lie river, 
 ile across 
 two with 
 they are 
 ire regal 
 skill has 
 e master- 
 }S of gods 
 r ears are 
 wings of 
 TS, while 
 the three 
 might be 
 wait the 
 ngle, but 
 'terwards 
 3ank and 
 
 oes, and 
 the river 
 salute is 
 th more 
 ; yonder 
 Eastern 
 ed from 
 Q to the 
 
 JUMMOO THE MAGNIFICENT. 
 
 269 
 
 river's edge— a bediamonded, begilded, silk bedecked crew — form 
 into column four deep; the tom-toms beat faster than ever; 
 the pipes are blown more vigorously than before ; while a tall 
 Asiatic horseman gallops over the little bridge of boats which 
 partly connects the opposite shores, then plunges into the 
 water, and so up the banks to where the soldiers are waiting, 
 and bids them prepare for the Maharajah Sahib and the Prince 
 Sahib. No need to tell them — they have all prepared, their 
 eyes twinkle with pride and curiosity, for are they not the 
 bravest of the brave, and is not the sight they are to witness 
 the grandest in the world? Just now the elephants on the 
 other side are seen to kneel one after another, as they then re- 
 ceive their riders, and as they turn to descend into the river the 
 hoi*semen of the Maharajah, headed by the 9th Lancers, gallop 
 across to the shore we stand on. Very slowly the Prince's 
 elephant places one foot after another in the water, so carefully 
 that the howdah scarcely sways at all, as with measured tread it 
 feels its way through the bed of the river. Following close be- 
 hind comes the elephant of the Maharajah ; then those carrying 
 the Prince's suite, together with Major Henderson, the former 
 Resident, and Colonel Jenkins, who, during the temporary 
 absence of the Major with the Prince, fulfilled the duties of 
 Resident, and fulfilled them well. Preceded by the motley 
 soldiers, the Royal procession wends its way round the side of 
 the hill on which Jummoo stands, now passing by the edge of 
 a precipice and now going between the jungle, till at last it 
 come 1 to the foot of the last ascent before the gate of the city is 
 reached. But what a climb it is! Scarcely less steep ilmn the 
 staircase of an ordinary London dwelling-house. Indeed, it 
 would be impossible for us to ride up it were it not that it has 
 been cut into wide stairs, and paved with rough boulders — 
 boulders, by the way, upon which the feet of horses sli}) horribly, 
 to the constant peril of riders. However, up these stops must 
 the procession go — elepliants, hoibos, footmen, and all. Night, 
 
 
 I 
 
fFITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 ^ '■ !. 
 
 'I :! 
 
 too, is coming on — has caught us in. As we pass between the 
 long lines of soldiers who are armed with flintlock muskets, 
 they stand close shoulder to shoulder and salute as we go by* 
 Nothing more funny was ever heard than the way in which the 
 National Anthem is played by musicians of all descriptions, 
 placed at intervals of about two hundred yards all along the 
 line of route. They have probably never attempted it before 
 they w^ere ordered to rehearse for to-day. They play with 
 energy, at least, though to our ears the result is appalling. 
 But at the instant when our thoughts run in this wise, they are 
 turned sharply in another direction ; for suddenly the city above 
 and the hedgerows around break out into a blaze of flame as 
 thousands of torches, lamps, and fires are kindled simultane- 
 ously. No wonder the horses fly among the terror-stricken 
 soldiery, no wonder the elephants execute a fandango on the 
 steep staircase. Yet, somehow or other, although several are 
 thrown from their seats, we all get up and pass through the 
 narrow gate of the city, where we are received by a salvo of 
 artillery from brass guns not twenty yards distant. The artil- 
 lery and scores of bands massed near the gateway have been 
 too much for the procession, and the conspirators are struggling 
 to get away from the elephants and horses. On we gO ; the 
 Lama priests are true to their post on the top of the house, and 
 fully maintain their ancient reputation as noise-makers as the 
 Prince passes by ; the healthy, broad-chested, strong-armed 
 gentlemen of Leh, who never wash, are also in fine form, and 
 play with all their reputed vigour. They are easy victors over 
 a brass band opposite — the street is just twelve feet wide — 
 which is trying " God save the Queen " in a newly-discovered 
 key. The horses are clearly of this opinion ; for they rush from 
 the musicians of Leh into the very arms of the bandsmen of 
 Cashmere. However, we stay not : our path lies between more 
 bands, more soldiers in extraordinary costumes, more crowds of 
 delighted people who gather in the shop-fronts and on the tops 
 
JUMMOO THE MAGNIFICENT. 
 
 271 
 
 iween the 
 muskets, 
 we go by- 
 which the 
 criptions, 
 ilong the 
 it before 
 (lay with 
 ippalling. 
 , they are 
 lity above 
 ' flame as 
 imultane- 
 f-stricken 
 o on the 
 veral are 
 ough the 
 
 salvo of 
 rhe artil- 
 ave been 
 truggling 
 
 gO; the 
 lOuse, and 
 
 rs as the 
 ng-armed 
 orm, and 
 iters over 
 wide — 
 iscovered 
 :ush from 
 dsmen of 
 een more 
 crowds of 
 
 the tops 
 
 of the low houses, and gibber with unqualified pleasure at the 
 unearthly din. And so we come to the foot of another ascent 
 which leads to the new palace which the Maharajah hsis built 
 for the Prince. Again we are received with artillery, clatter, 
 and shouts, aided also by bouquets of rockets, which seem to 
 shoot up at our very feet, and thus enter the camp, where, 'mid 
 tent pegs, ropes, pitfalls, and obstacles of various kinds, we find 
 ouy way to appointed places, and dismount. The Prince is con- 
 ducted to his apartments by the Maharajah, and time is given 
 to prepare for the State dinner of the evening. 
 
 
 I I 
 
;> '' i 
 
 ' 
 
 ^f 
 
 1! 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIL 
 
 8P0RT IN CASHMERE. 
 
 To be a sportsman in Cashmere, as in Spain, you must not 
 be burdened with sensitive feelings. You will not enjoy the 
 programme if you are a prominent and conscientious member 
 of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Still 
 you must go as a dutiful guest to see the entertainments your 
 host provides for you, although the sight may not be in 
 accordance with your tastes. Leaving, then, the refinement of 
 humanity behind you, let us mount our ponies to be off in 
 the direction of the rendezvous for sport this afternoon. You 
 are promised polo playing, gymnastic games, and featu of skill, 
 to which you cannot, by any possibility, object In addition to 
 these there is something much more delightful to the Cashmere 
 mind ; there are to be hunts by v/ild animals in the presence 
 of the Maharajah. Once across the river, an hour's gallop 
 brings us to our destination. The Prince, who has been hunt- 
 ing all day, and, by the way, has succeeded in killing some 
 game, is expected shortly, so in the meanwhile you have an 
 opportunity of examining the ground and those who art; on it. 
 At one side is a raised dais, with a refreshment tent for the 
 Royal party; on the right of this are some camels and elephants, 
 and, squatted on the ground, a number of semi-nude black men 
 from the valley across the river. At present these are not 
 worth much attention, as other groups deserve more. There 
 are, for instance, some scores of persons with hawks, kites, and 
 falcons on their arms, some hooded, some not, but all anxious 
 for flight. A little in the rear of these are some black fellows 
 who have charge of two cheetahs like those we saw at Baroda, 
 
n 
 
 must not 
 enjoy the 
 IS member 
 lals. Still 
 ents your 
 not be in 
 nement of 
 be off in 
 •on. You 
 tu of skill, 
 ddition to 
 Cashmere 
 ) presence 
 r's gallop 
 >een hunt- 
 ing some 
 1 have an 
 art; on it. 
 t for the 
 elephants, 
 )lack men 
 e are not 
 B. There 
 kites, and 
 1 anxious 
 ;k fellows 
 t Baroda, 
 
 SPORT IN CASHMERE. 
 
 27a 
 
 and two or three great lynxes, apparently very furious beasts. 
 Sadder by far is a group of three beautiful deer, one buck and 
 two doeS| two or three hares, and a couple of jackals, who lie 
 close to each other on the ground, their feet tied, and their 
 tongues hanging out of their mouths, possibly for want of water; 
 perhaps owing to fear. Then, further on ptill, almost exactly 
 in front of the raised dais, are some hundred and fifty men 
 and boys — Baltis, from over the hills, side by side with their 
 ponies. They are here to do battle to day in presence of the 
 Heir Apparent, and you naturally expect great things. Polo 
 players in England will be interested in learning that these 
 mountaineers have a very different kind of stick from that used 
 either by the Munniporees or the players at Hurlingham, namely, 
 a club-like weapon curved at the end, and very much heavier 
 than those in use elsewhere. As for the ponies, they have no 
 guards of leather, and indeed are not very good animals either. 
 However, as these people have come five hundred miles over the 
 Himalayas to show their method of playing polo to the Prince, 
 you are not disposed to be too critical as yet, but wait in expecta- 
 tion of some wonderful work. Major-General Biddulph explains, 
 too, that the gentlemen who are here to-day, clad in gorgeous silks 
 of every conceivable colour — that is to say, half of them, the rest 
 having no clothing to speak of at all — have till lately been a 
 sad trouble to jieaceably disposed folk. They only now behave 
 themselves because they are vassals of the Maharajah ; and 
 yonder sturdy little chieftain, who is trying hard to bend his 
 disagreeable features into a pleasant cast while an artist sketches 
 him, was long renowned as a soii; of Cashmere Robin Hood, 
 whose followers were more wily than honest, and whose merry 
 men were the terror of travellers. However, at such a time as 
 this, when the Prince is stei)ping upon the dais, we must let 
 bygones be bygones, although there are at least a score of the 
 savages glaring at the English stranijers as though they would 
 heartily enjoy a few minutes' cutting and hacking with the 
 
 i 
 
 I ^ 
 
 h 
 
 m 
 
 :i f! 
 
274 
 
 TTITU THE PRINCE IN INDIA, 
 
 curved tulwars they grasp in their nervous hands. But their 
 comrades in silk are mounting the ponies, and they, as well as 
 we, are quickly absorbed in the interest of the game. Advanc- 
 ing to the centre of the open space before the Prince, these polo 
 players make a low bow to his Royal Highness, whereupon 
 some musicians with trumpets quite two yards long, also some 
 sinewy tom-tom i)liiyers, squat on the ground and commence an 
 awful din. More astonisiiing still is the noise which the multi- 
 tude who have no silk, but only rags, indulge in. No sooner 
 do the ponies and their riders move toward one end of the 
 ground than every savage howls or whistles to the utmost of his 
 pow«^r. Then a sudden lull takes place ; the ball is hurled into 
 the air and sent whirling along the plain, while the horsemen 
 go after it helter-skelter, whereupon trumpeters, tom-tom play- 
 ers, and howlers make more noise. So it is every time the 
 players pass by — a blast proceeds from the trumpets, a thunder 
 of sound from the tom-toms, and a vocal accompaniment from 
 their admirers of no uncertain note. They are clearly delighted 
 beyond measure to see their countrymen so gallantly attired 
 moving before the Prince, and they could make the most hide- 
 ous roarinf* for many hours if allowed. Somehow or other, 
 those eng'iged in the game achieve nothing ; they miss the ball 
 con^ixiuttlly, they tumble off their horses, they do not compete 
 with opposing sides — four Munniporee players would beat 
 twenty of them with ease. At last the Prince sends to ask if 
 they cannot form into two parties of say five each, and try the 
 regular game, to which, after much discussion, they agree. But 
 it is all to no purpose, and very soon they are requested to 
 disappear and make room for better men. They go, and the 
 athletes in the corner take their places. The chief points about 
 these gentlemen appear to be that they were almost naked, very 
 greasy, and capable of almost any grotesque movement that 
 suggested itself. Two would meet with a rush, and each plac- 
 ing his head between the other's legs would forthwith turn a 
 
iSPORT IN CASHMERE, 
 
 ^ 1 1 
 
 ij 
 
 Jut their 
 s well as 
 
 Advanc- 
 hose polo 
 lereupon 
 Iso some 
 Qence an 
 le multi- 
 o sooner 
 d of the 
 )st of his 
 rled into 
 lorsemen 
 om play- 
 time the 
 
 thunder 
 mt from 
 lelighted 
 ^ attired 
 ost hide- 
 ►r other, 
 
 the ball 
 compete 
 lid beat 
 bo ask if 
 
 try the 
 ee. But 
 ested to 
 and the 
 its about 
 ;ed, very 
 3nt that 
 ,ch plac- 
 i turn a 
 
 series of spinning wheels, making us wonder whetliti- tliey wore 
 really human beings. Then they would throw all kinds of 
 somersaults while clasped in couples, fly over each other's heads, 
 and generally impersonate the dusky goblins with whom we 
 were made familiar in our very early days. But their chief ex- 
 cellence consisted in the amazing distances they coi ild bound. 
 Fixing a rough spring-board in the ground, thoy would run and 
 jump twelve or iifteen feet into the air and alight without the 
 slightest shock. Presently a couple of camels were brought up, 
 whereupon one savage after another ran and threw someisaults 
 over the camels, humps and all, coming down on the other side 
 as lightly as a feather. Then an elephant of the largest size 
 was placed in position foi a similar purpose, and at the first 
 attempt a man bounded comfortably into the howdah on the 
 top of the animal's back. But the success was only momentary, 
 for the huge creature lifted up his trunk, trumpeted with 
 all his might, and then ran away, utterly declining to come near 
 that spring-board any more. Another large elephant was pro- 
 cured, but with similar results. Every time the athlete took a 
 run the sagacious animal would turn round r.nd hold out his 
 trunk in a threatening manner, blinking his little eyes and 
 snorting in so defiant a fashion, that, after some vain attempts 
 at blindfolding him, the experiment was given up, and way was 
 made for less manly sports. 
 
 I have already described to you cheetah-hunting as practised 
 i Baroda. It is not an economical way of chasing deer, and I 
 do not know that it is a very refined class of sport. But it is 
 very seldom the cheetah succeeds in catching his prey ; so that 
 the spectacle of a savage beast tearing the neck of a handsome 
 deer is not often afibrded. The Maharajah of Cashmere was, 
 however, quite determined that there should be no lack of 
 amusement in that dii*ection, and the way he managed it was 
 this. The spectators, including the athletes and the Baltis, 
 were requested to form a wide-spreading circle, embracing, 
 
 

 f!' 
 
 ••I 
 
 I " 
 
 ,f 
 
 ,1 
 
 ,' 
 
 ;l 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 ! 1 
 
 ^76 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA, 
 
 perhaps, two acres of ground. Of horsemen, ladies, officers, 
 gentlemen, and natives, there were sufficient to do so ; and, all 
 being now in readiness, the deer which we saw lying on the 
 ground an hour before were carried by their legs to the centre 
 of the ground, and deposited there. Similarly, though with the 
 greatest possible care, a cheetah was brought up to the dais, 
 patted, caressed by its keepers, and admired by the visitors. 
 At length one of the deer, a splendid black buck, \* -s released 
 and urged to run. Poor beast, his numbed limbs and dazed 
 eyes scarcely admitted of a great deal of motion, and it was 
 really some time before he could understand what was required 
 of him. But when at last the struggling cheetah was held near 
 him, he did comprehend that he was expected to do something, 
 and accordingly began a slow trot towards the left-hand side of 
 the dais. He might, perhaps, have gone about two hundred 
 yards whei the leopard was let slip, and there is little doubt 
 he would have been caught at once but for the timely inter- 
 position of a little dog, which at that particular moment got in 
 the way. Now, I believe a cheetah likes dog-flesh as much as 
 venison, especially when there is less trouble in getting the 
 former than the latter, and the unlucky puppy was chased with- 
 out loss of time. But it was all to no purpose : the terrier was 
 too smart for the heavier brute, and after a little running in a 
 circle the pursuer gave up the attempt. All this while the 
 wretched buck had been looking for some loophole to escape. 
 He might as well have tried to fly to the clouds. And as ill- 
 luck would have it, at that very moment when the cheetah had 
 crouched down in the grass, chagrined at losing the dog, the 
 buck, endeavouring still to find an opening in the crowd, came 
 within a yard of him. Then the fierce creature sprang up and 
 was after him. Round they went, the one striving for life, the 
 other for blood. In terror the deer ran to the side of the circle, 
 hoping perhaps to leap it and get away, but witliout eflfect. 
 Slowly the cheetah came up with his prey, although the buck. 
 
es, officers, 
 
 10 ; and, all 
 
 ing on the 
 
 the centre 
 
 {h with the 
 
 3 the dais, 
 
 le visitors. 
 
 .s released 
 
 and dazed 
 
 and it was 
 
 IB required 
 
 s held near 
 
 something, 
 
 and side of 
 
 ^o hundred 
 
 ittle doubt 
 
 lely inter- 
 
 lent got in 
 
 bS much as 
 
 etting the 
 
 ased with- 
 
 errier was 
 
 ining in a 
 
 while the 
 
 to escape. 
 
 ^nd as ill- 
 
 eetah had 
 
 dog, the 
 
 wd, came 
 
 ig up and 
 
 r life, the 
 
 the circle, 
 
 ut effect. 
 
 the buck, 
 
 SPOUT IN CASH ME HE. 
 
 277 
 
 now frantic with fright, skiitod the litth^ circlo inside the crowd 
 with wonderful celerity, till at last tho leopiu'd succocdod in 
 springing ik^ion the hindipiarters, entwining its forolrgs round 
 its victim's loins. Then followed the most sickening scone 
 1 have ever witnessed. The Prince and his suite, though 
 they loved sport, murmured witli vexation as the gasjting 
 terrified deef struggled and groaned so loudly that its pitiliil 
 cries might be heurd by everyone present. Slowly the cheetah 
 climbed on its back, though at one moment there was some 
 hope that the beautiful creature would escape ; for the former, 
 somehow or other, failed to fasten its fangs in the buck's neck 
 at first, and the two rolled on the ground together. J will 
 do the crowd — that 8emi-fashiona))le, semisavage crowd — 
 the justice to say that I believe if the buck had got clear this 
 time they would have opened to let it pass. But this fit of 
 mercy came too late. The strength of the deer was failing 
 fast — another plunge, another roll, another loud groan and 
 cry, and then the ena came. The cheetah's teeth pierced tho 
 neck of tho overpowered buck, there was a tearing noise, 
 a final struggle, and then the bk)odthirsty beast was seen suck- 
 ing away the life of its motionless victim. It may be said that 
 at one point, namely, on the extreme left of the dais, there was 
 an open passage through which the deer might have passed, and 
 perhaps did go at first ; but behind this there was a strong line 
 of beaters, and the fact that the buck was driven back into the 
 circle is sufficient proof of its inability to escape. The next 
 amusement was the production of some lynxes and a jackal. 
 This did not end satisfactorily, according to Cashmere ideas. 
 The first lynx, on being let loose, absolutely fraternised with 
 what should have been its prey, by rubbing its nose against 
 that of the jackal, afterwards quietly trotting back again to its 
 keeper ; and, by the time that the second lynx was let loose, 
 the jackal having found an opening in the crowd, made pur- 
 posely, I fancy, by some of those who did not care fw the spec- 
 
 
 i 
 
 ^'1 
 
 
 itw 
 
 
 4 
 
 
 f] 
 
 
 II 
 
 
I i 
 
 I i 
 
 278 
 
 fVITlI THE VlilNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 II 
 
 I 
 
 h 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 {I 
 
 tficlc of flcjitli, trotted off too, thinking, prohably, that the i 
 wiiH nsally nothing of interest to wait for. This was Honiowh .t 
 (liHcouraging, and so a plump hare was hold forthwith to the 
 noses of the lynxes, and then untied and set free. I3ut the 
 little aninjiil also got away, for the lynxes were anything but 
 hungry, and as si)ort seenKnl to be on the wane, a coui)le of 
 falcons were sent in pursuit, which, after several swooj)s, suc- 
 ceeded in killing him. It was an open plain, there was no 
 cover very near, and the terrible birds soon disposiMl of their 
 chase. Tliis ended the " fun." The guests and the Maharajah 
 entered their carriages, and we galloped in the rear towards 
 Jummoo the magnificent. 
 
 It must not be supposed that there was a lack of objects of 
 rational interest in Jummoo. On the contrary, the caj)ital of 
 Cashmere is perhaps more deserving of a visit than any other 
 place the Royal party has been to, not even excej)ting Kandy 
 or Benares, We were altogether in a new world, to which the 
 habits and customs of Europeans had not extended. "We saw 
 the Asiatic in his own home, untrammelled by the laws of 
 more modernibed races. In fact, a party of those attached to 
 his Royal Highness, discovered, in the course of a short morn- 
 ing's tour, some of the strangest religious curiosities of Asia. 
 Our principal object in setting out was to witness the Lamas or 
 Thibetan Buddhist priests. The yellow-robed ecclesiastics of 
 Kandy had told us when in Ceylon that the Thibetan fraternity 
 differed only from them in the colour of the dress they wore. 
 We were desirous of judging for ourselves, and our obser- 
 vations led to the following conclusioas : that in almost every 
 particular the Ceylon and Asiatic Buddhists differ essentially ; 
 that while the former wear yellow robes and wash frequently, 
 the latter seldom or never divest themselves of their dingy red 
 habits, and certainly do not use water at all. One amiable old 
 gentleman, whose grimy face, long matted hair, excessively 
 objectionable cap and cloak, told their own tale, owned that liQ 
 
aroiiT :n ('a^jimere. 
 
 27'.» 
 
 
 that Uic • 
 somowl) t 
 itii to the 
 But the 
 tiling but 
 coui)le of 
 v^ooi)a, Suc- 
 re was no 
 'd of tlieir 
 Vlaharajah 
 ir towards 
 
 objects of 
 
 ( capital of 
 
 any other 
 
 ng Kandy 
 
 which the 
 
 We saw 
 
 le laws of 
 
 ttached to 
 
 lort morn- 
 
 s of Asia. 
 
 Lamas or 
 
 siastics of 
 
 fraternity 
 
 hey wore. 
 
 )ur obser- 
 
 lost every 
 
 sentially ; 
 
 requently, 
 
 dingy red 
 
 miable old 
 
 xcessively 
 
 ed that liQ 
 
 had never taken oflT his gown since first h»' mlupted it, now 
 many years ago. " Why should he 1" he askod of an intcrro 
 gator. Whereupon somebody .suggested that a plunge in tlu' 
 Tow at the foot of the hill might b(? advisubh*. To which the 
 holy man rcpiii-d by a simple, artless smile, which indiraled 
 doubt and tinwillingnrss combined. The priests of tlu^ South 
 performed their devotions almost silently, those of the North 
 made as much noise as possible. TluM-e was no itlol on the 
 I»uddhist altar in Ceylon, certainly no objectioiiible pictures 
 weiv- there, and I did not remark any oblation beyond a (piim- 
 tity of flowers and some coin of the realm. But in the North 
 there were idols in i)lenty. There was also a work of art, to 
 say the least, out of haimony with Englisli tastes, and certainly 
 with our ideas of sacred propriety, and there was *' food for the 
 gods" eno^tgh to feed all the religious men who sat round the 
 altar. The whole business, too, was diflferent. Our first inter- 
 view with the Lamas was a somewhat curious one. Guided by 
 the sound of brass instruments, cymbals, clappers, tc.ii-toms, 
 and whistles, we climbed up the side of a dilapidated house by 
 means of some old boarding, and so reached the roof, where, 
 seated in a tent open at the end, were ten burly priests pro- 
 ceeding with their devotions. The picture referred to hung 
 opposite the entrance ; and before it were piles of sweetmeats, 
 brass cups full of oil, corn, grain, and flour, an idol, an inde- 
 scribable instrument on a stand, a lighted lamp, and some pieces 
 of gold cloth. Squatted on tlieir haunches, these ten gentlemen 
 were singing and playing, one amongst them having the words 
 of the song before him and leading the melody. How dreadful 
 the din was which they made I cannot describe ; until }'ou have 
 heard the Lamas sing you can have no idea of their powers. 
 To one a most important task was committed — the turning of 
 the praying- wheel, an api)aratus unknown to the Cingalese — 
 and the way in which he whirled round the rattling machine 
 showed him to be a groat adept in the sacred art, 
 
 ^ni 
 
 
 ;. . 
 
 ii 
 
 i 1 
 
 ; 
 
 i' 1 
 
 3 
 
 M 
 
 1 s- 
 
280 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 ' : 
 
 Passing from the midst of these devotional people, we went 
 on to the cliief Hindoo temple of Jummoo, just at the moment 
 when the doors were being opened for the faithful. An attempt 
 to enter was at first vigorously opposed by some Fakeers, who 
 hurried up with their dismal countenances, and insisted on our 
 taking our boots off. To this we objected, and as a result we 
 were followed by a hostile crowd to the doorway, over which 
 we did not attempt to pass, for the whole temple was visible 
 from the entrance. Tlie principal idol was Vishnu, who was 
 bedecked with a golden robe and wore a Pope's mitre. On his 
 right hand was a goddess wearing a mitre also, while on his left 
 sat another female divinity, who had apparently not risen to 
 the dignity of a head-dress, and was, in consequence, obliged to 
 do without one. There was nothing of importance to see 
 beyond this, so we went away, and as we did so a very consci- 
 entious person took a bowl of water, and sprinkling the steps 
 on which we had stood, washed away the defilement which the 
 stone had contracted from our infidel feet. The next evening 
 the Lamas danced before the Prince, and the Hindoo priests 
 passed his Royal Highness in procession. Space forbids my 
 attempting to describe the State dinner, at which the Prince 
 presided — the Maharajah, as a good Hindoo, studiously keeping 
 out of sight — or of the Nautch dance which followed. Nor can 
 I give more than passing mention of the fact that, after two 
 days' stay at Jummoo, his Royal Highness departed in similar 
 fashion to that in which he arrived, and on his way back to the 
 North-west breakfasted with the English officers at Sealkote, 
 opened a bridge at Wuzirabad, driving in with some ceremony 
 a silver rivet with a golden hammer ; attended a native /Ste at 
 Lahore, and the next day paid a visit to Umritzur and its 
 golden temple. 
 
we went 
 e moment 
 n attempt 
 :eers, who 
 :8d on our 
 result we 
 iver which 
 vras visible 
 L, who was 
 3. On his 
 on his left 
 Dt risen to 
 obliged to 
 ice to see 
 ery consci- 
 
 the steps 
 which the 
 xt evening 
 loo priests 
 brbids my 
 the Prince 
 ily keeping 
 Nor can 
 
 after two 
 
 in similar 
 ►ack to the 
 b Sealkote, 
 
 ceremony 
 live fete at 
 iir and its 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 akbar's capital. 
 
 The Prince was well received in the city of Agra. It is 
 worth narrating how the descendants of the Mussulmans and 
 the sons of Timour the Tartar met the Shahazada, and after 
 what fashion they saluted him. 
 
 The records of distant ages are dim. Little is known of the 
 gentlemen who one after another ruled this favoured spot. 
 Not that we are wholly ignorant of their eccentricities and 
 playfulness. Pleasant stories, conserved in marble, tell their 
 own tale of amusements and pastimes in which a Henry the 
 Eighth would have revelled. But what was their manner in 
 regard to the more solemn acts of life, history fails to narrate. 
 I mean by solemn acts t^ e reception of some friendly monarch, 
 some neighbouring king. Yet I do not refer exactly to the 
 actual durbars, the presents, the pleasant words of welcome, 
 but to what occurred before the potential visitors arrived. 
 Take, for instance, the reception of Ali Merdan by Shah Jehan. 
 Did the Monarch of Akberabad issue fresh regulations every 
 iwenty-four hours for a fortnight before the great Persian 
 arrived? Did he sit on his peacock throne in the pahice and 
 rehearse the smiles and the bows he intended to make ? Did 
 he make the elephants learn their parts, and have the camels 
 put through their facings ? I think he must have done some- 
 thing of the sort, for at Agra there was a love of reheaisal 
 which cannot be found anywhere else, and it must have 
 descended fro.n somebody or other. 
 
 Having witnessed the preparations for the Prince all over 
 the peninsula, I can say with some certainty that nothing lik(; 
 
 18 
 
 i 
 
'.'II 
 
 I- 
 
 I 
 
 rr 
 
 jfl 
 
 i i 
 
 Ipl 
 
 r 
 
 Hi 
 
 ill 1 
 
 .,.,, „ j 
 
 '■ ill 
 
 I if 
 
 282 
 
 ^TITif THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 the arrangements at Agra were witnesso<l elsewhere. At Bora- 
 bay, Colombo, Madras, and Calcutta they discussed and 
 diverged, issued edicts and cancelled them, set up arches and 
 pulled them down again, gave orden and rescinded them, and 
 very generally worried themselves and everybody else to the 
 verge of insanity; but that was all. I do not believe the 
 priests of the Temple at Kandy had a full dress rehearsal with 
 the exhibition of Buddha's tooth ; the gentleman who read the 
 address at Madras had got it all oflf by heart ; but I am sure 
 that the managers of the Bankapore entertainment were not 
 clear as to what would be done. Even at Lahore there was a 
 pleasant uncertainty up to the last moment, and, indeed, even 
 then; but ttc Agra nothing of the so)'! existed. All had been 
 arranged io work like a clock. For a v. eok before the Prince 
 arrived everybody had been placed iyi Ail I review order. The 
 soldiers had lined the roads, their bands had ^aken ujj then' 
 positions, the gharry drivers had been thrust into fieU'u^ and 
 out-of-the-way places, and the public had been hustled and 
 pushed, penned up, and belaboured with all the energy incident 
 to an actual festival. The elephants had been marshalled out- 
 side the railway station gates ; their drivers had kicked and 
 yelled, and beaten the animals, just as it was desirable they 
 should do when the grand day came ; the trees of the gardens 
 of the Taj had been partially illuminated ; even to the ball, a 
 battalion of Sepoys had been despatched " to see how six hun- 
 dred people would look," as an official explained. The only 
 thing which appears to have been left out of the rehearsal pro- 
 gramme was an experimental supper. And all this was easily 
 achieved in a happy community in which everybody knows his 
 place, where a colonel would not dream of offering his arm to a 
 picneral's wife, where the exact position of a commissioner at 
 table is defined, where assistant magistrates are held to be the 
 exact equals of captains, and settlement officers are looked down 
 ui un by district judges. The only thing to be taken for grunted 
 
At Bom- 
 nissed and 
 arches and 
 . them, and 
 else to the 
 believe the 
 learsal with 
 ho read the 
 , I am sure 
 it were not 
 there was a 
 indeed, even 
 lU had been 
 ) the PriD<!e 
 order. The 
 en u;^ 'hen- 
 io fieluH and 
 hustled and 
 srgy incident 
 rshalled out- 
 kicked and 
 isirable they 
 the gardens 
 o the ball, a 
 low six hun- 
 The only 
 ehearsal pro- 
 is was easily 
 y knows his 
 his arm to a 
 _missioner at 
 eld to be tho 
 looked down 
 
 AKBAR'S CAPITAL. 
 
 283 
 
 was that everybody who knew his place and his work did 
 according to his liglits, and tlius, of course, Agra must "receive" 
 like clockwork. 
 
 At length, however, the expected day arrived, and the city 
 went out to meet the Queen's son. The hour of entry was fixed 
 for four o'clock in the afternoon ; everybody was in position by 
 one. And lest, after all, somebody should have forgotten his 
 lesson, the parts were all rehearsed again. The elepliants — 
 there were nearly a hundred of them — were placed in line, 
 formed into column, and then marched back again. The Sepoys 
 were brought to their places, and drilled on the spot with un- 
 relenting energy. The Bengal Cavalry passed and repassed 
 over the ground till the faces of the riders were recognized by 
 the crowd, and the people in their starchy gowns and their big 
 turbans were *• regulated " for three hours without any regard 
 for exhaustion on the part of their active preceptors. 
 
 There was one thing, however, which refused to be bound 
 down by the programme, and, accordingly, sadly bothered 
 the manager of the entertainment. We were ali, as I 
 have said, in our nlnces ; the police had got e\ory wheel 
 <A- the city mechanism into working order; thf ;? alive music., 
 ians, on native made platforms of extraordirja: y description, 
 were tiim-toming to .their hearts' content, in accordance with 
 
 n 
 
 for gruiitcil 
 
 rules laid down, wlien — whow ! — a whii iwiiid sprang up and 
 nearly choked us all. It came over the ur'A plains by the 
 riverside, over the dry sandy bed of the river itself, down the 
 roads and through the gardens, stirring up the dust in great 
 clouds, and plunging it into our very midst, till no one could 
 see across the road, and even the gentleman who had to read 
 the address was nearly choked. It was all to no avail that 
 the police waved their staves, and the inspectors galloped about. 
 The wind would not be still. It whirled the surface of the 
 plain into the streets and into the station itself; it snatched 
 away umbrellas, and tore do^\'u awnings ; it hid officers from 
 
»'**.-*Klii»mwi«>. 
 
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 m 
 
 
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 w"rr 
 
 
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 111,:; 
 
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 ill HI 
 
 ! : 
 
 284 
 
 WITH THE FRINGE IN INDIA. 
 
 their men, and the public from the constables ; and it kept up 
 this merry game with the officials of Agra till the Prince had 
 entered and reached his destination. 
 
 I have mentioned native music-stands. They were certainly, 
 till the dust-storm came, well worth looking at. Have you ever 
 taken part in a wedding festival in the North- West ? If so, 
 you will remember that, as aids to the splendour of the proces- 
 sion, figures of ladies and gentlemen, of great artistic beauty, 
 are often borne aloft. It is not in the exact similitude to nature 
 that the charms of these images lie. On the contrary, it is 
 generally the practice to portray humanity not as it is, but as 
 the Hindoo artist thinks it should be. Consequently there is 
 that pleasing divergence from sameness which we call variety 
 — a result exceedingly pleasant to the native mind. What 
 matters it indeed if a gentleman is represented with four arms 
 instead of two 1 Why should we always be bound down to one 
 nose or one head ? There was a really admirable lady dressed 
 in silver, and presumably stuffed with straw, whose head had 
 four mouths, eight eyes, four noses, and two very fine ears. 
 She was placed at one end of a decorated platform, whilst at 
 the other a gentleman wearing a red elephant's trunk kept 
 watch and ward. Between them were squatted all the friends 
 and acquaintances of a wealthy Hindoo, all of them waiting 
 to welcome the Prince. They had brought with them musicians 
 also, celebrated players upon the cymbals and bones, noted 
 performers on the tom-tom and reed whistle, some friends who 
 knew how to blow great brass horns, and a couple of dancing 
 ladies, who jumped about to the sound of the music as long as 
 they could. Nor were they at all alone in their glory ; there 
 were, indeed, ever so many of these musical stands along the 
 line of route. Happy were we to whose ears the sound of the 
 sackl»ut and lute never reached ; happy we who could see the 
 energetic gentlemen with the cymbals, but could not hear them. 
 Happier still, however, were the owners of the stands them 
 
I it kept up 
 Prince had 
 
 re certainly, 
 bve you ever 
 est ? If so, 
 : the proces- 
 istic beauty, 
 ide to nature 
 )ntrary, it is 
 it is, but as 
 ntly there is 
 ) call variety 
 lind. What 
 th four arms 
 down to one 
 lady dressed 
 lose head had 
 y fine ears, 
 m, whilst at 
 trunk kept 
 .1 the friends 
 em waiting 
 im musicians 
 ones, noted 
 friends who 
 le of dancing 
 dc as long as 
 I glory; there 
 Ids along the 
 I sound of the 
 30uld see the 
 lot hear them. 
 Istands them 
 
 AKBARS CAPITAL. 
 
 28;") 
 
 selves as they sat, with clasped hands and radiant faces, in the 
 very centre of all the din, proud of themselves, proud of their 
 friends, but prouder still of the noise they were making. 
 
 Buc this was not the only special feature of the reception. 
 The arrangement of the Europeans was very picturesque. Tri- 
 bunes rising from the ground tier above tier were apportioned to 
 the visitors who had flocked into Agra, and ladies in bright 
 dresses, and gentlemen in brilliant uniforms, filled the seats in 
 anticipation of events. All was, indeed, arranged for an exceed- 
 ingly pretty spectacle, when the wind rose, and the dust came 
 on. The elephants were splendidly painted and cai)arisoned ; 
 thirty Rajahs and chieftains were in their gold and silver 
 howdahs at the station ; there were retainei-s with the very 
 funniest headgear, and some with no headgeai at all ; there 
 were soldiers who carried matchlocks and warriors who clutched 
 javelins and pistols ; the bands were ready ; the ^ Idress was 
 there — when the whirlwind came on. And so it chanced that, 
 after all, the reception at Agra lost much of its beauty. Let 
 it not be supposed that we saw nothing ; on the contrary, 
 between the dust clouds we caught a good view occasionally of 
 Lord Charles Beresford's elephant behaving contumeliously, of 
 the Prince holding to the howdah with one hand and bowing 
 with the other, of Lord Aylesford and Lord Alfred Paget 
 abreast on gigantic animals, and a crowd of Rajahs in the rear. 
 But who could enjoy the scene 1 We had just fixed our binocu- 
 lars for a good gaze at the features and dress of the youthful 
 Rajah of Dholepore when a blast of wind obscured him from 
 view, and the next potentate we saw was the Rajah of Chickari 
 or the Jaghidar of Alipuia, of the existence of whom we were 
 to that moment profoundly ignorant. But vexation was all to 
 no purpose. The wind cared not a jot for the rage of specta- 
 tors or the mortification of the simple-minded ones who wished 
 to be seen in the procession ; and we were glad at last to take 
 shelter in our carriages, and drive away home as fast as fright- 
 
 m 
 
r u 
 
 * !• 
 
 I r ' ' 
 
 286 
 
 IVITII THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 ened horses, bad driv(;js, an uncertain road, and coming dark- 
 ness would allow. Besides which, there was an entertainment 
 in the evening, to wliich the police " invited " early attendance, 
 and hence our exertion. 
 
 Nil 
 
)ming dark- 
 tertaiiiment 
 attendance, 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 A TOMB AND A TOWEB. 
 
 It is, after all, very questionable whether even a comet 
 obtains a satisfactory view of the universe. Its journey is 
 extended, but it is too rapid ; there is too much to be seen for a 
 flying inspection to sufl&ce. Perhaps the Prince thought this 
 as he quitted Agra, for he determined on visiting the Taj 
 Mehal twice, and the second time by moonlight. 
 
 In an Indian clime, at this season of the year, there was no 
 need to consult the weather. Clouds may be left entirely out 
 of consideration ; if the moon was there we were sure to see it. 
 She was visible when we arrived at Agra — a fine full one, too 
 — lighting up the landscape with a brilliancy of which you in 
 Engljind, and even the dwellers at Rome, know nothing. Per- 
 chance it may have occurred to you in time gone by to roam 
 inside the Coliseum when the moon's rays broke through the 
 ruins and lit up the place with a ghastly glare. The seleno- 
 graph imprinted on your memory at such time may still appear 
 to you the most beautiful picture you ever saw. But those 
 Roman beams had, after all, to penetrate through the mists of 
 the Roman marshes, and, though unknown, parted with some 
 of their finest rays, as they swept the damp air away. The 
 moon at Agra had no such trouble. Unimpeded by watery 
 particles, it sliot through the clear, crisp, atmosphere a flood of 
 such brilliant light, that the marble of the Taj became ethereal- 
 ised, and to the wondering spectator looked as though it would 
 suddenly rise up and fly oS*. It was a singular sight to look 
 through the grim red sandstone gateway and watch the Royal 
 party as it filed along the marble terrace-walk which leads to 
 
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 1 
 
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 ii 
 
 1: 
 
 1 
 
 Mil 
 
 II 
 
 I 1 
 
 288 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 this marvellous tomb. Fountains were playing; the music 
 from a band situated nobody seemed to know where, but not 
 far off, echoed and re-echoed against Taj and mosque ; the great 
 cypress trees cast their dark shadows over the pathway, and 
 vandycked it with sharply-defined forms, and the perfume of 
 innumerable flowers filled the air — it was an entry into fairy- 
 land. No oil-lami)s disfigured the trees, no limelight blinded 
 the vision ; the Taj stood unornamented in its own wonderful 
 gi-andeur, just in front of those who were fortunate enough 
 to visit it. As we approached, a glow of heat was felt by 
 everybody. The hot sun playing upon the white marble all day 
 had left it still palpably warm to the touch, and even now at 
 uiidnight the air was warm with the unexhausted caloric. This 
 wa: , however, no drawback ; for, though the days are sultry, 
 the nights are piercingly cold, and the genial temperature was 
 rather to be courted than avoided. Still it would not do lo 
 stand constantly close to the building. 
 
 To see the Taj you must go to each of the four corners of the 
 great marble platform on which it stands and note its huge 
 spandrils in bold relief, the jewelled arches as they are illumined 
 by the moon, its wondrous dome and grand minarets. Indeed, 
 it is necessary to go up on those very minarets in order that the 
 full beauty of this architectural gem may the better be seen, 
 that its rich landscape setting may be fully appreciated, that 
 the slow-flowing Jumna close by may take its part in the 
 picture, and that the sleeping city of Agra, its fort and its 
 temples, may also have their place. 
 
 To me it was a source of much gratification that I had spent 
 some hours in the daytime inspecting the grandest of all build- 
 ings in the world, and that after that nothing could mar the 
 memory of its great beauty. A great white marble tomb, built 
 after the similitude of a Turkish mosque, its walls inlaid with 
 precious stones, its front inscribed in Arabic, with the praises 
 of the great woman in whose memory it was written, its huge 
 
A TOMB AND A TOWEK 
 
 2hi> 
 
 the music 
 re, but not 
 ; the great 
 bhway, and 
 perfume of 
 
 into fairy- 
 ht blinded 
 
 wonderful 
 ate enough 
 ras felt by 
 "ble all day 
 '^en now at 
 loric. This 
 are sultry, 
 rature was 
 
 not do to 
 
 ners of the 
 ►te its huge 
 e illumined 
 J. Indeed, 
 ler that the 
 ;er be seen, 
 jiated, that 
 art in the 
 )rt and its 
 
 [ had spent 
 >f all build- 
 Id mar the 
 tomb, built 
 inlaid with 
 the praises 
 n, its huge 
 
 white dome glistening in the bright sun, tlie tombs below and 
 the false tombstones above, the resting-j daces of Sliah Jolian 
 and his lovely wife — such was the picture I saw. Nothing on 
 earth equals it. The spandrils may not be in proportion. I 
 believe a Scotsman who visited it at the same time I did proved 
 successfully to another Scotsman that one of the arches was a 
 quarter of an inch too high and another a quarter of an inch too 
 low. I am aware that gentlemen whose knowledge of Eastern 
 architecture is as small as the knowledge of critics usually is 
 have given at least eight satisfactory reasons why the Taj must 
 not be considered perfection ; but I do not care a bit. I love 
 the marvellous screenwork cut from white marble, which, with 
 its eight sides, encloses the two tombs. To me the resting place 
 of the First Napoleon in the Invalides seemed the merest 
 pretence at magnificence when I had looked for a moment into 
 the dim vaults below ground ; and when I was led to the top of 
 one of the minarets, and gazed down upon the work of the 
 great Shah Jehan, thought of the millions of money expended 
 in its completion, of the thousands of workmen who toiled here 
 for years, of the sightless crew which issued from yonder gates 
 when the top stone had been added, and the decree which went 
 forth that not one of the workmen might ever see again, lest 
 some other potentate, jealous and envious, might essay to build 
 a structure as handsome in some foreign land — I felt that here 
 was a spectacle for the Prince worthy the fatigues and trials of 
 his whole journey. One ftict was very satisfactory — the Joneses, 
 Browns, and Robinsons had not been allowed to write their 
 names or carve their initials on the tombs. They did, in days 
 gone by, chip out the precious stones when nobody was watch- 
 ing j but now they cannot do even that, and are obliged to 
 leave the building without recording their visit in any way. 
 Peace, disappointed scribblers ! it is one of the few places your 
 vagrant pencil has not desecrated. 
 
 I do not think there was much talking that night as we 
 
 I 
 
 
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 m: t? 
 
 Hill 
 
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 li 
 
 11 ' 
 
 i 
 
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 tt 
 
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 M 
 
 J90 
 
 n'lTll THE PRINCE IN INDIA 
 
 passed from point to point, and looked again and again at the 
 wondi'oua IjuiMing which the Shah Jehan erected. Hearts 
 were too full of admiration to admit of frivolity or careless 
 thought ; we were gazing upon a scene the like of which we had 
 never witnessed before. One idea seemed common — that to 
 enjoy a trip to India the Taj at Agra should be the last place 
 seen. Else with what comfort can you look afterwards upon 
 the inferior resting-places of Akbur, Adum Khan, Suftur Jung 
 or even Humayon's tomb? To you, as an exacting and 
 scrupulous archa3ologist, the sepulchre of the Great Mogul at 
 Secundra may afford many delights ; the purity of its architec- 
 ture will please j'-our eye and help you to point many an his- 
 torical and perhaps useful moral, as a i)atriotic Englishman. 
 Again, the grave of Humayon may have pleasant memories, in 
 so far as it was the place where the mutiny received its final 
 blow, the spot where the scheming, traitorous old King of Delhi 
 was led away into captivity, and where his three wicked sons 
 were led out to execution by the gallant Hodson. But after 
 you have once seen the Taj, the grandest marble domes, the 
 prettiest Motee Musjid in India — and what a number of these 
 pearl mosques there are ! — sinks into insignificance. You re- 
 gretfully turn back to the Taj, and its beauty overtops them 
 
 all. 
 
 There is another structure of great grandeur, but it is wholly 
 
 dissimilar from the gem of Agra. It likewise received a part- 
 ing visit, though not by moonlight. 
 
 Not a score of miles from Delhi stands a high tower, the top 
 of which may be seen from any part of a circle of many leagues. 
 Who built it and why it was constructed no one can tell. Yet 
 it is claimed with equal force by both Hindoo and Mussulman, 
 who both have some dozens of reasons to show that to their 
 ancestors belongs the honour of having erected the highest pill ir 
 in the world. I do not, however, propose to so?ve the doubt, 
 the only matter of iraportancp to such as were invited to visit 
 
:aiu at the 
 Hearts 
 )r careless 
 Icli we had 
 I — that to 
 last place 
 irds upon 
 'tur Jung 
 3ting and 
 Mogul at 
 i architec- 
 ly an his- 
 glishman. 
 mories, in 
 I its final 
 I of Delhi 
 eked sons 
 But after 
 )mes, the 
 ' of these 
 You re- 
 ops them 
 
 is wholly 
 id a part- 
 's the top 
 ^ leagues. 
 311. Yet 
 ssulman, 
 to their 
 est pill ir 
 e doubt, 
 I to v'isit 
 
 A TOMB AND A TOWER. 
 
 291 
 
 tho Kootub being that it belongs just now to the Englijsh, and 
 is an exceedingly pleasant retreat as well as a great architec- 
 tural marvel. It was early in the day when, in well-appointed 
 carnages, we found ourselves passing through the Delhi gate, 
 and so along the road whidi goes by the tombs of Huraayon 
 and Suftur Jung. How the magnificence and squalor of the 
 East intermingled, how pariah dogs and old women howled for 
 food under the very shadow of marble domes, curiously inlaid 
 and sculptured walls ; how mud huts surrounded these master- 
 pieces of art, and gilded minarets alternated with the poorest 
 of straw thi ,/ios, need scarcely be told. A couple of hours 
 brought us into the gardens of the; Kootub, under the shade of 
 the trees which environ it, and the tent which had been erected 
 for the refreshment of such as had been specially favoured. 
 
 It was not without some satisfaction that we learned our 
 proximity to the very centre of the world. There could be no 
 doubt at all about it, for a large number of the very holiest 
 men to be found in this part of India, whose word could not by 
 any possibility be doubted, consulted their most trustworthy 
 oracles ever so many years ago, and placed the matter at once 
 beyond a question. In those days there lived the Rajah of 
 Prithie, who, being somewhat anxious to remain King of Delhi 
 as long as possible, and leave the throne in the family of which 
 he was at once the head and principal ornament, called round 
 him the most pious Brahmins whose acquaintance he had had 
 the honour to make. I do not know what form the /(He to 
 which he invited them took ; but from what I have seen of 
 holy men of late I should infer that a feast was at least one 
 part of the entertainment, and that the exhibition of some of 
 the coin of the realm was another. Any way, they appear to 
 have been satisfied, for, on his presently asking them what he 
 had better do to obtain a permanent seat on the somewhat shaky 
 throne, they at once put him into possession of a most valuable 
 secret. Just under the piece of ground on which they were 
 
 i| 
 
 it 
 
 
f 
 
 ■^ 
 
 ; : 
 
 '^ I 
 
 'II 
 
 •i'l 
 
 
 niTii I HI': rniNi^R /a jniha 
 
 .sitlin*,' was tlio lic.'ul of tlic Hor])cnt which HUi)por(<Ml (Im worhl , 
 th('i(^ couhl bt) no iiiiHtiiko about it ; th(^y kimw it for cortiiiu ; 
 iiud if tho Ktijuh of I'rithio would only tnako u Um^ iron pilhir 
 juul driv<< it into tho (uirth in hucIi a way as to tranufix th(^ 
 hoacl af that rccondito snake, h(» wouKl roign forever and a day 
 and his cliihlren after him. How he hukU) the pilhir, how 
 tliciy had unother great feaHt, how the iron was driven into tho 
 ground and actually caught tho serpent exactly in tho very 
 centre of his head and transfixed him, may easily be im- 
 agined. Th(5 only regrettable circumstance is that tin* Rjijah 
 was not .satisfied when the Brahmins told him all was right. 
 He wanted to make surr for himself, and would by no nuNins 
 be convinced by those pious men — in fact, he was detenuined 
 to have personal evidence that the snake was caught. So, like 
 another misguided gentleman who killed the goose* that laid the 
 golden eggs, he pulled the pillar u}) when, to his astoni.shment, 
 the end was found to be covered with blood ; proof positive that 
 the Bralunins had been right after all. But, although he had 
 )>ut the iron in the right place ai first, it by no means followed 
 that even a Bajah could catch the serpent twice. Thus it 
 happened that, the next time, the animal got away; and, sad 
 to relate, the Rajah of Prithie very shortly afterwards was up- 
 set by an enemy, and lost not only his throne, but his eyes, 
 eai*s, and liead into the bargain. Still, a venerable old gentle- 
 man, who was making a chupatty close by, informed me that 
 there is no doubt the pillar extends many hundred feet into the 
 earth, and is within an inch or so of the centre after all. I 
 did not think it necessary to tell him that General Cunningham 
 some years bored the ground close by it, and found the end of 
 the pillar was only fourteen feet below the surface — he would 
 have disbelieved me, and worshipped it all the same. What 
 was infinitely more unpleasant to him was my refusal to con- 
 tribute to the support of the sluine of which he was the presid 
 
 mg genius. 
 
A rOMli AND A roU'Eli. 
 
 2!»:5 
 
 10 woiM , 
 
 certuiii ; 
 ion pilliir 
 iiiHfix tin; 
 1(1 a day^ 
 liar, how 
 
 into tlio 
 tlio voi*y 
 ^ bo im- 
 Hi Uiijali 
 as right, 
 lo nu^ana 
 torniiucnl 
 
 So, like 
 t laid tlio 
 ishment, 
 tive that 
 
 he had 
 followed 
 
 Thus it 
 and, sad 
 
 was iip- 
 lis eyes, 
 
 gcntle- 
 me that 
 
 into the 
 
 all. I 
 lingham 
 e end of 
 e would 
 What 
 
 to con- 
 
 piesid 
 
 Not far distant from the tower is a wonderful well, and tliillicr 
 we were taken. Constructed in the shape of a tank, aUout lU) 
 feet square, and about 120 feet deep, this w<!ll contains g{'n<'ially 
 about 40 foot of water. For <lrinking purposes the spring is, 
 doubtless, valuable ; but it is much more Ixilovi^l by the natives 
 for a very dilfen^nt reason. To jump from the t(/p down iiito the 
 dark pool 80 feet below would apparently be cerhiin death ; at 
 any rate, on looking down into i\. i tank you would not (easily be- 
 lieve that the spring could be matle with the slightest chance oi' 
 safety. Yet the Hindoos of the village close by step up, and 
 offer to make the attempt for a very small i)resent. [ndcHMl, 
 before you can say yes or no, a dozen nu;n and ]»oys have 
 8tripi)ed off ii}\ save the smallest possible waistcloth, and are 
 standing on the edge of the well ready to junn), A moment 
 later, and an aged savage has taken the leap. For the first hfty 
 feet his arms are extended wide and his legs are far apart, but 
 just then ho clasps his ankles together, brings his han<ls close 
 to his sides, and, striking the water with a fearful crash, dis- 
 appears. It is but for an instant, however ; out of the inky 
 depths comes that old grey head, and you see the man is swim- 
 ming towards the wall, and that he intends to climb up the 
 side of the tank to a hole about twelve feet above him, through 
 which he can creep into an adjoining reservoir, and so come to 
 earth again. He is scaling the wall, when a little lad of some 
 ten years makes the fearful spring. For a moment you shudder 
 involuntarily; for the little waif of humanity has, to all ap- 
 pearance, jumped out too far, and is in danger of strikijig some 
 stonework. But no ! he misses the rocky points by about a 
 yard, his little hands and feet close together just as did those 
 of his predecessor, and he falls like a pebble into the water. 
 Will he come up again 1 You wait nearly two minutes, and no 
 little face is scon. Can he be drowned 1 you anxiously ask. 
 Is it possible that no effort will be made to save him? You 
 turn round and look eagerly ior a swimmer to jump in and robcue 
 
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 >ri27/ T/J-B riilNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 the child if possible, when at your elbow stands the naked, 
 grinning little imp, his head and body dripping with moisture. It 
 seems that under the surface of the water a trap-door c mmuni- 
 cating with the reservoir in similar fashion to that jy which 
 the old man climbed out is found, and that by this the boy has 
 escaped from the well ; the silence of the men at the top being 
 only another trick to arouse the sympathy of the white sahibs. 
 After this they jump in one after another as rapidly as i)0ssible, 
 almost falling in pell-mell on the top of each other, as though 
 the eighty -feet spring were the merest bagatelle. Round they 
 come through the trap-doors to earth again, dripping, steam- 
 ing, shouting, and so down into the well again ; but we have 
 had enough of it. Little did the beneficent constructor of that 
 tank think what use it would be turned to five hundred years 
 later on. Fresh clean water, indeed ! To what better purpose 
 can it be turned than as a means of getting money from sight- 
 seeing travellers ? 
 
 Still, the Kootub itself was, after all, the object of our 
 visit, and thither we bent our steps very soon afterwards. To 
 reach the tower it was necessary to go through a City of the 
 Dead, a great space covered with tombs, which were erected 
 many hundred years ago, and have now fallen into decay. It 
 was easy to see how beautiful was this Mohammedan cemetery 
 when Akbar reigned at Delhi, and the nobles of the land were 
 buried one after another under the marble domes which are now 
 crumbling to dust. Then the trees, of which one now only finds 
 the thick, leafless stumps, were young saplings; the broken ground 
 wascovered with flowers; the fountains,of which only the remains 
 are left, played with full vigour; and what is now a desert blos- 
 somed as the rose. Those days are gone, and in place of the dead 
 Mohammedan, scores of squalid Hindoos and pariah dogs inhabit 
 the tombs, crouching for shelter from the sun in the summer, and 
 the rains in the wet season, behind the ruined walls, and only 
 emerging to beg ot the stiiinger as he passes by. I do not 
 
he naked, 
 )isture. It 
 c mmimi- 
 jy which 
 lC boy has 
 top being 
 te sahibs. 
 3 possible, 
 as though 
 )und they 
 ig, steam- 
 we have 
 ;or of that 
 Ired years 
 3r purpose 
 ;om sight- 
 set of our 
 ards. To 
 ity of the 
 6 erected 
 ecay. It 
 cemetery 
 and were 
 h are now 
 mly finds 
 m ground 
 e remains 
 sert blos- 
 • the dead 
 js inhabit 
 imer, and 
 and onlv 
 I do not 
 
 A TOMB AND A TOWER. 
 
 295 
 
 know which were the more objectionable, the dogs or the people — 
 all were so utterly loathsome and unclean. Perhaps the animals 
 were, after all, most bearable, for with a stick or stone we could 
 frighten them away. But not so the pestilent crowd of human 
 beings, who followed close upon our heels, now exhibiting sores 
 and deformities, sightless eyes and useless limbs, and now cursing 
 us for our want of appreciation and sympathy. I am afraid that 
 some of them ultimately got encouragement from some of the 
 younger travellers, who forgot that, so long as this degraded 
 tribe can obtain alms, they will refuse to work for a livelihood. 
 
 At length, the foot of the Kootub was reached, a tall circular 
 column nearly twice the height of the Campanile at Venice, and 
 quite as large round as that square pillar which all the travelled 
 ijrowns, Robinsons, and Smiths know so well, and which bears 
 their honoured names wherever the space to write a word could 
 be found. Indeed it was impossible to foiget Venice all the 
 while we were at Delhi or Agra. How could we forget, for 
 instance, that famous Bridge of Sighs and the dark passages 
 below where the old nobles passed on their way to strangulation 
 and worse, when, following a torch-bearer, we explored the 
 foundations of Akbar's Palace, and saw the well in which he 
 drowned his troublesome wives, and the dark cells into which 
 assassins entered in the dead of the night and perpetrated 
 nameless cruelties upon innocent men and women ? Was it not 
 about the same time, too, when that wicked old Council of Ten 
 sent despairing victims through the dismal secret door which 
 the panels hid so nicely, that Akbar was disposing of his 
 enemies in those dark passages of Agra ? Akbar — Doges, all 
 are gone ; but the monuments of their genius and the memory 
 of their crimes live after them, and show that the civilization of 
 Venice and the barbarity of India were not very dissimilar, 
 after all. 
 
 As for the Kootub, it was impossible to ascend its 375 steep 
 ste])S without being amazed at the uuLiiing energy which must 
 
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 296 
 
 WITH THE P BINGE IN INDIA. 
 
 liHve been employed in a work so tremendous. It does not 
 reach to the heavens, as did the Tower of Babel ; yet it is 
 twenty times as high as another pile, which was intended to be 
 a rival, and was actually begun some few yards distant from it. 
 Just as no one knows who raised the great pillar of sandstone 
 up which we climb, so no one can tell who began the rival Avork 
 which ended so disastrously. But the two remain ; the grand 
 column, with its six storeis, its ornamented galleries, its count- 
 less inscriptions, its wonderful sculpture, and, close by, the 
 ruined abortive attempt at building, overgrown with moss and 
 rank weeds — the one a model of perseverance, the other a monu- 
 ment of unsuccessful ambition. But there is little time for 
 moralising, the steps have to be climbed, till at last we stand on 
 the little platform at the top, scarcely eight feet in diameter, and 
 look down upon the country below Then what a panorama 
 bursts into view 1 The City of the Dead is at your feet, the 
 city of the living, teeming, crowded Delhi, only fifteen or twenty 
 miles away ; the tomb of Humayon apparently so close that you 
 imagine it would not be very difficult to throw a stone on to its 
 marble dome ; the burying-place of Adum Khan, where his 
 widow placed his remains after he had been twice thrown from 
 Delhi battlements by the order of the Emperor ; and farther 
 away still, the camping ground of that gallant army which held 
 the Ridge in those famous fights when Delhi was in the hands 
 of rebels, and the fate of English rule in India hung in the 
 balance. How full of food for historic thought was every inch 
 of that remarkable landscape t 
 
I 
 
 , does not 
 
 yet it is 
 
 ided to be 
 
 it from it. 
 
 sandstone 
 
 rival Avork 
 
 the grand 
 
 its coimt- 
 
 le by, the 
 
 moss and 
 
 T a monu- 
 
 ) time for 
 
 e stand on 
 
 oaeter, and 
 
 panorama 
 
 r feet, the 
 
 or twenty 
 
 e that you 
 
 e on to its 
 
 ivhere his 
 
 own from 
 
 d farther 
 
 hich held 
 
 he hands 
 
 ig in the 
 
 very inch 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 NATIVE COURTS AND PRISONS. 
 
 1 did not find that the Prince of Wales visited a court of 
 justice during his stay in India. His Royal Highness conse- 
 quently missed a spectacle which is so purely Indian in its 
 characteristics, that a description of the way in which wrong 
 is set right and right is maintained in the country districts of 
 the Empire should be given. I do not refer to the higher 
 courts, over which Chief Justices or Judges preside. There the 
 terror to evil-doers is pretty much the same sort of person he 
 is at home, sits in a robe, and if he does not wear a wig has at 
 least bands round the neck, and the look of a lawyer stamped 
 on his face. But in the small towns and villages this is scarcely 
 the case. 
 
 Justice here is administered by collectors, magistrates, joint 
 magistrates, and assistant magistrates — a goodly array of young 
 gentlemen whose knowledge of jurisprudence is mainly derived 
 from the occasional perusal of a kind of law catechism which is 
 supplied by the Central Government. This is by no means 
 their fault ; they come out to the country as civil servants, 
 after passing a somewhat stiff examination in most of the sub- 
 jects with which they will not be required to deal. They are 
 not barristers, they know nothing of English law ; but to some 
 extent they are made acquainted with the rudiments of Indian 
 practice ; they have a slight — very slight — knowledge of Hin- 
 dostanee, and thus equipped they are sent into the various dis- 
 tricts to fulfil the somewhat varied duties of revenue officers and 
 magistrates. At certain periods of the year they travel from 
 village to village to try cases, collect taxes, measure land, make 
 
 19 
 
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11 
 
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 i ' 
 
 'III 
 
 I . 
 
 l:'.>8 
 
 Uiril TllK VUIXCE IN INDTA. 
 
 ro|)(>r(s. .'iiitl mMJornlly look ixWvv (lie traot. dI' liouuliy iliioui^li 
 wliicli lli(\v |>MSH. M.'iny of tJiom nro V(>ry younuf, say Ix^twiMMi 
 iw(>n(y-o]U' Mild tw«Mi(y six y(>jirH of nico ; inoHtof tluMu ontoitain 
 tlio urofomidoHt oontoinpt for (lio nativ(\«, and all of Mioin aro 
 <>iidow<Ml witli powoi'H Hucli as a now-stroi^t inaii;istrat,«i of a 
 doziMi y(\*n'H' H(;indiiiu; would lunor Vw allowed (o uho. What 
 would Sir 'riioiuMs Ih'iiry say to a youdi of twenty two beiii/jf 
 allowml io ord(M- a man twenty Isisluvs and two years' iin|nison- 
 HKMit ? 'rii(>ore(ioally. these senlenees are all Huhject to re- 
 vision : (h(\v are always reeorded in a book, with a short reason 
 a|)|)end(Ml. Hut in the course of four months' (%*iroful cn(]uirv, 
 I eould only dise(>v«M' four instances in which the sent(nic(»H had 
 been revised by ihe collectors, and in one of tli(\se cases the 
 punishment was increased. Very often an a})Hi»al to the \V\\i}\ 
 (\)urts. however, puts a stop to injustice ; and it is in settintj 
 rii^ht t.li(» vaLijaries of thes(> youthful administrators of hiw thai 
 (he centres of justice anMuainly engaged. That thoro are great 
 ditVicubies to be contlMKh^l against, no one can deny The im- 
 possibility of placing faidi in what native prosecutor or wit- 
 nes:>es on either side may say, the certainty that more or less 
 ])erjurv is mixed up in every statement, and tlu^ knowl(>dge that 
 any amount of evidence on either side can be obtained for a few 
 annas, places the magistrates frequently in a great dih^mma, 
 ami this may possibly account for some of the mistakes that are 
 macie. 
 
 I will take you into a court of the ordinary kind, where a 
 tyi>ical cjise is to bo tried. It is a large, square room, very 
 plain, very bare of furniture. Its only ornaments are a table, 
 at which a verv vouthful magistrate sits, and two forms, onci at 
 his side, the other in front of him. At the door is a crowd of 
 chattering, noisy natives, who are arranging what is to be done 
 in the case about to be heard. Inside the room there are two 
 native policemen, three moonshees, or native scribes, seated close 
 to the magistrate, and in the centre of the room a miserable- 
 
Ill 
 
 ;ay l)<>twtM»n 
 \n (M\t(Mtiiiii 
 at' t h(Mii aro 
 ;iHtr!it.o of a 
 \m\ Wliat, 
 by-two boiiiR 
 i-h' iminiHon- 
 il)j(H;t to n'- 
 Hliort roaHon 
 ol'ul cnqniry, 
 ontoiicoH had 
 :»Ho caHca tlio 
 I to the ITii^^li 
 ia in sottiuj; 
 a of law tluit 
 KH'o arc great 
 ny The i)U 
 cutor or wit- 
 moro or less 
 lowUulgii tliat 
 iiicd for a few 
 oat dilomma, 
 akes that are 
 
 kind, where a 
 \e room, very 
 is are a table, 
 forms, one at 
 s a crowd of 
 is to be done 
 Ithere are two 
 ,, seated close 
 a miserablc- 
 
 ^ATIVE rOUHTH AND riilSONi^. 
 
 
 l<K>kiiig lad of th(^ biubcr <raHte, waiting for jiidj^KMiit. The 
 |)nni(0 at th(i table eyes him Hteinly for a inomcint, wheiciipoM 
 the barb(M-priHoiier ohiHp.s Ihh liandH in tlio attitiule of petition, 
 xnd as.sinn(!H the nearest approach to pfuiitent submiHsion which 
 ho can call up in his inexprei*Hibly ugly face. His oU'ence is a 
 curious one: he has nearly cut ofl* a woman's nose — the police 
 say h(^ is mad, and ought to be locked u}), and hei'o ]u^ is for 
 (!xaminati(m. If the truth wcmo really told, it is probable tin t 
 the statement of the lady who prosecutes would be as follows: 
 "I am unhap|»ily burden(!d with excessively large (^ytjbrows — at 
 hiast so my friends and my own judgment tell m". There is 
 not much in my appearance; to recomm(5nd me; m / clothes are 
 ragged and dirty; my face is by no means pretty; })ut tliesf; are 
 things over which I have no control. With my ey(i])row8 the 
 case is diU'erent — 1 can get them trimmed for a few cowrie- 
 sluills if a very low-caste barber is aj)plied to, and hence 1 
 employed Motia. Our agreement was, however, unforttmately, 
 not successful — he did not trim my eyebrows satisfactorily. J 
 refused to pay him; and he then attempted to cut my nos(j ofl. 
 I think he is a little mad— he certainly is very violent." All 
 this would be rendered in the native language, were the prose- 
 cutrix inclined to tcill the truth. To an uninstructed mind 
 there would appear no reason why she should fail to do so ; to 
 those who know India, however, there is a very great reason 
 indeed. That lady in rags has, curiously enough, all the objec- 
 tion in the world to anybody knowing she has her eyebrows 
 trimmed. Were she a Mohammedan she would not mind a' 
 bit ; were the barber a high-caste Hindoo, she would be less 
 squeamish. As it is, she will not admit for a moment that she 
 sent for Motia to improve ner personal appearance. She must 
 tell quite a different story to that. So she borrows somebody 
 else's baby boy, a little urchin of some two summers, the crowri 
 of whose head has been recently shaved in approved fashion, 
 and, carrying him in her arms, shuffles into the court. Just 
 
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 300 
 
 fVITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 ill!!! 
 
 before she arrives, the prisoner has been making a statement 
 which somewhat tallies with the truth, saying that he was just 
 finishing the lady's left eyebrow when somebody jogged his 
 elbow and made him cut her nose. The police, at whose 
 instance the man has been brought up — for the prosecutrix is 
 quite opposed to the action — however, deny that he was jogged 
 at all, and declare that he is mad. 
 
 It now remains to hear the woman's story, and she begins as 
 follows : " I am a poor woman, and have one little boy — this 
 one (holding up her neighbour's child). I saw that his head 
 ought to be shaved, so I sent for Motia and asked him to do it. 
 Motia is a very careless man, but a very good man indeed, very 
 good. Motia was not thinking of his work, I believe, for just 
 when he ought to have been looking at the child he was looking 
 At me ; and when the boy moved Motia's hand slipped, and so 
 his razor cut my nose." " Is that the truth 1 " says the magis- 
 trate, though that is a needless formality, for the lady has j.re- 
 viously promised, her right hand in the air the meanwhile, 
 that she will "tell the truth according to righteousness and 
 nothing else." " Let me see your nose," continues the embodi- 
 ment of justice. The woman comes forward, uncovers her face, 
 and shows a gash which certainly no slip of the hand from such 
 a razor as Motia owns will account for. Yet what is to be done ; 
 the woman, whose forehead has evidently been lately shaven, 
 denies that her eyebrows were touched, says quite indignantly 
 that she would not let Motia shave her face for any consider- 
 *ation. Thereupon a native doctor is sent for, and is asked 
 whether he knows anything of the prisoner. " Yes, Sahib, I 
 have examined him," is the reply, for the doctor prides himself 
 on his English, " I find him very funny man ; he laughs very 
 much when he has no right to laugh , sometimes he stare at 
 things you not stare at at all. I think he not got all the mind ; 
 he not violent, but strange." It is clear that the man cannot 
 be punished for laughing when he ought not, or for not possess- 
 
 .|/;ir 
 
a statement 
 he was just 
 
 ' jogg®^ ^^^^ 
 e, at whose 
 
 irosecutrix is 
 
 e was jogged 
 
 3he begins as 
 ile boy — this 
 ihat his head 
 him to do it. 
 L indeed, very 
 ieve, for just 
 e was looking 
 lipped, and so 
 ,ys the magis- 
 lady has i.re- 
 e meanwhile, 
 beousness and 
 !S the embodi- 
 )vers her face, 
 md from such 
 is to be done ; 
 ately shaven, 
 be indignantly 
 any consider- 
 and is asked 
 Yes, Sahib, I 
 prides himself 
 16 laughs very 
 IS he stare at 
 all the mind ; 
 lb man cannot 
 or not possess- 
 
 NATIVE COURTS AND PBI80N8. 
 
 301 
 
 ing " all the mind." So more witnesses are called foi-, and they 
 come in one after another. Each tells a different story — some 
 confirm the eyebrow shaving story, but say that the child jogged 
 Motia ; some swear to the tale that it was the child's head tliat 
 was being shaved, while one old lady, unfortunately, lets out 
 the secret that the body does not belong to the prosecutrix at 
 all. Not a single version of the case agrees ; the police reiterate 
 what they said at first ; the woman with the gashed nose con- 
 tradicts them flatly ; while the prisoner, staring at the wall, 
 and so confirming the doctor's remarks, waits calmly while the 
 opposing parties fight the matter out. At length the youthful 
 magistrate delivers a Solomon-like oration. He finds that 
 Motia cannot be sent to gaol because the chief sufferer will not 
 pursue him, he finds that he cannot punish the woman because 
 she is not legally before him, and he finds that the police have 
 made a muddle of the whole business — and all this he first of all 
 says and then writes down in the magisterial book before him. 
 The crowd of witnesses thereupon file out, and justice is satis- 
 fied. 
 
 Of course when at Agra the famous gaol under the care of 
 Dr. Tyler could not be missed. Consequently the Duke of 
 Sutherland, attended by a large party of the Prince's suite, paid 
 this abode of 2,500 criminals a visit on Thursday morning. I 
 was not so fortunate as to accompany them ; but an hour after- 
 wards I received a courteous invitation from Dr. Walker, the 
 Inspector-General of Gaols in the North- West Provinces, to 
 join him on a tour of inspection. A few minutes afterwards I 
 found myself in a comfortable wagonnette, and shortly after that 
 received by a guard of honour, composed of the company of 
 Sepoys whose business it is to guard the gaol. It is needless to 
 say that we were accompanied on our rounds by five soldiers. 
 The attempted murder of Dr. Tyler only two months ago 
 warrants every precaution, for the most desperate ruffians in 
 India are confined here for life, and they are not to be despised. 
 
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 302 
 
 tVITH TEE FRINGE IN INDIA. 
 
 Once inside the prison walls, how forcibly we were reminded 
 that we were in an Eastern land ! A beautiful garden, shaded 
 by the huge leaves of the plantain-tree, was before us ; fruitful 
 herbs were in plenty, and what in England would have been 
 a desert, blossomed as the rose. There was little to remind 
 us of the precincts of a prison. True, that here and there a 
 gentleman in heavy fetters tied up a lettuce or earthed up a 
 cauliflower. But you might see his fellow anywhere else in 
 A-gra. It was truly a pleasant place, albeit the ante-room 
 to a dungeon. Our first introduction to the prisoners was 
 an entry into the department where small boys were con- 
 fined — some scores of little ignorant imps, who, squatting on 
 the ground, were just then engaged in eating their mid-day 
 meal. Their two hours' morning lesson over, they were 
 about to work at carpet making — an occupation at which, I 
 learn, they are great adepts. Passing by these we came to 
 the yards in which the female criminals were kept — young 
 women who had committed theft, and old ladies whose ideas 
 of vagrancy were not consistent with those of the local 
 magistracy. In one section were those who had committed 
 heinous crimes, and were in prison for life. How squalid, how 
 wretched were the countenances of this unenviable company 
 can never be learnt by you at home J do not refer to the 
 dresses ; the ordinary grey prison garb had little about it that 
 was repulsive. Nor do I allude to the modern badges which 
 each wore, attached to a chain passed round the neck, and held 
 up in obedience to command. But what a story did those fifty 
 faces tell ! Ta^ . of infanticide, under singularly revolting cir- 
 cumstances; of poisoned husbands and fathers ; of murders both 
 by strategy and force. One aged matron, whose toothless gums 
 and sightless eyes told of approaching dissolution, had been there 
 ever since the year of grace 1837 — her crime was the murder 
 of her children and then father. Another, a very young 
 woman, had just entered upon her term for the destruction of u 
 
reminded 
 5n, shaded 
 I ; fruitful 
 lave been 
 bo remind 
 id there a 
 •thed up a 
 re else in 
 ante-room 
 Dners was 
 were con- 
 latting on 
 r mid-day 
 hey were 
 I which, I 
 B came to 
 )t — ^young 
 lose ideas 
 the local 
 3ommitted 
 lalid, how 
 company 
 3fer to the 
 ut it that 
 ges which 
 , and held 
 those fifty 
 olting cir- 
 rders both 
 Jess gums 
 3een there 
 le murder 
 ry young 
 ction of u 
 
 NATIVE OOUBTS AND PRISONH 
 
 303 
 
 brother and father. There they sat, some spinning wool, some 
 nursing their children — a helpless crew, to whom hope never 
 comes, before whom yonder barred gates would never oj>en. 
 
 From such a spectacle we turned sick at heart, and were not 
 at all sorry when we entered the place where young men were 
 employed at mat-making — gaining what they never knew before, 
 an honest livelihood. Nor was the next ward less adniii able, con- 
 taining the cooking ranges of the establishment, and bakery of 
 the gaol. A scene of animation followed, but of a lucrative and 
 satisfactory sort. On a raised platform, at a pace of fully three 
 miles an hour, were forty-eight rapscallions turning round a 
 huge capstan. Two abreast they marched at quick step, not to 
 the sound of a band, as sailors do at sea, but to the time mark- 
 ed out by a warder, whose whip encouraged the tardy, and in- 
 vited them to activity. They were no useless servants, how- 
 ever , on the contrary, the capstan they so raj)i(lly moved gave 
 ofi four horse-power, which we found to be utilised in driving 
 wool-carding and spinning machinery, at which a number of 
 other prisoners worked. Round went the wheel, the machines 
 moved merrily, and wool for all the looms in the prison was 
 being prepared. How much was needed may be guessed when 
 it is known that some scores of prisoners were employed in 
 making cloth for all parts of India, some with hand looms, 
 others with larger machines moved by hand and feet together 
 There were carpets, too, waiting for wool, curtains, tablecloths. 
 all kinds of things demanding more material. Well might the 
 forty eight be encouraged; theirs was no idle task. 
 
 But it must not be supposed that they were the only ones 
 employed in hard labour. Many scores were grinding flour 
 with the old-fashioned Eastern mills, pumping water, working 
 at printing presses, and cleaning the cells. Where, however, 
 more refined and more remunerative labour could be adopted, 
 it was given out ; and thus it was that we presently found our- 
 selves in a great factory for manufacturing what are known as 
 
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 *1 l!'l:r:i!; 
 
 304 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 Peisian carpets. To my surprise it was under the care of an 
 English convict, none other than Captain Lyat, who, only four 
 months ago, was convicted of forgery and sent to prison for two 
 years. Of hm case I say nothing ; but certainly his shop was in 
 wonderful order. His men were all at work, making money 
 for the Government, and, indeed, earning a good deal. Their 
 task for the day consisted of six inches of carpet two feet wide — 
 a carpet which, by the way, is sold for about £1 a square yard 
 when manufactured, and quite treble that sum in England. It 
 was here that we had the pleasure of seeing a Dacoit who for 
 many years had been the terror of the North-west Provinces, 
 and was now undergoing a sentence of seventeen \ gars ; a 
 gentleman of most forbidding countenance, whose leg irons 
 testified to his irremediable badness. In this way we came to 
 cells where dangerous criminals were shut up ; the yard for 
 English convicts, now happily nearly empty; and so to the 
 gardens once more, having seen the finest prison in India, and 
 probably the best governed one in the world. Will it be 
 believed that the profit on materials supplied for prison labour 
 at Agra last year exceeded £4,000 1 There are few gaols in 
 England that could show such a balance-sheet. 
 
 : 
 
'■ care of an 
 D, only four 
 son for two 
 shop was in 
 cing money 
 eal. Their 
 feet wide — 
 jquare yard 
 ngland. It 
 oit who for 
 Provinces, 
 sn V3ars : a 
 3 leg irons 
 we came to 
 le yard for 
 i so to the 
 India, and 
 Will it be 
 ison labour 
 >w gaols in 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 4N EASTERN PARTS. 
 
 In the record of Royal entries to Eastern cities tho clironicler 
 has to be careful lest, by awarding tlie palm of superiority to 
 any one reception, he may find himself unablo to give to the 
 next one its proper meed of praise. As the first place to re- 
 ceive the Prince of Wales, Bombay had certainly a great ad- 
 vantage ; the magnificent landscape of Ceylon lent undoubted 
 charm to the festivities at Kandy ; the absence of all foolish 
 and needless etiquette at Calcutta rendered the Royal landing 
 on the banks of the Hooghly memorable ; at Delhi the grandest 
 military spectacle we had witnessed was presented, when the 
 Shahazada passed the Jumna Musjid in the sight of a score of 
 thousands of people ^ the Himalayas of Cashmere, the broad 
 River Tow, the ascent to Jummoo on the hill, the barbaric 
 music and the strange Asiatic costumes marked the procession 
 in the far North as strikingly grand. We have again seen a 
 magnificent spectacle, and this time the locale is the Paris of 
 India — Jeypore. 
 
 I do not know who it was that gave to the city which Jey 
 Singh built this happy title. Comparatively few travellers 
 have visited it, for only lately a line has been laid hither 
 from Agra. It was far from the civilised world, the home 
 of an independent Prince, of whom almost as little was known 
 as of the Grand Lama of Thibet,, But times have altered ; 
 that modern civiliser, the railway, has grasped Jeypore, brought 
 it within a ten hours' ride of the city of .A.kbar, and three days 
 ago the Prince of Wales entered it with greater ease than 
 Gwalior or even Jummoo. And now no more appropriate name 
 could be given to the capital of the Maharajah tluin that of tho 
 
 

 11 
 
 I 
 
 
 i ): 
 
 ' :'■ 
 
 ii| : 
 
 306 
 
 lyiTU THE I'JilNrK IN INDIA. 
 
 ruriH of fmlia. Tlicy Hay that Ji^y Sinyh was an rnlighteiu'd 
 man- -that Y\v, waH lilKul with an idea that even narrow streetu 
 on the top of a nionntain woix? not so healthy as with; thorough- 
 fa res on a }>lain, espj'cially when that HtandH at an (Novation of 
 tiftoen hunilrod foot above the h.'vel of tlie Hoa ; that hirge houscH 
 wt^ll ventihited, and a good systoin of sewerage, were prefernbk) 
 to small houses, no drains, and plenty of cholera; and that, see- 
 ing all this, he left his lloyal Palace and Imilt another. Ho 
 then invited his i)eoplo to (piit their mud hovels for the roomy 
 mansions which hv. erected, and without more ado constructed 
 such a city as is not to bo met with elsewhere in the world. 
 
 Nor is this a mere phrase — a vague, exaggerated idea; for 
 the main thoroughfares of Jeypore are 111 feet wide, and inter- 
 secting each other are respectively two miles and forty yards, 
 and one mile and a quarter long. These again are crossed by a 
 third main street nearly two miles long, and thus the city is 
 divided into six perfectly equal portions. Even in these the 
 streets are fifty -five feet widt? ; and each house has a garden, 
 each house a family tree. Nor must it be supposed that the 
 buildings are unworthy of the streets. Erected by one designer, 
 th'iy are composed wholly of stone ; and though the handsome 
 frontages vary, and th^. eye is thus relieved, one idea runs 
 through the whole. There is not a mud cottage — not one of 
 any kind within the walls which surround Jeypore. It is a 
 city of palaces, the fronts of which are artistically dyed pink 
 and white. Even on the smallest dwellings the same care has 
 been bestowed as upon the largest ; handsome fliglits of steps 
 run up to the minarets and domes, the flat roofs, and the upper 
 rooms of the buildings ; the parapets are artistically designed ; 
 and it is as though a huge palace had been framed for the resi- 
 dence of a king. 
 
 A Royal residence there is beside, or rather in one part 
 of the city, but it scarcely exceeds in beauty the palaces in 
 which the people live. In its surroundings it is magnificent, 
 
AN EASTERN VAlilii. 
 
 307 
 
 ilightcMiccl 
 3W streets 
 thorough- 
 ovation of 
 rge houses 
 prot'ernhlo 
 I tliut, see- 
 ther. Ho 
 the roomy 
 Diistructed 
 world. 
 i(](!a ; for 
 and inter- 
 )rty yards, 
 •ossed by a 
 the city is 
 L these the 
 a garden, 
 d that the 
 e designer, 
 handsome 
 idea runs 
 not one of 
 It is a 
 dyed pink 
 e care has 
 its of steps 
 the upper 
 designed ; 
 )i' the resi- 
 
 one part 
 palaces in 
 agnificent, 
 
 but tlion all tliesc — gardens, lakes, fountains, and maible 
 walks — are open to the i)eopl(!. They may not (nvn the 
 alligators which swarm on the water's edge, but they nuiy see 
 and feed them, and what more can the monarch hiiu.siilf do , 
 To them may not belong the fee simpler of the orange groves 
 and paths overhung with cyprus, myrtle, plantain, and palm, 
 but they may walk in them, and i>luck the rich, juicy fruit; 
 the fountains and the marble walks may not be it their tlisposal, 
 but they are for their use ; they inherit the pleasures of the 
 locality without any of its res[)onsibilitios. And if over tliciy are 
 inclined to be ungrateful and rebel they have only to look towards 
 the hills upon the ruined dungeons of old Ambair, to be r(!minded 
 of the days that are past and of the better times that are come. 
 I call it a new city, but that is not strictly correct. Will it be 
 believed by London vestrymen that it was in 1728 that Jey 
 Singh made Jeypore a handsomer spot than our metropolis of 
 to-day, and that for a hundred and iSfty years the city of Raj- 
 pootana has had wider thoroughfares and better drainage, 
 prettier houses and larger gardens, than any rival in civilised 
 Europe 1 
 
 It was in such a scene as this, then, that the spectacle of 
 Februarv the 4th was cast. 
 
 4/ 
 
 We t:ike a carriage and drive through the streets while the 
 day is yet young and the period of the Prince's arrival some 
 hours distant. The houses on each side of the street are seldom 
 more than two stories high. The lower portions have mostly 
 open shop fronts, the upper are almost wholly composed of stone 
 lattice work. In the former the men of Jeypore are sedated by 
 thousands ; in the latter the women of the city are assembled, 
 peering through the screen which hides them at the preparations 
 tor the entry of the Prince. Here, as elsewhere in India, the 
 crowd is dressed in gay colours. Perhaps scarlet predominates, 
 but there are yellow, light green, light blue, light red. Any- 
 way, the people are attired in the hrightest costumes. Th(? 
 
 
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 308 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 very arrangements of the streets aided to make the sight a 
 stirring one. When in London we went to the procession, it 
 may be of a newly-recovered Prince or a newly married Princess, 
 there were many things to be taken into consideration. It 
 might rain or snow, or a hundred things may militate against 
 a comfortable view. But in Jeypore there was no such trouble- 
 some thought. The Prince could only enter on an elephant ; the 
 bright, blue sky above forbade the suspicion of rain. So the na- 
 tives who wished to be spectators, and there were many thous- 
 ands of them, thronged the pathways, sat in the shop fronts, got 
 behind windows, perched themselves upon the roofs, and filled 
 the staircases, with the assurancj that they would all have a 
 good view of the Maharajah's guest. 
 
 There were nine residents in Jeypore, however, who were 
 not allowed to witness the Royal entry, albeit that their 
 dwelling-place was not a hundred yards from the Prince's route. 
 Nine residents of Jeypore, in cages, not so much because they 
 were wicked in the past as that they might possibly be trouble- 
 some were they allowed to mingle at present with the crowd in 
 the streets. It was well they were so confined, for few more 
 savage than they were ever seen. I have in difierent parts of 
 the world visited zoological gardens, and wondered at the ani- 
 mals collected therein, but never did I see such fearful beasts as 
 were these nine. There was a tiger fully twelve feet long, which 
 had made twenty-five hearty meals off" as many unofiending 
 men, women, and children. There was a tigress which, as often 
 as she saw Europeans, waxed furious and frantic, and endeav- 
 oured to tear down the slight cage in which she was pent up. 
 There was an old tiger whose powers and propensities were 
 such that even Jeyporeans had thought fit to vote him a double 
 set of bars, eating half a goat, and growling as though he would 
 leave it and spring into the street every moment. There was 
 a lank tiger which, it was said, could spring further than any 
 of its kind in tho world — an acrobatic, athletic, wiry beast. 
 
AN EASTERN PARIS. 
 
 s.e the sight a 
 procession, it 
 ried Princess, 
 deration. It 
 litate against 
 such trouble- 
 elephant ; the 
 I. So the na- 
 many thous- 
 op fronts, got 
 )fs, and filled 
 Id all have a 
 
 3r, who were 
 t that their 
 'rince's route. 
 
 because they 
 y be trouble- 
 the crowd in 
 or few more 
 srent parts of 
 id at the ani- 
 cful beasts as 
 b long, which 
 
 unoffending 
 lich, as often 
 and endeav- 
 vas pent up. 
 tisities were 
 lim a double 
 gh he would 
 There was 
 er than any 
 
 wiry beast, 
 
 309 
 
 that once, some months ago, lept up into a tree, and took tlioie- 
 from a thoughtless Shikaree, who imagined that at the height 
 of fifteen feet from the ground he was perfectly safe, and could 
 laugh any savage animal in the kingdom to scorn. And there 
 were three more, about each of which terrible tales were told 
 of ravaged villages, plundered flocks, and desperate struggles 
 before they were enticed into traps, and thence conveyed to the 
 Maharajah's cages. Two leopards, who appeared to have ar- 
 ► rived at the border of frenzy, completed the nine who alone in 
 Jeypore were not invited to bid the Prince welcome. All the 
 roat were there ; even the convicts, with their heavy leg irons, 
 were allowed a glance at the Royal guest — a day of happiness 
 In a life of gloom. 
 
 But perhaps the most curious section of those who came to 
 cheer the august visitor were the members of a tribe with which 
 you in England are aomewhat familiar, and everybody must 
 have heard of the Nagas, the unruly children of the hills in 
 Central India, the gentlemen against whom an expedition was 
 lately sent, and some of whose villages were very recently 
 burned. Well warned by that timely chastisement, and suitably 
 admonished as to the necessity of good behaviour, these reck- 
 less, wild men were invited to do honour to the Prince. Nor 
 was their duty merely the passive one of suffering the pro- 
 cession to go by without molestation. Their part was the 
 active one of adding to the glory of the entry in a more pro- 
 nounced manner than even their prototypes of Ceylon, the 
 Veddahs of the hills of that island. 
 
 Before, however, I ^-'ill you what they did, let me tell you 
 what they are like. 
 
 It was early in the afternoon when I visited their encamp- 
 ment for the purpose of making acquaintance with these singu- 
 lar creatures. My introduction was the fiat of the Maharajah, 
 my protection the generosity of the peoj^ • themselves. For, 
 though they will occasionally murder a European, as circum- 
 
 m 
 
i 
 
 310 
 
 PFITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 'i\ 
 
 1, > 
 
 stances lately showed, they are generally friendly, and, unless 
 provoked, are fairly civil. I think that the exhibition of a lead 
 pencil which would make a palpable mark upon paper was the 
 magnet which attracted them into a circle — the rest was easy. 
 In a few mini 'tes they were persuaded to form up into two lines 
 of about fifty ipiece, and there stand while some of the party 
 were sketched. To be drawn — to appear in a picture — was to 
 them a new sensation. The only difficulty was to keep them 
 from settling the moot point as to who should be selected by an 
 immediate appeal to the arms they carried. Sucl a reference 
 would have been most inconvenient. Each had a curious kind 
 of blunderbuss, which, however, was by no means the most 
 important part of their equipment. The formidable sword they 
 carried was the principal weapon. Picture to yourself a blade 
 five feet long, the handle of which is a great stee! arm-guard, 
 such as the knights in England wore as gauntlets in the " good 
 old days ;" give to that sword a flexibility compared with which 
 the Toledo blade is stiff and unbendable, and sharpen it till it 
 equals the steel of Damascus, and you have the Naga's falchion. 
 Hand this to a fierce gentleman whose whiskers are mixed with 
 his turban, and meet in a knot at the top of his head, and 
 whose countenance is as objectionable as that of any Thuggee 
 or Dacoit in India. In his waistcloth place a dagger of for- 
 midable size, give him a shield of metal or hide, round his 
 naked legs put spangles and rings, on his feet a hard leather 
 shoe — and you have a Naga ready for anything. Or in place 
 of the dagger arm him with a spear fourteen feet long and a 
 pistol or two , he can take his place in the ranks before us. 
 To complete the party some would have to wear nothing but a 
 waistcloth, while to others might be given jackets of tiger- 
 skin, or singular coats, with great epaulettes and protections for 
 the back of the neck extending higher than the ears ; some, too 
 should have linen tied round their faces as though they had 
 toothache. Such were the gentlemen who came to take part in 
 the procession, 
 
AN EAISTERN PARIS. 
 
 311 
 
 , and, unless 
 ion of a lead 
 iper was the 
 Jst was easy, 
 ito two lines 
 Df the party 
 lire — was to 
 keep them 
 lected by an 
 
 a reference 
 mrioTis kind 
 s the most 
 
 sword they 
 self a blade 
 
 arm-guard, 
 I the "good 
 
 with which 
 en it till it 
 I's falchion, 
 mixed with 
 i head, and 
 ly Thuggee 
 Cger of for- 
 , round his 
 ird leather 
 Or in place 
 long and a 
 
 before us. 
 hing but a 
 3 of tiuer- 
 :ections for 
 
 some, too 
 
 they had 
 ike part in 
 
 Their work was a simple one. If they understand anything, 
 it is the use of the sword. It is their constant practice and 
 amusement, and, in case of disputes, the approved way of 
 arranging the difficulty. Does one gentleman think that an- 
 other has unlawful aspirations for the possession of his wifel 
 Then he invites him to take his weapon and his shield and 
 decide the question of ownership at once. There is no veto in 
 the way of such a proposition. The respective parties place 
 themselves in position, give a preliminary caper for the amuse- 
 ment of their' friends, and then cut and thrust till one or the 
 other, or perhaps both, are run through. They have none of 
 the scruples as to shedding blood which beset the ordinary 
 Hindoo. They are, as a matter of fact, a kind of depraved 
 Buddhists. " We do not worship in a temple," one of them 
 said to me, " but we pray with a book to our god." The fact 
 that Buddha disapproved of fighting, however, never troubles 
 them ; they love their swords and like to use them. 
 
 Like to use them, indeed i At the very mention of such a 
 thing two stepped into the pathway and began a friendly com- 
 bat One was an elderly warrior, with huge eyes and a yellow 
 face , the other a stripling, who had painted most of his body 
 blue. With an exhilarating flourish, they struck each other's 
 shields and then began. Round and round they went, now 
 rushing close to each other and stabbing, and now falling on 
 their knees and clashing their blades together with all their 
 might. Sometimes the points of their swords would go within 
 an inch or two of their faces ; sometimes it seemed as though 
 their optics would be picked out cleaner than by any vulture. 
 But no ! not even a feather in the peacock's-tail plumes which 
 they wore in their turbans was injured ; they were both as safe 
 as a mongoose from a cobra's bite. And when, with great re- 
 luctance, they were persuaded to leave off, two more went at it, 
 and clattered away as merrily as the others. Thus couple after 
 couple fought, like the knights in days of yore, challenging each 
 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
a 
 
 H 
 
 312 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 otlicr to feats of de^ierity — sometimes rolling in the dust, some- 
 times chasing each other with every sign of fiercene -s, now 
 imitating defeat and now victory. 
 
 At length, however, we persuaded them to stop. But their 
 entertainment was not yet finished, and they were determined 
 we should see what they could do. So then there rushed for- 
 ward a savage, who carried a stick from which hung by iron 
 chains seveial wooden balls covered with spikes, and, without 
 more ado, he swung them round so close to my head that I 
 wished myself comfortably at home in an arm chair once more. 
 Flinching would have been more serious still, so with great 
 effort I stood firmly while the spiked balls whirled round my 
 helmet and came past my face. I am told that gentleman can 
 send any one of the six balls within a quarter of an inch of any 
 given object. The whole business was most troublesome, as 
 those who wanted to " form a group " for the artist were legion 
 and all who were there were erratic and wilful At last when 
 everything appeared to be arranged, some jealous Naga, whose 
 face was not a fortune, and whose appearance was certainly not 
 prepossessing, proposed that they should dine ; whereupon a 
 mutiny arose, which all our efforts to quell were unavailing. In 
 the end the great food question led them to rise in a body and 
 troop off to their tents ; and such were the gentlemen whose 
 special business it was " to fight the way of the Prince" into 
 Jeypore. 
 
 It was nearly dark ; the policemen, armed with great cud- 
 gels, had amused themselves for hours with thrashing the 
 populace first from one position to another, and then back 
 again ; the thousands in the shop-windows, behind the lattice- 
 work, and on the roofs, had chewed as much betel-nut as the 
 vendors with baskets could produce for the occasion ; aiid the 
 few Europeans who were in Jeypore had taken up their position 
 on the top of the Medical Hall, opposite the palace gates, when 
 a bouquet of rockets and a din of tom-toms announced that the 
 
AN EASTERN PAEIS, 
 
 313 
 
 dust, some- 
 ene ,s, now 
 
 But their 
 determined 
 rushed for- 
 ng by iron 
 id, without 
 ead that I 
 once more, 
 with great 
 L round my 
 ileman can 
 inch of any 
 olesome, as 
 were legion 
 b last when 
 aga, whose 
 irtainly not 
 lereupon a 
 rdilmg. In 
 I body and 
 aen whose 
 •ince" into 
 
 great cud- 
 shing the 
 then back 
 ;he lattice- 
 nut as the 
 ; aiid the 
 ir position 
 ites, when 
 i that the 
 
 Maharajah was going forth to meet the Prince. A moment 
 later, and his Highness sallied forth on horseback, preceded by 
 a small body of the Nagas, who ran in front of him for a little 
 way, fencing and capering in most approved fashion. They 
 stopped when they came to a huge tower which stands in front 
 of the city, and about whose builder a curious story is told. 
 Jey Singh, it is said, erected it in order to look into some- 
 body's harem. Thence the Maharajah proceeded alone, in all 
 the glory of ordinary potentates, with horsemen and footmen, 
 but no Nagas. 
 
 Fortunately we had not long to wait for the grand spectacle, 
 and. that little while was beguiled by a conversation Aivith a 
 Fakir who chanced to go by, and whose acquaintance I made. 
 He was a very holy man, as will be easily understood when it 
 if explained that his hair, matted in tails, hung below his 
 waist ; that a quarter of an inch of mud covered his face and 
 neck ; that he had painted that mud a striking pink and yellow; 
 that round his eyes were bright blue rings ; that he wore about 
 his otherwise naked ribs a rope which had never been untied 
 since the first day it was fixed there fifteen years ago ; that he 
 had stained his legs a dull grey ; and that his nails had been 
 allowed to grow to the length of an inch beyond the toes. In- 
 deed, his sanctity was palpably acknowledged by all the other 
 Fakirs in Jeypore ; and when he stalked along the streets on 
 the extremity of his heels — that was his favourite method of 
 locomotion — shook a club from which were suspended a number 
 of little bells, and yelled out, *' Yo ho ! yo ho ! " they made 
 way for him as a n in of whom the gods were peculiarly fond. 
 "Why did you become a Fakir?" was the question put to this 
 amiable gentleman. " Because I love my God very much, and 
 because it is the easiest way of getting to Heaven," was the 
 reply. " You are certain to go there, are you not?" "Yes,'' 
 said the Fakir, " I'm going there very fast, and so will you if 
 you give me some backsheesh," saying which he held out a 
 
 20 
 
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 314 
 
 H'lTII THE riUNCE IN INDIA, 
 
 cocoanut shell, and, receiving a small coin, gave the club 
 another shake, shouted out " Yo ho ! " and continued his march 
 once more. 
 
 Just then, darkness fast coming on, a salute of guns pro- 
 claimed that the Prince had reached the railway station, and 
 was coming into the town. Of course we all prepared to receive 
 him, and the police thrashed the crowd with renewed vigour. 
 At length, through a triumphal arch on our right were seen the 
 running footmen of the procession, shuffling along with a lot of 
 irregular cavalry in the rear. Very irregular indeed were these 
 horsemen, very irregular were their almost unmanageable steeds, 
 too; but they came on knocking down a few natives, perhaps, but 
 still covering the ground as directed. Probably they were the 
 more careless of doing harm for the reason that, with admirable 
 forethought, the good Maharajah had ordered to be swung from 
 one-fourth of the Venetian masts that decorated the streets a 
 very special and eifective charm against the wiles and snares of 
 the Devil which had been given him by the excellent pries cs Oi 
 the Sila Deva Temple at Amber. This consisted of two half- 
 squares crossed, and coming from such a source could not fail 
 to be useful ; yet it made the irregular horsemen more irregular 
 than ever. 
 
 As to the procession, it seemed to me unique of its kind. 
 Perchance it was because there was not the slightest European 
 element in it. All was Jeyporean in every particular — the 
 runners, the cavalry, the tom-tom beaters who followed in 
 crowds, and the festive gentlemen who were trying to play 
 "God save the Queen" on wooden whistles. The little band of 
 Europeans on the housetop were lost in comparison with the 
 thousands of visitors below. It was a grand i)ageant of the East. 
 What else could be said of the men in red turbans and long rotl 
 and yellow gowns, who, bearing banners, rode by the side of two 
 elephants that carried Inige flags 1 Where else, save in India, 
 t'ould be found such javelin men as those who came along with 
 
ve the club 
 ed his march 
 
 of guns pro- 
 station, and 
 L'ed to receive 
 ewed vigour. 
 ;vere seen the 
 with a lot of 
 ed were these 
 geable steeds, 
 , perhaps, but 
 hey were the 
 ith admirable 
 3 swung from 
 the streets a 
 and snares of 
 ent priescs oi 
 of two half- 
 ould not fail 
 lore irregular 
 
 of its kind. 
 st European 
 I'ticular — the 
 followed in 
 ying to pl'iy 
 ittle band of 
 on with the 
 t of the East. 
 and long rod 
 le side of two 
 ave in India, 
 le along with 
 
 AN EASTERN PARIS. 
 
 315 
 
 great silver javelins held high in the air 1 And, then the chief- 
 tains, who came next, Rajahs, Sirdars, Nawabs, all mounted on 
 magnificent horses, and surrounded by crowds of retainers. 
 How they scurried along, maintaining no sort of order, but 
 simply heralding the coming of the Prince, as they mingled 
 with each other, and urged their steeds forward ! Not inferior 
 either in appearance was the calvacade of led horses which fol- 
 lowed — animals magnificently caparisoned, whose saddles were 
 cloth of gold and round whose necks hung hundreds of gold and 
 silver coins. Next there were horsemen in double lines, armed 
 with spears and attired in Rajpoot costumes, while in the dis- 
 tance could be seen, slowly coming under the archway, torch- 
 bearers with a great blaze of lights. 
 
 We might regret that the day was fast closing in, we might 
 wish for the sun and the warmth of the morning, but for an 
 Eastern spectacle could anything be more fitting than the gloom 
 of evening and the torchlight 1 The torches were advancing in 
 two lines on the pathways, in the road were the elephants on 
 which the Prince and Maharajah rode, and in front of these 
 huge beasts were our friends the Nagas, fighting their way in 
 the most approved fashion. It is difficult to describe the effect 
 produced by these capering wild men in that fitful blaze, as they 
 jumped and thrast and ran and fenced under the trunks of the 
 two elephants that were coming up the street. No knightly 
 appearance had they just then ; they danced like demons, and 
 struck at each other with their brands. You could hear the 
 clash of their weapons as they rung on the shields. You could 
 see them falling on the ground as though mortally wounded, 
 rolling over and over, and then springing up again, sometimes 
 maintaining a mimic battle in line, and sometimes a running 
 fight, shouting, crying, yelling, as though the combat were real 
 and their energy not assumed. Just behind were the Prince 
 and the Maharajah, behind them again the Royal and Raj 
 suites, on a long line of elephants numbering nearly a hundred, 
 
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 If 
 
 
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 i: ' ' 
 
 31G 
 
 WITH THE FlilNCE IN INDIA. 
 
 and in rear of all an escort of cavalry. The people did not 
 cheer, yet they smiled a pleasant assent to the doings of the day. 
 They could not be called enthusiastic, but they were as satisfied 
 with the pageant as it was fair to suppose they could be with 
 anything. 
 
 I. 
 
 ': 
 
r)eoi)le did not 
 ngs of the day. 
 ere as satisfied 
 could be with 
 
 CHAPTEli XXXII. 
 
 TIGER SHOOTING AND A DURBAR. 
 
 Jeypore is noted for tigers. Let me describe how the Prince 
 shot his first tiger in the Jeypore jungle. 
 
 First of all it is necessary to dismiss from your minds any 
 apprehension of dangerous propinquity to the lord of the Indian 
 jungle. To stalk a beast of this description on foot in a dense 
 wood, when it may spring upon the sportsman at any moment, 
 or to follow it along a nullah, or dry river-bed, alone, when 
 evening is fast approaching and the tiger can see him while he 
 cannot see it, is a feat of some danger. Equally dangerous is it 
 to track the brute to its lair, it may be in some deep, dark, 
 cavernous hollow, as did that model of bravery. Sir Richard 
 Outram ; but such was not the peril to which the Maharajah of 
 Jeypore exposed the Queen's son. Indeed, so fearful was his 
 Highness lest any evil should befall his Royal guest that no 
 precaution of safety was neglected, and no chance of danger left. 
 
 The jungle outside Jeypore, especially in that direction which 
 was selected by the Prince, is not very dense. There is a ridge 
 of high hills in horseshoe form protecting Jeypore from the 
 great "Western Indian Desert, the sands of which press even 
 into the town. Climbing these you look down upon a wide, 
 expansive treeless plain — a great yellow, drifting level similar 
 to that which one witnesses on the Egyptian frontier. Ever 
 and anon the wind whirls a sand-storm into the air, and sends 
 it up the hills, through the gorges, and so by the passes inside 
 the walls of Jeypore. A merry game is that which the wind 
 has with the drifting dust of the desert. On these wide-extend- 
 ing desolate expanses neither tiger nor leopard can live ; their 
 
 
 i 
 
 II 
 
 I 
 
 ill 
 
'I 
 
 li] ■; ■ 
 
 IJ. 
 
 318 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 only shelter is the range of hills — the home of game of all kinds, 
 driven thither by the sand. That there are great numbers of 
 these terriljle fugitives a glance at the ground over which we 
 are climbing will readily show. Here is the footprint of a tiger, 
 there the mark of a cheetah ; we can see where the cushions of 
 those heavy feet pressed ; it needs no imagination to know that 
 the animal had claws. You may have heard of the Gulta, of 
 the far-famed Temple of the Sun, and the glorious view to be 
 gained of the desert, and of the far-distant hills of Ajmere. If 
 so, climlj over the boulders and stones till an altitude of some 
 seven hundred feet is reached ; and then ! Then you look down 
 into a precipice of wonderful grandeur — a straight <lescent to 
 the lowest level, and thence right across the desert, seeing 
 nothing but sand in front, and nothing but high hills to the 
 right and left. Behind is Joypore, spread out like a map ; 
 round it are the jungles in which the tigers hide. 
 
 But it is on the range where you stand that their favourite 
 home is found, and looking away to your right you can easily 
 descry a green house of two stories — a house with a fiat roof 
 and a parapet — on the side of one of the hills. Passing along 
 the ridge a large number of natives become apparent who have 
 been sent out to beat the woods, and to drive the game down to 
 yonder shooting-box. Moreover, the Prince and Maharajah, 
 several of the Prince's suite, and some of the most famous native 
 shots are all on that roof comfortably hidden behind the loop- 
 holed wall. A Jeypore Shikaree avers that the tiger which the 
 Prince is to shoot will be driven within twenty feet of that house, 
 and that the dangers of the sport are only for those who may 
 chance to be within range of somebody's rifle or in the way of 
 an unexpected leopard. However, the spectators wait, although 
 the day is sultry and the sand is hot. You are not invited to 
 the top of the house ; indeed, no ones knows of your where- 
 abouts ; and it is too late now to discover yourself, for at any 
 moment the tiger may be driven down, and the rifles of the 
 party behind the parapet open fire. 
 
TlOEli SIlOOTlNa AND A bURHAR. 
 
 311) 
 
 LO of all kinds, 
 tt numbers of 
 ver which we 
 •int of a tiger, 
 he cushions of 
 to know that 
 the Gulta, of 
 us view to be 
 f Ajmere. If 
 ;itu(le of some 
 ron look down 
 »ht descent to 
 desert, seeing 
 h hills to the 
 like a map ; 
 
 ;heir favourite 
 you can easily 
 ith a flat roof 
 Passing along 
 rent who have 
 game down to 
 d Maharajah, 
 famous native 
 hind the loop- 
 iger which the 
 b of that house, 
 hose who may 
 in the way of 
 wait, although 
 not invited to 
 if your where- 
 self, for at any 
 e rifles of tbe 
 
 Driven down, ind(5ed ! All over the hills is a noise which 
 might well frighten tlie boldest beast in the jungle were he here. 
 There is sure to be something, too ; since for many days past — 
 three months, I am told — strong wooden cages, with live goats 
 inside them, have been placed on the hills to attract the tigers. 
 How the great growling brutes have rubbed their noses against 
 those hard teak cases ; how they have waited till day-liirht came, 
 and then, sullenly picking up the the stray pieces of flesh which 
 were scattered about the ground, have sought a friendly bush 
 in which to hide themselves from the fierceness of the sun, 
 might be easily told. They are not far off*, depend upon it ; the 
 increase of shouting on the left bodes the coming of the prey. 
 Suddenly a great rush, followed by a leap — the bound of a 
 frightened animal — is heard, and then a huge tigress is seen 
 close to the house. Close to the house ? Not more than twenty 
 feet from it, clearly in sight, ready for the Royal gun. Bang ! 
 bang ! It may be that the first shot has not hit it, but the 
 second has, for see ! the tigress is making for a hillock, and is 
 passing out of sight. Slie must not escape, however, or the 
 Prince will not kill to-day. Some effort must be made to reach 
 her in her hiding-place, the haven to which in her terror she 
 has fled. So a trusty elephant is brought — an elephant which 
 would dispose of the largest tiger in India in a minute with the 
 greatest possible ease — an elephant which has been in the jungle 
 on such expeditions a score of times before, and that knows as 
 much about tiger-h'nting as Major Bradford, the great tiger 
 Shikaree, Limself. Up in the howdah, quite out of danger, ac- 
 companied by one or two of the finest Jeypore shots, goes the 
 Prince to despatch the wounded tigress. Very cautiously, and 
 making a wide detour, the Prince goes round, till at length he 
 comes opposite his victim, when, with rifle raised, he pours two 
 shots into the struggling brute, and lays her dead. A minute 
 after, and the suite are on the spot to congratulate His Royal 
 Highness, Nor is the little Maharajah behind-hand in his 
 
^20 
 
 lyiTH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 , I 
 
 »^ 
 
 I ''t 
 
 I 
 
 [n-iiises. The Prince receives their felicitations graciouHly, a 
 gnitid tiiiimplial proceH.sion is formed, and back into Jeypon; 
 goes the Shahazada with his first victim. That the tigress on 
 heing skinned is found to have been the prospective mother 
 of three cubs, is considered a matter for further rejoicing. 
 
 A real Indian Durbar has but seldom been seen during our 
 progress through India. For reasons best known to the advisers 
 of the Prince, the gentletoen who had the distribution of the 
 fire-engines, medals, organs, albums, swords, photographs, rings, 
 and snuff-boxes, which comprised the miscellaneous collection on 
 board the " Serapis," thought fit that these delights of the eye 
 should be transferred from the Roj'^al hands to the possession of 
 the recipients in private. We heard occasionally of a Maha- 
 rajah receiving a gold pin and a walking-stick in his own house; 
 once or twice we witnessed the affixing of a medal in the sight 
 of the crowd, but not often. The stately display of Eastern and 
 Western magnificence was not often achieved, and it was there- 
 fore with feelings of pleasure that we looked forward to the pro- 
 mised Durbar at Jeypore. 
 
 How it was held may now be narrated. 
 
 In the new palace of the Maharajah is a stately apartment, 
 which, according to Indian fashion, is called the Dewan-i-am. 
 Here, at stated intervals, the councils of the Raj are held ; 
 here the Rajah dispenses some justice and occasionally a little 
 mercy ; here there is a great dais erected, on which a throne 
 usually stands, and round it meet in solemn conclave the digni- 
 taries of Jeypore. In the evening, long before the tiger-shoot- 
 ing party had returned, there had gathered in this great hall 
 the rajahs, chiefs, sirdars, and head men of the nation, each 
 dressed in his most splendid uniform, wearing the Rajpoot 
 turban of state, and adorned with all the jewellery which he 
 possessed. On the dais were two thrones ; and on either side 
 were six long rows of nobles seated, perhaps in all twelve 
 hundred notable grandees, the Prime Minister of the Maharajah 
 
Ttajsii snooTfNa and a iniunAR. 
 
 ;^2l 
 
 racioiisly, a 
 ito Jeypore 
 > tigress on 
 bive mother 
 icing; 
 during our 
 :he advisers 
 tion of the 
 aphs, rings, 
 jllection on 
 of the eye 
 Dssesaion of 
 of a Maha- 
 own house; 
 :n the sight 
 Eastern and 
 b was there- 
 to the pro- 
 
 apartment, 
 >ewan-i-am. 
 
 are held ; 
 lly a little 
 li a throne 
 ) the digni- 
 tiger-shoot- 
 
 great hall 
 ition, each 
 le Rajpoot 
 f which he 
 either side 
 all twelve 
 Maharajah 
 
 having tlic fust phico on tho Ifffc-lijuid side of th«^ IFeir App;tr- 
 ont. On tho right-lmnd was a row of chairs in whifli tlitj 
 Prince's suit(! wore to sit. Tiio plaoo was brilliantly li^'litcd ; 
 in a gallery in roar of the dais wore such Kuropt^an hidion and 
 gentlemen as desired to witness tho ceremony ; and in a court, 
 yard into which one end of the room opened was a hand of 
 musicians. 
 
 It would have been amply worth tho while of a stranger to 
 traverse that vast hall and note the costumes of those who 
 were assembled there, what curious swords they carried, what 
 strange shields, what grand arrays of jewels they boasted, and 
 what handsome robes they wore. There were men with such a 
 profusion of gold, in turban and cloak, that it might well have 
 been doubted whether more of tho precious metal could, by any 
 possibility, have been added to the needlework. There weie 
 some with grand pearl bead work of immense value and singu- 
 lar beauty. Hours might have been spent in a survey of the 
 curious shawls from Cashmere and the far North, the Centre, 
 and the East of India — such cunning needlework as the rich 
 men of the land are most renowned for. But hours could not 
 thus be spent, for the Prince was coming up the steps into the 
 Dewan-i-am, led by the Maharajah — a little, bent man, wearing 
 spectacles, a gold-embroidered cap and gown. Of course, the 
 great assembly received the Prince upstanding, remained so 
 while he took his seat on the dais at the right hand of the 
 Maharajah, and while his suite flocked in, in no very regular 
 order, and occupied the places assigned them. All sat down 
 when the signal was given, and the Durbar was opened. Then 
 Major Henderson came ^orward, and accompanied by Mr. Lyall, 
 the Governor-General's Agent for Rajpootana, together with 
 the Resident here, led up, one by one, and introduced to the 
 Prince the principal nobles of the State of Jeypore. 
 
 A pretty spectacle was that which we now witnessed. Chief- 
 <»»ins in all their magnificence coming forward one after another 
 
 
t 
 
 t0rr3^ 
 
 r 
 
 \ 
 
 
 l^ 
 
 l\ 
 
 i 
 
 
 ! I'- 
 
 322 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 to the foot of tho dais, handing a card, on which their names 
 were inscribed, to the Resident, and then, when announced, 
 ascending the stcjis, presenting an offering of a gold piece of 
 money to the Prince, with a low bow, waiting while he touched 
 it. Eastern fashion, and then, with many indications of humility 
 and loyalty, v/ith much patting of the forehead and many bows, 
 rething backwards and making way for other chiefs. I did not 
 notice that any distinction was made. In coming up the steps 
 they wei'c received by the Prince sitting, and each retired 
 backwards. But when the presentation was over two were 
 called up and presented with a medal by his Royal Highness, a 
 word being said to each indicative of the approval of the Queen 
 of England. T fancied they looked a little puzzled at the cere- 
 mony, and wondered whether it conveyed a title such as Mr. 
 John Jones or Mr. \Villiam Smith receives when a sword is 
 placed on his shoulders and he is told to rise ; but it was a 
 cheap mode of decoration, and was, at any rate, a dif'H'nction. 
 I know that there are those who will contend that this was 
 not a Durbar in the right sense of the word at all. There was 
 one old gentleman whose liver had suffered the variations of an 
 Indian climate for seven-and-twentv years, who was dreadfully 
 irate because the Prince did not take his gold pieces and give 
 something in exchange. But when I suggested that the money 
 — gold mohurs — would have been almost useless to His Royal 
 Highness, even if an attendant had, by the close of the present- 
 ation, filled a small bag with them, and that the only equivalent 
 present which the Pvince could have made in return would 
 have taken the form of a number of telescopes or concertinas, 
 that old gentleman's wrath took another form, and he declared 
 against the visit and all its belongings. While he was thus 
 inveighing, however, another ceremony was going on, and Lord 
 Alfred Paget was called up, presented to the Maharajah, and 
 wreathed with a garland of Howers ; similarly, too, Sir Bartle 
 Frere's neck was adorned, and then a noble went round, accom- 
 

 TIGER SHOOTING AND A DURBAR. 
 
 328 
 
 heir names 
 
 announced, 
 
 old piece of 
 
 he touched 
 
 of humility 
 
 many bows, 
 
 I did not 
 
 ip the steps 
 
 ach retired 
 
 L' two were 
 
 Highness, a 
 
 f the Queen 
 
 at the cere- 
 
 uch as Mr, 
 
 a sword is 
 
 at it was a 
 
 di'^H' notion. 
 
 at this was 
 
 There was 
 
 itions of an 
 
 dreadfully 
 
 s and give 
 
 the money 
 
 His Royal 
 
 he present- 
 
 ■ equivalent 
 
 urn would 
 
 oncertinas, 
 
 le declared 
 
 e was thus 
 
 I, and Lord 
 
 irajah, and 
 
 Sir Bartle 
 
 nd, accom- 
 
 panied by an attendant, who carried a huge basket of blossoms, 
 and threw a wreath over the necks of the suite and the hussar 
 oj9&cers who accompanied them. Then there was some conver- 
 sation, the band played Brinley Richards' Welsh air, and the 
 Prince, shaking hands with the INtaliarajah, left the hall for the 
 dining-room. 
 
 The scene of the banquet was not artistically beautiful. I 
 have before remarked on the disadvantages and defects of Indian 
 decorative painting. There is a freedom al)Out it, an absence of 
 regard for economy, a lavish waste of colour, which, however 
 satisfactory to the Eastern mind, does not fill the traveller with 
 delight. The ceiling of the " European room," close by, was 
 undoubtedly a great success ; but then it had been designed by 
 an Englishman, and if nine-tenths of the chandeliers and lamj)S 
 in the apartment could have been thrown out of the win- 
 dows — if a selection could have been made from the musical 
 instruments in the room, comprising a musical snuff-box, nu 
 organ, a piano, a harmonium, a whistling mechanical bird, an 
 accordion, and a drum, it would have been still further improv- 
 ed; but to make the banqueting hall look better one would 
 require to take down the ceiling and put up another with only 
 one-hundredth parL of the paint upon it. Still, if the room was 
 not tasteful, the table was prettily laid in Russian fashion, and 
 the banquet which followed was not unworthy of it. Much 
 more pleasant still was the arrival of the Maharajah just as the 
 ladies were leaving, and his taking a seat at the right hand of 
 the Prince. Unlike the ruler of Gwalior, he of Jeypore, how- 
 ever, is no speaker ; and thus it was that he })roposed tlie healths 
 of the Queen and the Prince successively in one word, drinking 
 a full bumper of champagne to each, and then beaming through 
 his gold spectacles on the assembled company. Plow the Prince 
 replied is not matter of singular importance. The most notable 
 thing his Royal Highness said was that lie thanked his host 
 for giving him the op[)ortuniiy of shooting his first tiger — a 
 
 i 
 
 ' 
 
 rs. 
 
 If 
 
 
 
^^wiwyw^^wj m iiti j ^.i j ii i i t ^m t m im 
 
 t I 
 
 1:' 
 
 *. :'m I 
 
 ,r 1 
 
 Jnl! 
 
 :! {, 
 
 i! I 
 
 ;^>24 
 
 HTTff TfJE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 remark which was, of course, heartily apphiuded by every cour- 
 tier present. 
 
 And then, with cigars and hookahs, a quiet half-liour was 
 spent — comparatively so would, perhaps, be the better expression, 
 for to beguile the time, the Maharajah had ordered in a juggler 
 who had certain eccentricities of no mean order. This worthy 
 could put a decanter of water on his head, and, by the simple 
 movement of his eyebrows, work it round the nape of his neck, 
 over his fjars, past his nose, and so up to the apex of the skull 
 once more ; and it was a highly entertaining diversion to watch 
 the decanter slowly moving round the edge of that vagrant 
 ju'^gler, Then a gentleman was introduced who, similarly to 
 one at Calcutta, essayed to play two little tmmpets with his 
 neck. A kind of "There is no deception, gentlemen" ex- 
 pression pervaded this worthy man's face, and the Maharajah 
 proceeded tv> explain that this performance was called Nasata- 
 ranga, and that it was achieved by the swelling of the veins in 
 the player's neck, and thus by the forcible propulsion of air 
 tlir-ongh the tubes of the trumpets. But the player had not 
 counted upon the guests ; at any rate, he had not quite expected 
 to meet Dr. Fayrer, for when that gentleman took down a 
 candle from a girandole, and attempted to hold it before the 
 end of one of the trumpets, to see if any air was really blown 
 through, the player, who saw his " occupation gone," resisted, 
 and could only be compelled by a direct order to submit. Where- 
 upon ^ did so with a very ill-grace ; no air came through, and 
 in the end he was pronounced a ventriloquist and an impos- 
 tor, and told to b^one. 
 
 All this being happily settled, an adjournment took place to 
 a courtyard, where a tedious Nautch dance took place, amongst 
 the performers being an ancient dame of some fifty summers, 
 whose only qualification appeared to be that her eyes stared 
 more violently, her feet moved more irregularly, and her twirl- 
 ing and jumping were more erratic than anybody else's. How- 
 
very coui- 
 
 -hour was 
 Kpvession, 
 a juggler 
 lis worthy 
 he simple 
 
 his neck, 
 
 the skull 
 
 I to watch 
 
 b vagrant 
 
 ailarly to 
 
 with liis 
 nen " ex- 
 laharajah 
 d Nasata- 
 3 veins in 
 on of air 
 r had not 
 I expected 
 
 down a 
 efore the 
 ly blown 
 
 resisted, 
 
 Where- 
 
 )ugh, and 
 
 n impos- 
 
 : place to 
 amongst 
 summers, 
 BS stared 
 ler twirl- 
 s. How- 
 
 TIGEli SHOOTING AND A DURBAR. 
 
 325 
 
 over, a native told me that she was the greatest danseuse in 
 Jeypore, so I forbore to make further comment. If her dancing 
 was ridiculous, the music was as bad, and so was a performance 
 on musical basins which followed, so that on the whole nobody 
 was particularly sorry when his Royal Highness called for his 
 carriage, and gave the signal for departure. 
 
 The Sunday following was spent in a visit to the ruins of 
 Ambair, the Royal party picnicing among the ruins of Jey 
 Singh's ancient city, and visiting the Temple of Silla Deva, 
 where once men were slaughtered, but now only goats ; and a 
 very eminent Brahmin sang a sacred song in his loudest and 
 most discordant manner. Next day the Prince departed for 
 Agra once more, this time with a view of proceeding to the 
 Terai, with a portion of his suite, on a three weeks* shooting 
 excursion. 
 
mmmMmmmmf'»iii'i*i'^ 
 
 • t 
 
 I 
 
 k' 
 
 '' I 
 
 l\ I: 
 
 ■ I 
 
 CIIAPTEE XXXTII 
 
 scindia's welcome. 
 
 It was early in 1872 when, one evening, remembered still 
 by all who, coming from the mother country, reside in Gwalicr, 
 a distinguished company assembled to dine in the Palace of the 
 Maharajah Scindia. The banquet over, decanters of wine were 
 circulated, glasses filled, and silence procured ; whereupon the 
 ruler of the State entered, a huge silver bowl in his right hand, 
 and essayed to make a speech. Its language was Hindostanee, 
 bat its subject-matter British. In terms of loyal aftection 
 Scindia spoke of the Sovereign to whom he owed allegiance, 
 whose troops had rescued him from the blood-thirsty Tantia 
 Topee, whose representative had restored him to his throne. 
 And then, without pause, he told his hearers how that good 
 Queen's eldest son, once stricken by fever, had at length re- 
 covered, and, amid loud shouts, proposed the health and long 
 life of the Prince of Wales. How Sirdir and Chieftain vied 
 with Resident and English official in obeying that call need not 
 now be told. Next morning came the news that Lord Mayo 
 was killed, and all that day minute guns told oi Scindia's loyal 
 irrief. From that time to this the ruler of Gwalior has been 
 one of the most trusted of the feudatories of the Queen ; and 
 that he should receive special recognition at the hands of the 
 Prince was therefore to be expected. At length the long-talk- 
 ed-of Royal visit to his dominion took place. 
 
 Looking from my coign of vantage on the back of an elephant. 
 I saw on both sides of the street that, although it yet wanted 
 some hours to the Prince's arrival, the inhabitants were perched 
 in their windows, and gazing complacently into the road. The 
 
Dered still 
 I Gwalicr, 
 lace of the 
 svine were 
 3upon the 
 Lght hand, 
 idostanee, 
 I aftection 
 allegiance, 
 ;ty Tantia 
 is throne, 
 hat good 
 ength re- 
 and long 
 ftain vied 
 need not 
 ord Mciyo 
 dia's loyal 
 has been 
 Leen ; and 
 ds of the 
 long-talk- 
 elephant. 
 it wanted 
 perched 
 tad. The 
 
 SGI N DIA'S WELCOME. 
 
 327 
 
 natives were chatting together, patting their scarfs, adjusting 
 their white turbans, or squatting on their haunches, full of joy 
 at finding themselves so respectably attired, and so unmistak' 
 ably the observed of all observers. They were in the very van 
 of the procession, too ; to the keeping of each had been entrust 
 ed a bright silver javelin, and the ladies of Gwalior were look- 
 ing at them through the blinds of the upper windows, or, more 
 adventurously still, were popping their heads out every now and 
 then, and peering between their fingers at the gallants in the 
 road. What mattered it to them that for sevL. i hours they had 
 to wait in the broiling sun 1 Was not the approval of these re- 
 condite damsels a full reward ? If they did not think so, those 
 who followed them, and wore red turbans and long yellow coats, 
 did ; for if ever contentment was portrayed, it was on the faces 
 of these last-named owners of ancient matchlocks. They also 
 sat down in the centre of the road, hardly deigning to move 
 when the broad feet of the elephants threatened to annihilate 
 them, willing to do and suffer anything rather than lay down 
 their muskets and flee. A little further on were some scores of 
 camels, all standing two by two in expectation of orders ; be- 
 hind these again were fifty of the Maharajah's horses, all gaily 
 caparisoned and led by servants in uniform. Then there were 
 men carrying red flags, and others with white silk banners; 
 there were more javelin-men, and more who bore matchlocks; 
 then a number of elephants, and after that chieftains and at- 
 tendants galore. This end of the procession was hard by the 
 old palace of Scindia ; its head was scarcely half a mile from 
 the new one just built. 
 
 It is not easy to tell you how excited the good people of 
 Gwalior were at all these prepaiations. They were simjily 
 beside themselves with joy at the prospect of seeing the pro- 
 mised show. Apparently they had invited all tlieir friends, 
 too, not charging for good seats as the more practical people of 
 Birmingham or Sheffield would have done, but turning their 
 
 •• 
 
 ill) 
 
328 
 
 WITH THE FlilNCE IN INDIA 
 
 II- !• 
 
 tni: 
 
 stores u[)sido down, desiring their friends and acquaintances to 
 come and rejoice in the very best windows they had got. 
 Merry they were beyond a doubt, after the fashion of their kind, 
 sitting closely together, clasping their hands and beaming with 
 silent delight all the day long. 
 
 At the new palace itself a different scene was occurring. 
 There the Europeans of the district were taking their places in 
 corridors situate over the grand gateway in expectation of the 
 pageant. Hundreds of native workmen were putting a finish- 
 ing touch to the interior decorations, hundreds were outside 
 hanging up lamps for illuminations. The building, which was 
 as yet barely finished, looked like nothing so much as Bucking- 
 ham Palace repainted. From the railings outside to the flag- 
 staff on the roof there was scarcely any difference, only that, in 
 place of the stone quadrangle inside, there was a handsome 
 garden, prettily laid out in European fashion, boasting a splen- 
 did fountain and some beautiful marble work. But Bucking- 
 ham Palace has no such apartment as Scindia's great drawing- 
 room. Upon this the ingenuity of a distinguished gentleman 
 named Fellowes had been wholly exhausted ; its Persian carpet, 
 upon which two thousand people might comfortably stand, was 
 of the richest hue and the most costly work ; over the back of 
 the gilded chairs hung the rarest cloth of gold ; its furniture 
 was of *ihe newest and the best. On the walls were handsome 
 mirrors ; all its pillars glistened with gold ; the dome-like ceil- 
 ing, nearly a hundred feet from the floor, was chased with 
 delicate tints and gilt, d,nd if there was a chandelier too many 
 the light was all the blighter. 1 have not seen a drawing- 
 room so beautiful in India, and cannot call to mind its equal 
 anywhere. Branching away from this were corridors leading 
 to the rooms wherein were gold toilet services, baths of silver, 
 all kinds of contrivances for making life delightful, even to 
 bottles of scent whereof the labels proclaimed that they were 
 " The Prince of Wales' own Bouquet." 
 
.•.W««>*M 
 
 aintances to 
 ey had got. 
 f their kind, 
 naming with 
 
 s occurring, 
 eir places in 
 ation of the 
 ing a finish- 
 v^ere outside 
 ', which was 
 as Bucking- 
 to the flag- 
 3nly that, in 
 i handsome 
 :ing a splen- 
 ut Bucking- 
 ;at drawing- 
 i gentleman 
 •sian carpet, 
 ^ stand, was 
 the back of 
 ts furniture 
 e handsome 
 aie-like ceil- 
 hased with 
 V too many 
 a drawing- 
 id its equal 
 ors leading 
 IS of silver, 
 ill, even to 
 ; they were 
 
 
 c 
 
 f 
 
 iCfl 
 
 iii 
 
 
 t !1 
 
If 
 
 ■ i' 
 
 f ■ 
 
 % : 
 
 
 I "\ 
 
 it 
 
 ".'•m. 
 
 i V 
 
 
 \ *. 
 
SCINDIA'S WELCOME. 
 
 329 
 
 
 How wlint but a wcok or two since was an unfinished mass 
 of stone had been converted into this pahitial retreat, one could 
 not imagine, unless upon the supposition that the 7,000 work- 
 men who had been eun)loyed had worked with quintupled 
 energy, or that Scindia had for a moment or two got hold of the 
 veritable wishing cap. Anyway, there the j)alace was, with a 
 grand garden in front as well as one in the centre, all the rooms 
 furnished, guards of honour mounted, the mechanical singing 
 birds whistling melodiously on the drawing-room tables, ser- 
 vants all in their places, and nothing wanting except the Prince, 
 then on his way to Gwalior, on the high road For as to Jum- 
 moo, so to Scindia's capital, no railway runs; but some seventy 
 and odd miles have to be traversed by carriages which do not 
 always avoid ruts and holes. The Prince, however, did not 
 suffer from the rugged track ; he had a comfortable carriage on 
 light springs, which heeded none of these things : nor, indeed, 
 were we who had to sit in the humbler dakgharry so un- 
 comfortable as when on the rougher road to Jummooj yet 
 :jeventy-two miles, in the morning by horse conveyances, is 
 dot the happiest prelude to an elephant ride of seven 
 miles, and it was well that Scindia's palace boasted armchairs 
 and lounges in plenty for the weary ones who were hourly ex- 
 pected — the more so as a State dinner was fixed for the 
 evening, at which the Prince must be present. Gradually 
 the day declined, the ladies and gentlemen in the corridors took 
 tea, the lamps which were placed on every line of the palace 
 were lit, darkness came on, and still the procession waited. 
 At length a sound of cannon was heard, and presently the 
 shouting of crowds announced that the Prince was really at 
 hand ; by the light of inumerable torches we could discern the 
 moving mass of colour as it pressed towards the palace gates 
 and waited the approach of the Shahazada. 
 
 Nor was there now long to wait. The wind blowing on the 
 verandah brought with it the sound of tom-tom and reed, of 
 
 21 
 
 M 
 
:vAo 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA 
 
 tnimj>ets and of cheers. A long line of lights, too, was seen 
 approaching. The Queen's son v/us very near. On came the 
 procession ; the javelin-men, preceded by players upon the in- 
 struments which the Hindoo loves, holding their spears aloft in 
 the air, and moving with no unconsidered shuffle, but a stately 
 tiamp ! and on came also their companions with their matchlocks, 
 the camels and the horses moreover, the steeds prancing just as 
 the stately animals do when in an Eastern wedding procession 
 they precede the bridegroom. Nor were the men with the 
 banners less conscious of the dignity of their position. No 
 matter to them that the evening was advancing ; it was the 
 first time in their lives that they had had so much honour 
 The white sahibs up in the corridor might be impatient, but 
 they were not. The palace courtyard would end their dignity, 
 and they were in no hurry to reach it. But the Royal elephants 
 must come on, and at last they were in sight, each bearing its 
 own lanterns, and moving with majestic step. Op the first of 
 them — in a bright silver howdah, upon which the lights of the 
 torches flashed — sat the Prince, on the right hand of the 
 Maharajah, with General Sir Richard Daly behind, as intei 
 preter-in-chief. And following these were the suite of the 
 Prince and that of the Ruler of Gwalior, all forming a grand 
 array of distinguished personages. The 10th Hussars, more- 
 over, were on either side of them ; in rear were more bands, 
 far-extending masses of cavalry, and behind all, the surging 
 astonished crowd, hand in hand, pressing on, and wondering 
 why the great Maharajah should thus receive the Prince Sahib. 
 Then sounded out the National Anthem played by an English 
 band ; then English ladies waved their handkerchiefs and Eng. 
 lish gentlemen their hats ; then the Prince graciously returned 
 the welcome accorded him by a band of countrywomen and 
 ooiintrymen, and so passed on into the palace garden, dismounted 
 from his elephant, was led by Scindia to the Royal apartments, 
 and then left to preside at the feast which followed. 
 
 I ■ 
 
SCINDIA'S iVELCOME. 
 
 xn 
 
 ;oo, was socti 
 On camo the 
 upon the in- 
 3pears aloft in 
 , but a stately 
 ir matchlocks, 
 ancing just as 
 ing procession 
 men with the 
 position. No 
 ig ; it was the 
 much honour 
 impatient, but 
 I their dignity. 
 Loyal elephants 
 acti bearing its 
 Op the first of 
 16 lights of the 
 t hand of the 
 ehind, as intei 
 suite of the 
 orming a grand 
 Hussars, more- 
 •e more bands, 
 1, the surging 
 and wondering 
 e Prince Sahib, 
 by an English 
 chiefs and Eng. 
 ■iously returned 
 itrywomen and 
 ien, dismounted 
 yal apartments, 
 Ned, 
 
 That India is hold by the merest lum-lful of white; people is 
 sufliciently clear to all who have travelled over its length and 
 breadth, and, indeed to those who have not. But never waj' 
 the singular natiii-e of our position so clearly demonstrated a? 
 when we saw Scindia's army drawn up in review order undei 
 the shadow of the foi-t and close by his palace. We had be<>n 
 told that as a soldier the Maharajah has few superiot-s ; Sii 
 William Mansfield had years ago wished that all our brigadiei> 
 were the equal of the enterprising Mahratta ; but it remained 
 for us to see the pitch of perfection to which a native i^rincr 
 could bring his troops. At Cjishmero we had seen thousands o1 
 soldiers, but they were little better than barbarians ; in tlu 
 South, the troops of the Nizam had failed to impress those of us 
 who entered Hyderabad territory with anything approach ing 
 awe^ we had yet to see the Gwalior army, and judge of it. A 
 great surprise, awaited us. 
 
 It was scarcely seven o'clock when, on mounting our ele- 
 phants and proceeding to the parade ground, we found the army 
 of Scindia drawn up ir review order. Five strong battalions, 
 numbering quite a thousand a piece, were in the front line ; in 
 rear were three regiments of cavalry and four batteries of 
 artillery — as admirable i brigade as could be desired in point 
 of numbers Ten minutes later Scindia himself, accompanied 
 by a trumpeter, arrived on the ground, and was received by 
 his suite, already in front of the troops. He had scarcely taken 
 his place before guns announced that the Prince was near, 
 whereupon Scindia went to meet his distinguished visitor, and 
 very quickly conducted him into the field. I am afraid to say 
 how many spectators there were. The thousands who had 
 turned out at this early hour moved constantly from one part of 
 the ground to the other, their gay turbans and bright dresses 
 mingling till they looked like the colours which a well-filled 
 kaleidoscope shows. The English were mostly on elephants, of 
 which there were great numbers, and the tinkling of the bells 
 
 i 
 
' I 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 wli it'll Imng from the liowdttliH added to the briglitnens and 
 pleasantnoHH of tlio scone. 
 
 I need not toll you that tho Prince wont round the troops, 
 and closely inspected them. Scindia follows Euroi)ean usages 
 too closely to permit of such a custom being V)roken. It is of 
 the march past I would speak. We had already heard of the 
 excellence of tho Maharajah's artillery, and wore consequently 
 glad to see it preparing to come by. But what will be thought 
 at home when it is known that to the sound of " The British 
 Grenadiers," played by a band just opposite the flagstaff, a 
 battery of horse artillery came by, equal in drill, [)rocision, and 
 appearance to some of our best troops in the A brigade'? 
 Work on the " pivot system," indeed 'i Hero was a battery 
 which could go over the ground in a manner which would put 
 the best artillery in France or Germany to shame Those who 
 in 1874 saw tho gunners that Von Moltke could show went 
 home disappointed. There was no one disappointed here. Old 
 soldiers who had soon a score ol tights, and whose home was the 
 j)arade ground, ejaculated, ••Beautiful!" and Scindia looked 
 proud as he left their head and took his place by the Prince's 
 side. And yet another battery was close at hand, almost if 
 not quite so good, the six guns going by as one, every horseman 
 in his place, every sword in a line. Nor were the two bullock 
 batteries which followed with heavier guns at all to be despised. 
 The men marched past as veil as the best troops in the world, 
 and [ saw nothing at Delhi to beat the drivers. Scindia may 
 not have known why he sent his artillery past first ; he may 
 liave only imitated the English, because he considered them the 
 best models to copy ; but he certainly opened the review in a 
 way which surprised everybod / present. Shall I add that his 
 artillerymen wore a uniform exactly like the undress of the 
 Royal regiment in England, and that at a very short dis- 
 tance it would have been impossible to distinguish them from 
 European gunners 1 Then came the cavalry, three regiments, 
 
i:iCINVlA'S WELtVME. 
 
 333 
 
 tnoRS and 
 
 le troops, 
 an uHiiges 
 It is of 
 ird of the 
 isequontly 
 )o thought 
 he British 
 flagstaff, a 
 ciision, and 
 . brigade"} 
 a battery 
 would put 
 Those who 
 show went 
 here. Old 
 ne was the 
 idia looked , 
 he Prince's 
 I, almost if 
 ^ horseman 
 iwo bullock 
 36 despised, 
 the world, 
 Icindia may 
 st ; he may 
 id them the 
 eview in a 
 idd that his 
 ress of the 
 short dis- 
 them from 
 regiments, 
 
 each containing four HijudrouH, the first two being hussars, with 
 the pivot men carrying lances, and the last lancers entirely. 
 On they swept with marvellous prticision, their otiicers wearing 
 the white English luilnn^t and the golden red-striped sash, as do 
 the gentlemen who carry her Maj(!sty's commission. I could 
 see nothing in point of uniform or movement to distinguish 
 these men from the best I'unjabee cavalry wo had been shown 
 a few days before by Lord Napi(!r. The most c{i})tious critic 
 could see nothing to exercise his skill upon ; the regiments 
 were ])erfect. I for one could certainly find no fault with their 
 movements to the tune of " Annie Lisle." The Queen's Guards 
 may claim the tune, but even they would scarcely grudge their 
 regimental air to such soldierly men. 
 
 But if we admired Scindia's cavalry and artillery, our praise 
 was by no means decreased when the infantry came by. Wo 
 could perceive them forming up on our left, we could see the 
 Pioneers j)receding them, we could hear the " British Grena- 
 diers." ^V^e were fain to cheer loudly as, with bayonets in exact 
 line, they came on with a steadiness that our best troops could 
 not surpass. I have seen Chasseur battalions go past in far 
 less soldierly fashion , I have even witnessed parades at Alder- 
 shot reviews that I should not have liked a severe critic to 
 attend ; but these native regiments could afford to defy inspec- 
 tion. The finest battalion, moreover, wore the English dress 
 helmet and all. I noticed that thev were well shod, and that 
 their uniforms had been carefully looked to. Even their com- 
 rades who had only the English forage cap elicited loud exclama- 
 tions of praise ; they could but be admired. And when they 
 had all gone past there was but one opinion about them all — 
 unqualified admiration. Of the gallop past I need say no more 
 than that it was excellent. 
 
 The main interest now centred in a sham fight, and the 
 troops were instantly divided into two equal portions, the com- 
 mander-iu-chief holding a ridge in front of Gwalior, while 
 
 
 Id 
 
 ill 
 
^ i' 
 
 •smmr 
 
 \\ 
 
 i 
 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 Soindia prepared to attack it. I am not prepared to say that 
 the result was not known beforehand. He woulu be a bold 
 subject who would presume to defeat his master in presence of 
 a Royal visitor, and a disloyal one into the bargain. But if it 
 was arranged that Scindia should be the conquerer in his own 
 dominion, there was, at any rate, the opportunity afforded of 
 seeing how the troops could work in the field. There are those 
 of us who have been present at some funny spectacles at Alder- 
 shot, who have seen batteries disposed of, and positions taken 
 in a way which would have made us rub ouv eyes and wonder 
 what it all meant, if we had not known that the whole thing 
 was intended simply for a pretty show to amuse some potential 
 visitor. Do none of us remember the famoufj battle in the Long 
 Yalley, when the Czar of All the Russias was amused by im- 
 possible cavalry charges, and wonderful artillery defeats ] Let 
 us not be too harsh upon Scindia, who wanted to please the 
 Prince and exhibit his soldiers. At any rate, he hid his men 
 well behind some excellent cover, and if the }>ullocks w^^-^h 
 drew the heavy cannon into position were exposed to rifle-hrb 
 within a few hundred yards, what of that ? Do not our friends 
 the Germans do likewise with their horses 1 I am told that 
 all the men we saw were armed with old percussion-cap muskets. 
 xi so the skirmishers which appeared on the right of Scindia's 
 enemy fired very quickly, and had better not be trusted with 
 the Snider. Worse practice has been often made with breach- 
 loading weapons. And as for the artillery, it may have been 
 placed in peril now and then unnecessarily, as it moved forward 
 to support the attack. General Lysons could tell you of a certain 
 opponent of his who once upon Fox Hill exposed his guns in 
 similar fashion ; and Colonel Basden, at Delhi, the other day, 
 not only endangered but actually lest his battery. Altogether 
 there was not a great deal to find fault with. A cavalry charge 
 ;it the far left of the enemy was magnijique, even if it were not 
 la guerre, and the infantry came over the ground in admirable 
 
SCINDIA'S WELCOME. 
 
 335 
 
 say that 
 be a bold 
 resence of 
 
 But if it 
 
 his own 
 forded of 
 
 are those 
 at Alder- 
 ms taken 
 d wonder 
 lole thing 
 
 potential 
 the Long 
 sd by im- 
 eats? Let 
 )lease the 
 I his men 
 ks w^T-^h 
 rifle-hre 
 ur friends 
 
 told that 
 ) muskets. 
 
 Scindia's 
 isted with 
 bh breach- 
 have been 
 id forward 
 f a certain 
 is guns in 
 3tlier day, 
 Altogether 
 Iry charge 
 b were r^ot 
 admirable 
 
 style, although in ordinary fighting it would probably have 
 appeared there for the very last time. 
 
 We all knew Scindia would win, and so we pressed our 
 elephants forward, keeping well in a line with the guns, which 
 rattled merrily and quite woke up such sleepy people as still 
 remained in bed within a ladius of three miles. Indeed, it was 
 luird to persuade oneself that Tantia Topee was not in yonder 
 wood, making ready to run away, as he did in the days now 
 happily gone. Fortunately that person is hanged, his followera, 
 who learnt to run after their leader, have moved at sucli a speed 
 that they will never be found again, and Scindia is in no dread 
 that the result of any action he may tight will deprive him of 
 his throne or his palace. With which cheering knowledge the 
 efforts of the enemy to stop an advance at any point were 
 regarded with such complacency as could be accorded by hungry 
 men and women, who felt that the more the action was prolonged 
 the longer a much-wanted breakfast was delayed, and eagerly 
 desired the commander-in-chief to throw up the sponge, hoist 
 the white flag, or surrender, in the politest Hindostanee, to the 
 Maharajah. Some such thought appears to have occurred to 
 the commander-in-chief himself, for suddenly he sent word to 
 his batteries to waste powder no more, to his battalions to pile 
 their arms, to his buglers to sound cease tiring, and to the 
 occupiers of the ridge to go home. Whereupon all who occupied 
 the howdahs blessed his loyal discretion, and forthwith made 
 for home to recount the events of the morning and prepare for 
 the levee, which presently took place in the drawing-room T 
 have described. Meanwhile the Prince galloped up to Scindia, 
 complimented him on the appearance of his men, made a neat 
 little speech to the soldiers also, and so departed to the palace 
 himself. 
 
 li^'i 
 
 f^; 
 ^'i 
 
 4 
 
 I 
 
 I ■ 
 
 ii: i 
 
1 
 
 V I 
 
 iil 
 
 ;' 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 SCENES IN GWALIOR. 
 
 A day or two later on it was ray lot to come upon a happy 
 valley — not that which Rasselas and Dinarbas so rashly left, 
 but the happy valley of Gwalior Fort — not much larger than 
 the crater of Vesuvius, situated in the very heart of the famous 
 rock which stands in the centre of Gwalior's dominions. On all 
 sides but one it was bounded by thickly foliaged trees ; but on 
 that referred to there was hard stone, carved by the Jain 
 worshippers of old into grotesque idol figures ; and in the middle 
 of it was a deep well. From the eminence of the fort it looked 
 like a huge trap into which you might be decoyed for the sake 
 of the umbrageous shade with which it abounded, only to lose 
 your life in the almost hidden water below. 
 
 It was early in the morning, some hours before the Prince 
 paid his visit to the fort, that I started from the Residency, 
 where I was the guest of Colonel Hutchinson. A lofty rock, 
 starting suddenly out of a plain, surmounted by battlements, 
 some four hundred feet high, a mile long, and in some places 
 half as broad — such was the place to which we were directed. 
 Had we gone straight to the foot of the pathway which leads 
 from the native town to the top of the hill, and at which spot 
 two elephants were waiting to convey us to the summit, our 
 task would have been comparatively light. But my companion 
 was an Indiia archaeologist of note, a member of the Council of 
 Orientalists, and he had hcird that on the outer scrap of the 
 rock, on the eastern side, were some Jain figures, compared 
 with whicli all that had been seen by other travellers faded into 
 insignificance : and at his suggestion I agreed to scale the side 
 and inspect the sculptures. 
 
I 
 
 SCENES IN GWALIOR, 
 
 337 
 
 on a liappy 
 rashly left, 
 larger than 
 the famous 
 ns. On all 
 ;es ; but on 
 Y the Jain 
 L the middle 
 rt it looked 
 or the sake 
 3nly to lose 
 
 the Prince 
 Residency, 
 
 lofty rock, 
 attlements, 
 jome places 
 e directed, 
 v^hich leads 
 which spot 
 ummit, our 
 
 companion 
 s Council of 
 3rap of the 
 compared 
 
 faded into 
 ale the side 
 
 Of the Gwalior caverns, and their carvings, few know any- 
 thing, and none very much. It may be that the work of explo- 
 ration has not been to the taste of travellers. To reach them 
 you must ford a somewhat rapid, though fortunately narrow, 
 river, and then climb up the precipitous face of the rock till you 
 are within a hundred feet of the top. Such a labour on a broil- 
 ing day is not seductive, and few have taken the trouble to 
 attempt it. In crossing the river we were fortunate. A pony 
 was oflfered us, and one or other would probably have mounted 
 and essayed to ride, when, without warning, the intractable 
 beast rushed into the stream, and, lying down in the water, re- 
 fused to move This settled the question, and we went over on 
 foot forthwith. How we clambered up, slipping here and tumbl- 
 ing there, how we penetrated bushes^ and clutched at stumps of 
 trees, need not be dilated upon. At length we stood on a ledge 
 which faced the caves and images, and were free to inspect thom. 
 
 From the point where we stood we could count a score or so 
 o^ sculptured figures, each nearly forty feet high. Some were 
 sitting down, and some w^ere standing up ; they were most of 
 them chipped and broken ; but the Eiephanta Caves had noth- 
 ing like or equal to them, iind their counterpart is nowhere to 
 be found. [ am almost afraid to say whom they represented. 
 A guide-book, written by the learned but destructive Baber, 
 said Parisnaut, but my archreological friend trium})hantly 
 proved, by a close argument of which I did not understand a 
 single proposition, that they were somo1)ody else, and I am con- 
 tent to leave him master of the field. I believe that the identity 
 of these same images for a long time exercised the minds and 
 jeopardised the friendship of at least half a dozen of the most 
 erudite archaeologists in EngUind, and I therefore leave it in 
 uncertainty. All I can Siiy i>s that, if Parisnaut was half as 
 ugly, his countenance would have told sadly against him in the 
 Old Bailey dock. 
 
 But the gods theuiselves vv«,'re not thu only thijigs worthy of 
 
 j 
 
 I 1 
 
WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 note. Tlie carving which surrounded them was as marvellous 
 as the forty-feet giants themselves. Round their heads were 
 shields, over which serpents gazed with perceptible awe. Under 
 their feet wei'e animals of all kinds, while indescribable creatures 
 were represented as wandering about in a purposeless but very 
 l)alpable manner ; and at intervals of every twenty feet or so 
 were hollows, into which we penetrated, and found steps leading 
 up into the rock, conducting iis face to face with more divine 
 representations ; while here and there we came to a recess in 
 the wall, wherein was found a god or goddess prone, with feet 
 high in the air, for the devout to worship Yet funniest of all 
 was the admixture of Mohammedan shrines, with the Hindoo 
 deities. Four steps only from a goddess who boasted the thickest 
 pair of lips I ever saw, and was squatted upon a very bad imi- 
 tation of a cobra, was the tomb of a very devout follower of the 
 Prophet, with the convential ostrich-egg hanging over it, and a 
 very bright gold cloth immediately upon it And undei the 
 very shade of the most able-bodied god m the collection sal a 
 Mohammeden fakir, who was just then engaged in superintend- 
 ing the construction of a model of a tabout, in anticipation of 
 the great Mohuram festival now close at hand, not ten feet 
 away from a Brahmin devotee. 
 
 There was the greatest possible contrast between the two. 
 Had the Mohammedan harmonised with the place he was in, 
 he should have been covered with mud, and should have whined 
 loudly for backsheesh. He was quite clean, and if his beard 
 was undipped, as becomes a Ibllower of the Prophet, his hair 
 was trimmed. I should think he had washed his face that very 
 morning. The only thing in which he resembled his Hindoo 
 brother was in the anxiotts way in which he looked for a present 
 at the end. Perhaps he thought the Brahminical fakir had 
 quite enough clay on his face for any two people ; perhaps he 
 had some idea of the comfort of religion. He did not seem to 
 lead a life of great self-abnegation. In one of the caves close 
 
i! 
 
 SCENES IN GWALIOR. 
 
 >•><) 
 
 f >.i 
 
 marvellous 
 heads were 
 i,we. Under 
 »le creatures 
 }ss but very 
 :y feet or so 
 teps leading 
 more divine 
 
 a recess in 
 16, with feet 
 miest of all 
 the Hindoo 
 the thickest 
 3ry bad imi- 
 lower of the 
 jex it, and a 
 [ undei the 
 ection sal a 
 juperintend- 
 ticipation of 
 lot ten feet 
 
 )n the two. 
 
 he was in, 
 lave whined 
 if his beard 
 let, his hair 
 ce that very 
 
 his Hindoo 
 br a present 
 il fakir had 
 
 perhaps he 
 
 not seem to 
 
 3 caves close 
 
 by were his wife and chikU-en ; the chupatty he was eating aj)- 
 peared to me to be as well made as the undivided attention of 
 an otherwise unemployed man could make it, and he had as tooth- 
 some a curry as you would get at the Madras Club in his brass 
 dish close by The only thing he denied himself was work ; 
 he preferred to sit on a broken monument in the sun, eat and 
 sleep, sleep and eat — only varying this programme by holding 
 out his hand for the alms of the faithful. The serenity of his 
 existence was never perturbed by anxiety for employment ; 
 with the e. . eption of occasionally taking a bath he did abso- 
 lutely nothing. The Hindoo was much livelier. The fates had 
 apparently not been so kind to him. He had no chupatty, and 
 I looked in vain for his curry ; he certainly had no wife, and I 
 >should say that he had no cave cither. Here he was, the 
 nearest relation to the gods on the rock — a most estimable per- 
 son probably as objectionable ar object as could be seen in a 
 day*, march, ano yet he had not even a piece of betel-nut to 
 chew Why waf: he thus neglected "^ Nobody could say. He 
 made noise enough to attract the attention of people half a 
 mile oflF, yet apparently, they left him to do as best he could. 
 If this state of things were to continue, he would have to cease 
 to be holy and actually take to labour. Is there no Hindoo 
 Missionary Society to assist so j)ious a fakii* ? 
 
 We left him and clambered from ledge to ledge, inspecting 
 the wonderful sculptures of the place. Most of them had been 
 sadly mutilated by the IMahomniedans \ some of the images 
 had lost all signs of serpents' heads, some of them were nose- 
 less, many had parted with both hands and feet. Yet here 
 they stood, monuments of the work of the seventh century — a 
 permanent protest against the supposed barbarism of that. age. 
 The execution was, in fact, most elaborate — as fine as any in 
 India, which is the highest compliment that can bo paid thoni. 
 
 Quitting the examination of the caves, we now descended 
 die sides of the rock, and prepared to enter the fort by what is 
 
 It'll 
 
 m 
 
 A 
 
 
5i 
 
 
 f > 
 
 1 
 
 I ;: 
 
 I'- I 
 
 340 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 facetiously styled the " road." I believe the Capel Curig ascent 
 to Snowdon has been called one before now, but why such a 
 name should be given to the narrow pathway leading to the 
 top of Galior Fort which rises one inch in four in most places 
 — even more than that in some — and is no narrow in parts that 
 two elephants can liardly pass each other on it, 1 cannot say. 
 However, the fort had lo be visited ; and not only the Prince 
 but all who followed him mounted to the howdahs, and pre- 
 sently were rising foot by foot at the rate of about five yards to 
 the minute. 
 
 I am bound to say that the procession was not a pleasant 
 one. Occasionally an elephant would stop, and [)artly turn 
 round, and there was always the possibility that one of them 
 might take fright and run backwards, in which event some of 
 the party would have had an unpleasant and unsatisfactory ad- 
 venture. However, at last we reach 3d the top, and entering 
 the narrow gates very carefully, were carried into the fort 
 The Happy Valley was behind us, a Jain temple before us 
 there was a Mohammedan mosque, now used as a powder 
 magazine, close by, and not very far off was a temple built in 
 the style common to Southern India, but of which there is 
 scarcely another specimen in the Northern and Central Pro- 
 vinces. Under the guidance of Major Gordon and the rest of 
 the officers of the 63rd, these curiosities were inspected till even- 
 ing came on. 
 
 We were in a huge enclosure bounded on every side by a 
 wall and a precipice ; below lay the town of Gwalior, the 
 Maharajah's Palace, and the English cantonments at Morar. 
 Whichever way we looked the panorama was magniLjent, and 
 extended for miles. We could see the remains of the batteries 
 which the English made when Sir Hugh Rose drove the rebels 
 out of the fort and forced them to take shelter in the jun-,de. 
 We could descry the battle-field on which Tantia Toj/ee sutlered 
 his heaviest defeat. The walls themselves were h> ruins, an 
 
A. 
 
 )g\ Curig ascent 
 lit why such a 
 leading to the 
 ' in most phices 
 w in parts that 
 1 cannot say. 
 ►nly the Prince 
 'dahs, and pre- 
 ut five yards to 
 
 not a pleasant 
 id [)artly turn 
 a,t one of them 
 event some of 
 .satisfactory ad- 
 », and entering 
 
 into the fort 
 pie before us 
 
 as a powder 
 emple built in 
 vhich there is 
 
 Central Fro- 
 nd the rest of 
 Bcted till even- 
 
 ery side by a 
 Gvvalior, the 
 its at Morar. 
 LgniLjent, and 
 ' the batteries 
 ove the rebels 
 the jungle, 
 ^opee Hurtered 
 
 II 
 
 h 
 
 SCENES IN aWALIOR. 
 
 341 
 
 rums, an 
 
 agreement having been enterod into with Seindia that thov 
 were not to be repaired ; but through their crevices and ov«'r 
 their side^ were views of landscape such as Turner would hav«; 
 loved, and several of our party stayed to sketch. Uufortuniitely 
 there was r:o one in the Royal suite capable of explaining to his 
 Royal Highness the peculiarities of the buildings he saw, or 
 much that is interesting might have been evolved. As it was, 
 the most attractive place appeared to be the mess-room of the 
 hospitable regiment which holds the place ; and an embrasure 
 about which there was a legend that in the early days of British 
 occupation the soldiers used to smuggle in spirits from below by 
 means of a rope and a basket at this spot and so managed to be- 
 come dreadfully tipsy. Legends of Jain and Brahminical 
 temples there were none related — not even the history of the 
 Musjid was told^ and as to learning from any competent per- 
 son why old temple? had been patched in places with older 
 stones taken no one knew whence, that was, of course, impos- 
 sible Still, it was pleasant to wander about amongst the ruins, 
 and to note the wonderful stone carvings which lay in heaps 
 everywliere, or still remain in the places where they were put 
 in times of which we have but a very dim historical record. In- 
 deed, a whole week, instead of two or three hours only, might 
 have been profitably spent in examining the figures of gods and 
 goddesses, portrayed in almost every attitude and action. But 
 the time was limited ; the grandest dinner of the visit waitep 
 in the Fuhlbagh below, and a hurried inspection was all we 
 could make. 
 
 It is not likely that ever Gwalior will give us trouble. Its 
 ruler knows too well, and those who come after him are likely 
 to learn, that the English are the best of masters. But, at the 
 same time, prudence would suggest that it should always have 
 at least a baitery of artillerj- in it, which is not the case just 
 now ; that itii walls should be restored and bastions erected, so 
 that its permanent possession should always be a matter of cer- 
 
 u 
 
I! Hi 
 
 I 
 
 f*' 
 
 342 
 
 IVITII THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 I. ;? 
 
 taiiity, iind, iit tlio same time, the curious temples night in some 
 way be preserved as valuable records of an air t forgotten 
 past. 
 
 But the State banquet which was given the P- nee still re- 
 mains in my memory as the grandest and mo^ memorable 
 feature of the entertainment, which l^..i idia provided for th-^^ 
 Q ,':en 1 son. For reasons of space, or rather the want of it, 
 <«f1y three of those of us who have followed the Prince's move- 
 liicaUs hi the East were invited to the dinner. Scindia's dining- 
 room u by no means commensurate with the wants of so hos- 
 pitable a potentate, and a hundred and fifty covers were all 
 that could be laid. But if the guests were comparatively few 
 the occasion was none the less important It had been an- 
 nounced that although Scindia could not, as became a good 
 Hindoo, eat with us who profess to be Christians his Highness 
 would come into the banqueting hall immediately after dinner, 
 How the feast therefore progressed what courses and what 
 viands were produced, it boots not to tell The Prince — who 
 had on his right hand the wife of General Rothway, and on his 
 left the daughter of Colonel Hutchinson the Resident — pre- 
 sided, till the cloth was removed, when a stir at the door 
 behind the Prince told of the advent of Scindia. 
 
 I have purposely refrained from describing the ruler ot 
 Gwalior, waiting till such time as he should appear in striking 
 contrast to those around him The banquet brought that 
 opportunity. Habited in white, the Star of India on his breast, 
 with a yellow Mahratta turban on his head, a pleasant-looking 
 gentleman of some forty-five years appeared in the hall-entrance, 
 accompanied by a single attendant, his Prime Minister or 
 Dewan. There could be no mistake as to who the stranger was, 
 his quiet but regal manner proclaiming him at once, and the 
 Prince, who by this time was aware of the presence of Scindia, 
 jumped up, seized his Highness by both hands, and placed him 
 at once in the post of honour, the seat at his own right hand. 
 
I. 
 
 night iiibomc 
 r\(>;it forgotten 
 
 ^- nee still ro- 
 ^r, memorable 
 ivided for tb'=< 
 le want of it, 
 Prince's move- 
 india's dining- 
 nts of so hos- 
 )vers were all 
 )aratively few 
 had been an- 
 ►ecame a good 
 
 his Highness 
 Y after dinner, 
 .'ses and w^hat 
 
 Prince — who 
 ay, and on his 
 lesident — pre- 
 at the door 
 
 ; the ruler ot 
 Bar in striking 
 
 brought that 
 I on his breast, 
 easant-looking 
 
 hall-entrance, 
 
 Minister or 
 
 ) stranger was, 
 
 once, and the 
 ace of Scindia, 
 nd placed him 
 Wii right hand. 
 
 SCENEl^ IN aWALIOR. 
 
 'm:\ 
 
 M" '' 
 
 Immediately upon this General Daly camo up, and, takin, 
 chiir immediately behind the two illustrious poi nages, began 
 to translate their respective coni})linients. 
 
 it was easy to see that the Maharajah was almost overcome 
 with delight and excitement. There was, indeed, some reason. 
 That morning his troops had diH[>layed as fine an appearance as 
 any in this part of the world, receiving the highest encomiums 
 and he was now in the chief place at a table round which were 
 gathered a more illustrious assembly than he had ever before 
 met. For * few minutes he remained talking to his guest, 
 while his Royal Highness irt!> igar — the signal for all [)resent 
 to smoke, for the ladies ad . y this time retired. Then up 
 jumped Scindia, and s^ ..3 few words to Sir Richard Daly, 
 who at once interpreted is follows : " May it please your 
 Royal Highness and Tit'3men, his Highness the Maharajah 
 wishes me to declare tnal he feels profoundly grateful to the 
 Queen for allowing her son to come to Gwalior to see him ; that 
 he desires to express his profound loyalty to her Majesty, and 
 to add how deeply attached he is to the English Throne — he 
 calls upon you to drink the health of the Queen." Of course 
 all present responded, but somehow or other there was a 
 hitch — somebody gave a signal to the band, and the National 
 Anthem effectually stopped all attempt at a cheer. But Scin- 
 dia was not disheartened, and lie was up again immediately 
 afterwards with a bumper of champagne in his hand. This 
 time he spoke audibly in Hindostanee. His voice was tremu- 
 lous, however, with emotion, and he palpably shook with ex- 
 citement. '' Gentlemen," he said, " I am delighted to see his 
 Royal Highness the Shahazada (Queen's son) here to-night. I 
 am proud that he has come to visit me, and deeply sensible of 
 the high honour he has done me. I wish him a long life and 
 much happiness, and I sincerely hope that the voyage home may 
 be a prosperous one. Gentlemen drink with me the health of 
 the Prince of Wales." He sank down in his chair and drained 
 
 « 
 
344 
 
 iyiTH THE ritlNCE in INDIA. 
 
 h 
 
 i . i • 
 
 • s 
 
 i I B 
 
 Iiis gol)]ct, wlieroat ovcrylujely else did the same, and Briiiloy 
 Iiichaids' air was plityed. 
 
 It was now the turn of the Prince to speak, and he did his 
 part well. Everybody upstanding, his Royal Highness, turning 
 towaids Scindia, said : " 1 wish to call upon all j)resent to drink 
 to the health of the Mahai ajah. I am delighted at what I have 
 seen here, and at being able to visit Gwalior. I appreciate the 
 kindness and hospitality of the Maharajah, and I shall not fail 
 to convey to her Majesty the Queen the loyal sentiments he has 
 uttered. Gentlemen, let us drink this toast in the English 
 fashion." — ejaculating which, the Prince bowed to his host, and. 
 waving his glass, led the cheering himself. Again and again 
 was that call responded to, for Scindia's honest face warranted 
 it, and his hospitality had gained the friendship of everybody. 
 Five loud hurrahs were, in fact, shouted out before the company 
 sat down, and they were only ended then because the Prince 
 himself was tired of cheering. There was no formal attempt at 
 response — that was needless. But Scindia bowed his acknow- 
 ledgments, and then, rising to go, was conducted by the Prince 
 to a drawing-room, whereupon he threw a garland of flowers 
 over the neck of his Royal Highness, and then went to the door 
 accompanied by the Prince and nearly the entire company. 
 A salute from the fort proclaimed the departure, and thus this 
 pleasant episode ended. 
 
 The festivities shortly after concluded with an impromptu 
 dance, and then a number of us entered dakgharries and spent 
 the night in rumbling and tumbling over the road which leads 
 from Gwalior to Agra. 
 
 ■' -I 
 
ul Briiiloy 
 
 he did his 
 88, turning 
 nt to drink 
 'hat I have 
 )reciate the 
 I all not fail 
 ents he has 
 he English 
 s host, and., 
 and again 
 ) warranted 
 everybody, 
 he company 
 the Prince 
 I attempt at 
 lis acknow- 
 the Prince 
 of flowers 
 to the door 
 company, 
 id thus this 
 
 impromptu 
 s and spent 
 which leads 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 HUNTING IN THE JUNGLE. 
 
 K'M 
 
 For reasons best known to themselves, some of the advisers 
 of the Prince decided that none of the special correspondents of 
 the London press should accompany him into the Terai or to 
 Nepaul, Sir Jung Bahadoor's very courteous invitation notwith- 
 standing. However, there was no difficiilty in visiting the 
 jungle alone, even without the firman of that eccentric purveyor 
 of Royal amusements. Sir Bartle Frere, and I am consequently 
 enabled to give you some idea of what kind of country it was 
 over which the Prince shot, and in which he spent some three 
 weeks of his time in India. I may premise this by saying, that 
 only a few of the Royal suite accompanied the Prince into this, 
 the wildest portion of his tour, and that Sir Bartle Frere, who, 
 was present at the less dangerous " Sports in Cashmere," 
 excused himself from the more manly sports of the jungle and 
 went to Peshawur. Similarly Canon Duckworth, whom we all 
 greatly respected, went to the froatier also, and one or two 
 others chose different courses ; so that only a portion of those 
 who had figured in Royal processions through cities and towns 
 were present when the more serious work of ferreting out the 
 tiger in his lair was undertaken. 
 
 Perhaps it is well that I should at once conduct you to the 
 frontier of Nepaul, which is cut off from British dominion 
 proper by the river Sarda. This stream is doubtless at some 
 periods of the year a torrent of what Mr. Disraeli would desig- 
 nate " high consideration." When the rains swell it out, it 
 flows down grandly and swiftly, and there is no doubt about 
 its claims to respect. When we saw it, however, its light to 
 
 22 
 
 » 
 
 :! 
 
 : 
 
346 
 
 mrjl THE riilNCE JN INDIA 
 
 : I ^1 
 
 ♦ il 
 
 ' V 
 
 p 1 
 
 adiniration was not so woll proved. The nullah in which 
 it runs was almost devoid of water; it wns a slu^f^ish, hesitat- 
 ing stream, with just as much water as would sutUce to raise it 
 beyond the rank of a brook. At a rough guess its depth might 
 bo fixed at about six feet in the centre; and it was about twenty- 
 feet across. Here it was, then, that the Prince first entered 
 Nepaulese territory. In front of him ran tlx? great Himalaya 
 range, the chief among the mountains in sight being the stately 
 Dhwalaghid. Time was when this great sugarloaf peak, covered 
 as it is with snow, was accounted the highest in the world, and 
 accordingly reverenced. But long-hoaded irreverent mathe- 
 maticians have since then made calculations, and, despite all 
 remonstrance, have installed Mount Everest as queen of hills. 
 Still the huge eminence before you as you cross the Sarda is 
 not to be despised. Twenty-eight thousand feet above the level 
 of the sea, it towers aloft beyond any other rival within many 
 leagues, and it were well worth the journey to its base to see 
 its cloud-capped top and its snowy sides. 
 
 Nor can it be considered as a valuable gem in an iinworthy 
 Sf tting ; for wherever the eye turns lirh verdure, great thick 
 forests, and tall elephant grass, higher than the liowdah in 
 which you sit, is seen. One would as soon think of looking for 
 a needle in a hays'ick as a tiger here, and, indeed the search 
 would be about as fruitless, were it not that experience has 
 shown the way by which the brutes can be reached. Place but 
 a single torch to the base of a bunch of grass and instantly the 
 air is full of smoke. With a loud crackle and roar the prairie 
 burns wildly, leaving here and there a patch unconsumed. 
 Thither have fled tigers, leopards, wild boars, bears, and all 
 other kinds of game, and now your only requirement is a steady 
 elephant and a sure rifle. For ^hese jungles are by no means 
 the peaceful places their appearance at first sight denotes. 
 Enter any one of the little villages which dot the plain, and 
 without much trouble you may almost invariably see the marks 
 
 ?;■ ::; I 
 
1 in which 
 
 ish, hesitat- 
 to raise it 
 lopth might 
 joiit twenty 
 irst entered 
 t Hiinahiya 
 ; the stately 
 :>ak, covered 
 3 world, and 
 ;'cnt mathe- 
 , despite ail 
 een of hills, 
 the Sarda is 
 ove the level 
 vithin many 
 base to see 
 
 m unworthy 
 I, great thick 
 hovvdah in 
 looking for 
 the search 
 
 )erience has 
 Place but 
 
 nstantly the 
 the prairie 
 
 mconsumed. 
 
 ars, and all 
 
 it is a steady 
 )y no means 
 
 gilt denotes. 
 ! plain, and 
 le the marks 
 
 HUNTING IN THE JUNdLE. 
 
 347 
 
 of the lord of the Indian forest. Somo cow which lias strayed 
 a few feet from the huts is shown you, its neck marked by the 
 four canine teeth only of the stiong boast which has killed it, 
 and purposes to return when night falls to eat it. Occasionally 
 the skull may be found smashed by the huge forearm of the 
 tiger, but that is not often. One terrible bite and all is over; 
 there is no timii for resistance or struggl(\ Even the thorn 
 liedge by which all villages are surrounded has been unavailing 
 to save the feeble victim. Nepaulese tigers are not to be 
 baulked of their prey by any such device. They care no more 
 for thorn hedges than thoy do for the masonry pillars which 
 are close to the river, and mark off Nepaulese from British 
 territory. Why should theyl They are almost as numerous 
 an the half-clad, half-starved people themselves, and much more 
 intelligent. This, then, is the region to which the Prince went 
 with much ceremony. 
 
 Of course Sir Jung Bahadoor met him, and in the name of 
 the Maharajah presented a flowery address ; equally, of course, 
 the Prince replied in pleasant terms. There were very naturally 
 references to the Mutiny, and to the services of the Nepaulese 
 Government in those troublesome times ; there were promises 
 of future loyalty on the one side, and continued friendship on 
 the other. Then came a review, in which Sir Jung Bahadoor's 
 troops, drawn up in line, acquitted themselves much in the same 
 way as the soldiers of the Maharajah of Cashmei-e, and then the 
 formal reception was over. But the pleasui'es of the trip had 
 only just begun. As a loyal and dutiful subject of the Queen, 
 Sir Jung Bahadoor had determined to give her eldest son some of 
 that pleasurable excitement which every true sportsman so 
 dearly loves, and to this end had orj^anized a grand hunt which 
 should cover all that part of t.lie jungle which contained the 
 largest number of tigers. 
 
 I have already told you v hr,t ( fforts tltf; Maharajah of Jey- 
 pore made to attract the wild game of his district to the neigh- 
 
 (! 
 
 "I'' 
 
 M 
 

 V? ) 
 
 I : 
 
 I ;■ 
 
 > 
 'i 
 
 HI': 
 
 i 
 
 f 
 
 -' i' 
 
 .1 111 
 
 if! J 
 
 (II 
 
 ill* 
 
 I 
 
 ■, i\V 
 
 * ! ■ ! 
 
 ; .'iiii' 
 
 348 
 
 WITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 bourhood of his capital ; it is only fair to add that the Mahara- 
 jah of Nepaul had more successfully exerted himself. All the 
 mearxS he could devise were put in motion, all the tigers he 
 could drive into a good position for the Eoyal rifle were driven 
 up, and all the elephants he had were placed at the service of 
 the Prince. One unhappy result was arrived at through these 
 very precautions. As a general rule this vast mass of elephants 
 so intimidated the tigers that they absolutely refused to move, 
 and were shot where they crouched for cover. Very generally 
 the wretched animals were pointed out to tl Prince, who fortli- 
 with fired at them at a safe but certain distance and so killed 
 them. Once, however, a tiger charged his Royal Highness' 
 elephant. Up it sprang, well nigh into the howdah in which 
 the Prince was standing ; the elephant turned its flank ; the 
 Mahout was frightened, and there was for a moment some peril. 
 But getting into the howdah is a very difl^ji jnt matter — for a 
 tiger — from climbing on to the side of the elephant, and it is 
 questionable whether the infuriated beast would, after all, have 
 done any very great damage. However, the Prince who had 
 plenty of rifles at hand, very fortunately had presence of mind 
 sufficient to fire into the tiger's face, and so put an end to all 
 further doubts by killing the wretched animal. 
 
 On another occasion His Royal Highness was present at the 
 entangling of some wild elephants in the Nepaul j angle. But 
 this is a sport which iias been so frequently described that I 
 nevy.l do no more than allude to it here. Generally tlie hunters 
 returned at the close of the day with whaL in England would 
 be called a good bag ; and once the Prince of Wales shot six 
 tigers before he came back to camp. At first, camp etiquette 
 prevailed to a greater extent than afterwards, and no one but 
 the Prince was supposed to shoot ; but after a while this was 
 forgotten, and very often the members of the Royal suite shot 
 more than their master. 
 
 Useless is it to attempt to chronicle the doings ot the Nepaiil 
 
 I 11: 
 
•^ J.=!^f^"»^.•;' - 
 
 the Mahara- 
 elf. All the 
 he tigers he 
 
 were driven 
 he service of 
 hrough these 
 
 of elephants 
 sed to move, 
 ery generally 
 2e, vi^ho fortli- 
 and so killed 
 •al Highness' 
 dah in which 
 its flank ; the 
 nt some peril, 
 natter — for a 
 ant, and it is 
 a,fter all, have 
 ■ince who had 
 lence of mind 
 
 an end to all 
 
 ►resent at the 
 j angle. But 
 cribed that I 
 y the hunters 
 ngland would 
 ^ales shot six 
 ,mp etiquette 
 id no one but 
 hile this was 
 yal suite shot 
 
 )i the Nepaul 
 
 HUNTING IN THE XUNGLE. 
 
 349 
 
 liunting party, for what they achieved was done with the aid of 
 resources which were never before afforded to sportsmen, and 
 possibly never will be again. More interesting by far is it to 
 me to recall the delightful mornings I spent in the Himalayas, 
 hard by G.mgootra and Jiimnootra, the frequent views of the 
 land of perpetual snow, the vast expanse of mountain land, 
 which spreading towards Thibet may be seen from the hill 
 stations of the north of India. To such as may visit our empire 
 of the East in times yet to come, I would recommend a trip to 
 the hills, in preference to anything else I can think of in con- 
 nection with my visit to the far East. 
 
 iit! 
 
 
 H 
 
 ; ] :i| 
 
 
 I. i 
 
,•— ^WTT" 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI 
 
 ALLAHABAD AND ITS SIGHTS. 
 
 i; It 
 
 A.llaliabad, which was one of the last places the Prince 
 visited, the capital of the North-west Provinces of India, is no 
 unimportant city. If it has nothing else to recommend it to 
 the pious Hindoo, it boasts the undying sacred tree, to worship 
 which thousands of rt'igious people have travelled thousands 
 of miles and have given thousands of rupees. As an ardent 
 admirer of the constant circulation of money, I regret to say 
 that the object of reverence is in great adversity just now ; that 
 rupees are likely to be brought to its roots no longer ; that the 
 indefatigable priests whose business and pleasure alike it is to 
 conduct the ceremonies which experience has shown are best 
 titted for such a tree are in great dread lest the services should 
 cease for very lack of faithful worshippers ; and that, in short, 
 the famous underground temple of Allahabad Fort is in a very 
 fair way to be shut up altogether. The cosmopolitan religion- 
 ist, the lover of all kinds of worship, will, perchance, ask why 
 this calamity overhangs so sacred a shine. Let me relate. 
 
 Many, many years ago, so far back that no one even guesses 
 at the date, an exceptionally devout man, whose dwelling was 
 below ground, discovered in his cave a tamarind tree which, 
 although it never piercsed the upper crust of the earth, flourished 
 in the darkness below. He did not keep the knowledge to 
 himself ; on the contrary, he disseminated it among his acquaint- 
 ances and friends ; and as in those good old days there were no 
 uncomfortable sceptics, his cave became shortly a very holy 
 place. I do not think that tamarinds were ever supposed to 
 grow upon that wonderful tjee ; the oi ly thing the fakir urged 
 
' v^^'&i:;:. 
 
 ■sii-V^riS '■■'^r i-^ifts 
 
 ALL ARAB AD AND ITS SIGIITiS. 
 
 351 
 
 the Prince 
 India, is no 
 inmend it to 
 3, to worship 
 )d thousands 
 ^s an ardent 
 regret to say 
 st now ; that 
 ;er ; that the 
 alike it is to 
 »wn are best 
 [•vices should 
 lat, in short, 
 . is in a very- 
 tan religion- 
 ice, ask why 
 3 relate, 
 even guesses 
 1 welling was 
 
 tree which, 
 :h, flourished 
 :nowledge to 
 liis acquaint- 
 lere were no 
 very holy 
 
 supposed to 
 > fakir urged 
 
 a 
 
 was that ^oots, delicate young green shoots, came out every 
 spring on that recondite log, and that their appearance was the 
 work of a highly respectable deity. Still, tliat was surely suffi- 
 cient ; it was a perpetual yearly miracle. Who that hoped for 
 salvation, provided he were rich enough, would fail to procure 
 one of those wondrous shoots 1 Besides, was not the very fort 
 itself built close to the confluence of the sacred Ganges and the 
 almost equally sacred Juranal Could not the sandy yellow 
 stream which flows from Gungootra be actually seen from the 
 walls of the citadel as it crossed thj flood of the river from 
 Jumnootra? It undoubtedly was a fortuitous and fortunate 
 concurrence of events which should take the pilgri»n to Benares, 
 to the golden temple and the burning ghaut ; but, failing that, 
 no journey could be more profitable than the one which should 
 bring the devotee to the junction of the rivers and the sacred 
 tree. 
 
 The fact was recognised. For hundreds of years the faithful 
 from Madras and the Himalayas, from Calcutta and Bombay, 
 from the other side of the Great Desert, and even from Ceylon, 
 came to do Poojah in the cave and buy a sprig of the tree. 
 Very obligingly the most pious fakirs of ihe district united to 
 assist at the worship. They cut out the cave with great care, 
 they collected the idols of all sorts and conditions of Hindoo 
 men, and put them up in suitable places ; they made, in fact, 
 all kinds of arrangements to please everyone who might chance 
 to appear. Did a Jain come hither, there was the well-known 
 figure of hiui to adore; was Parbati the deity of the visitor, 
 sbe was to be found in a most comfortable corner without the 
 slightest difficulty ; Kali of the black face, Hanaman with the 
 monkey's tail, Silla Deva, Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma, all were 
 there ; so that the visitor had ample and unrestrained choice. 
 Little wonder then that the shrine was popular, or that devotees 
 were numerous. 
 
 But reverses of fortune v;ojue vo all, an'^^ e aacrcd tamarind 
 
 'I"* 
 
 W 
 
n I 
 
 '.1 
 
 A '' 
 
 \ i 
 
 ^ 
 
 352 
 
 ^T/T// THE PRINCE I IS INDIA. 
 
 tree, the cave, and the priests proved no exception to the rule. 
 A military Pharaoh who knew not the Fakir Joseph who lived 
 in the cave came to Allahabad Fort, and without any hesitation 
 pronounced the tree a swindle. " It is not," rejoined the Fakir. 
 " We shall see," replied the Major, and he forthwith gave orders 
 tha+ when the next spring time came no tree trunk ready to 
 sprout should be allowed to pass the gates of the fort. Never- 
 theless, the priests were triumj)hant ; the Major presently found 
 them in full possession of a live tree and surrounded by thou- 
 sands of congratulating Hindoos, who rejoiced exceedingly at 
 the continued miracle. Still the Major was not to be conquer- 
 ed; he made fierce inquisition, and then found that a venal 
 sergeant of the guard had, in consideration of the sum of fifty 
 rupees, allowed a fresh tree to be passed into the fort in the 
 middle of the night. Then began the troubles of the priests 
 once more, and since that day they have continued, for, with 
 the additional precautions taken, their eflforts to substitute a 
 fresh tamarind have been frustrated, and the old trunk, which 
 sprouted so satisfactorily last year, shows no more shoots this 
 spring than if it had been dead a century, 
 
 Allahabad, then, is celebrated, if for nothing else, for the pos 
 session of this once prosperous but now fallen shrine ; it is, how- 
 ever, notable for much more. Not only was it a favourite 
 residence of Akbar, but it was here that Nana Sahib held his 
 court in 1857. Now, however, instead of being the liead- 
 ouarters of law-breakers, it is the chosen seat of law-makers and 
 administrators, the fountain of justice for the whole of the 
 North-West. To it come the litigants of the province, and 
 how numerous they are those can estimate who know how fond 
 of law Hindoos are, and how discontented and troublesome forty 
 millions of such suitors can be. 
 
 Entf^ring the courts of justice, you find five or six Judges, 
 pre dded over by Sir Robert Stewart, the Chief Justice. Of 
 these legal gentlemen two are, very fortunately, barristers, who, 
 
 
 ■1 Hnt J^ 
 ill > i '^ 
 
^^M^S^i>-p: 
 
 ALLAHABAD AND ITS SKJHTS. 
 
 ,>;).» 
 
 ) 
 
 the rule, 
 ho lived 
 esitation 
 le Fakir. 
 ve orders 
 ready to 
 Never- 
 :ly found 
 by thoa- 
 [irigly at 
 conquer- 
 a venal 
 n of fifty 
 't in the 
 e priests 
 for, with 
 stitute a 
 k, which 
 3ots this 
 
 the pos 
 is, how- 
 avourite 
 leld his 
 le head- 
 cers and 
 of the 
 ice^ and 
 ow fond 
 me forty 
 
 Judges, 
 ice. Of 
 Irs, who, 
 
 in consideration of a display of ability an<l fitness at home, \ux\v 
 been sent out to India ; the others are civilians. In the first 
 court, Sir Robert and one of his brethren are hearing an aj^peal 
 which may be taken as a fair sample of the cases vrliich employ 
 them all the year round. To an eye unaccustomed to Oriental 
 courts the scene is peculiar. No one wears a wig, not even the 
 chief himself. Nor have all the barristers gowns ! they, indeed, 
 are about as motley a group as may easily be found in I'Mlia. 
 Seated at a long table in the well of the court, they represent 
 the natives of the country in more senses than one. The one 
 at the extreme right, as you sit on the raised dais a[>propriat(!d 
 to the Judges, is a Mohammedan, very admirably attired in a 
 brown striped turban, a 'iingy yellowish green gown, and cum- 
 merbund ; he has neither rings on his fingers nor shoes on his 
 toes, and as he stands up to speak, barrister of large practice 
 though he is, his naked feet have to meet the boards. Next to 
 him is an English pleader, in /?own and bands A Bengalee 
 Baboo, with the hat so well known to all who hii\f' visited Cal- 
 cutta and long, black loak, is third; then a Hindoo pur et 
 simple, with white turba; , drab petticoat, aii'd naked feet. A 
 Mohammedan, attired ex.totly like his English brf'thren, gown, 
 bands, and all, is the fift anfl a half-caste, or PortugM/^sr. the 
 last. 
 
 /fust as their appear 
 im^ Ifhich they are 
 defunct kjH various s 
 gathered to hh fat' 
 more natural, »/ 
 ant should claim 
 
 «■' 
 
 '^ is eminently characteristic, so is the 
 • ling. A Hnid^j^/ lady long since 
 us of m//ney to a n*tive ^ ntiei/>*f) also 
 She afi4 hf' ooth beir/^ d< d, wtmt 
 to Hindoo usa^ , fi^Mi that hi't diii^'Jm(h 
 })is that e^A<^ i»4y h*4 ^/Ctually ihtf$, 
 more than was originally st-jppowjd, a< :di H^i^jf^/yre,, the 
 
 borrower's heirs were liable for mere than </ IomA y^^/mdA 
 upon. And what mor^> natural either than that t^t^ Otfefc/" ^ff^ 
 should vigorously dis] ..e the matter, and Vn'mn, uj/ ^»t hm 
 many witnesses ready to swear anything as the phjJntiMH ii«4 
 
 I 
 
 'A 
 
■■ 
 
 I , 
 
 llii-iMf 
 
 
 , If 
 
 1 1 
 
 354 
 
 IVITH THE PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 contrivfid to pioducc ? All this being eminently in accord with 
 tlie customs iind j>ractices of the enliglitened people over whom 
 we rule in India, it may be justly inferred that long practice 
 has made them very perfect, and that to dismember the case 
 from its intricacies would require all the legal acumen of the 
 most clear-sighted Judges. 
 
 Thus it is that you find after the Mohammedan owner of the 
 striped turban has finished his statement that an exhaustive 
 argument begins on the meaning of some particular word in a 
 kind of agreement which is produced, " The word Ar in this 
 document," says the Mohammedan, " means mortgage, and is 
 intended to convey the wish of the borrower to give up his land 
 if he could not pay his debts." " No such thing," rejoins one 
 of the Hindoo barristers, " Ar means nothing of the sort." 
 " What does it mean then V asks the Chief-Justice ; whereupon 
 a number of dictionaries are brought in, and the barristers are 
 soon all immersed in philological research. " My dictionary 
 gives ' Ar, a ladle used in a sugar factory,' " says Mr. Justice 
 Pearson. " Mine calls it ' a goad,' " ejaculated Sir Robert 
 Stuart. " It is a line drawn across the forehead, my lord," 
 says the Baboo barrister, " and probably refers in some distant 
 manner to the pledge of religious fidelity which my countrymen 
 give when they worship." " That's not right," rejoins the 
 Hindoo ; " Ar is the synonym for drowning, and is intended to 
 convey the idea of being deep in debt." Whereupon the Court 
 very sagely wags itn head, and rules against the idea that mort- 
 gage is meant, and ho the case proceeds. Incidentally it 
 transpires that the interest on the original sum claimed has 
 already auounted to tive tiuies the principal, and that in process 
 of litigation the estate concerned has long since been swalled up. 
 After all, it would seem that **Ar*' was not a bad word to 
 apply to that defunct gentleman- ground. 
 
 In this way the case proceeds ;tll day. Technical objections 
 are raised every few monients b\ on^ side or the other ; there 
 
ALLAHABAD AND ITS SWHTS. 
 
 355 
 
 Lccord with 
 over whom 
 ng practice 
 jr the case 
 men of the 
 
 vnev of the 
 
 exhaustive 
 
 r word in a 
 
 Ar in this 
 
 jage, and is 
 
 up his land 
 
 rejoins one 
 
 the sort." 
 
 whereupon 
 
 rristers are 
 
 r dictionary 
 
 dr. Justice 
 
 Sir Robert 
 
 my lord," 
 
 )me distant 
 
 ountrymen 
 
 rejoins the 
 
 ntonded to 
 
 L the Court 
 
 that mort- 
 
 ientallv it 
 
 aimed has 
 
 t in process 
 
 walled up. 
 
 d word to 
 
 is an cndloss fight over words ; and at last the court rises, and 
 the question of what is meant by the document after all, or 
 whether the gentleman who wrote it ever had the money he 
 wanted, is left undecided. However, the lawyers are hai)py if 
 their clients are not, and, as time is *' no object " to any well- 
 bred Hindoo, it is probable the litigants themselves are not 
 greatly disappointed after all. 
 
 A 
 
 objections 
 lier ; there 
 
,r 
 
 II 
 
 \\ 
 
 \ < 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII 
 
 ENGLISH LIFE IN THE HILLS. 
 
 I 
 
 
 N 
 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 IV 
 
 H ' 
 
 r 
 
 It 
 
 Smallosfc ot all the mountain stations to which Indians escape 
 from the heat of the sun, Nynee Tal received a visit from the 
 Prince, who stayed but a few hours in the hills, whilst his \)ve- 
 sence was marked by no occurrence worth noting. How 
 different the case might have been had his Royal Highness been 
 led to Mussoorie, let me point out. 
 
 Unlike Simla, the great summer capital of India, this eagle's 
 nest is within twelve hours' reach by rail. Were you inclined 
 to see the chain of snow-clad mountains from the Viceroy's 
 Palace, you must needs submit to a five hours' journey in that 
 most uncomfortable of vehicles, the dak-gharry — a kind of 
 dilapidated London cab with the well boarded over — and then 
 a perpetual ascent upon ledges more or less narrow for fifty-six 
 miles farther, your choice of conveyance lying between a kind 
 of palanquin, called in the language of the district a " jhampan," 
 borne on the unequal shoulders of eight reckless savages, or a 
 country pony the only qualification of which is that he is toler- 
 ably sure-footed. To reach Mussoorie the difficulty would be 
 far less. You would have a rather more prolonged jolting in 
 the dak-gharry, perhaps you might get a tumble over a little 
 precipice, as did some travellers only a few days back ; but once 
 it the foot of the hills, in the village of Rajpore, the only re- 
 maining effort would be a steep ascent of seven miles, which on 
 a country pony could be achieved in as many hours. I have 
 mentioned that a happy characteristic of these creatures is their 
 sure-footedness ; and it is fortunate they possess it, for it is over 
 no wide, easy, well-guarded road that your path lies. As a 
 general rule, you are must of your time within a foot of the 
 
ENGLimi LIFE IN THE HILLS. 
 
 3.57 
 
 ns escape 
 from the 
 t Ills pre- 
 l- How 
 ness been 
 
 lis eagle's 
 
 I inclined 
 
 Viceroy's 
 
 7 in that 
 
 kind of 
 
 and then 
 
 • fifty-six 
 
 n a kind 
 
 iampan," 
 
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 it is over 
 
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 edge of an abyss many hundreds of feet deep. It is iiselesH to 
 endeavour to force your horse to go closer to the rock above. 
 Experience has taught him that sometimes those overhanging 
 stones are loosened and fall, perhaps at some time or other he 
 has had a narrow escape from being crushed, and he resolutely 
 declines to obey the bit. It is as much as your life is worth to 
 spur him or to fight the question of mastery out in such a place. 
 Most proljably it is not five feet wide in all, and a sharp jerk 
 might send you over the side. There is the remcmbranci! of 
 Sir Richard Temple's narrow escape on just such a ledge not 
 many month- age, when the ground over which the horse was 
 trotting gave way, and the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal only 
 saved his life by springing from the saddle. 
 
 Yet difficult and somewhat unpleasant as is Mussoorie of 
 access, it would not be wise to miss it on that account. Every 
 step taken, every corner passed, every fresh altitude attained, 
 unfolds to the astonished eye fresh beauties and marvelsof nature. 
 Down below is the Dhoon valley, through which runs the Jumna, 
 on its way to Allahabad. Like a bright streak of quicksilver it 
 divides the pleasant landscape, and gives it fertility. Nor is 
 the valley itself unworthy your attention. Here and there it 
 is dotted with little villages, of which that of Raj pore, througli 
 which you came, is a fair specimen. In those mud-built 
 hovels, with straw thatches, live, all their lives through, the 
 contented people of the plain, almost wholly engaged in the 
 cultivation of tiny plots of ground and in the curing of skins. 
 For round about here bear, leopard, lynx, and even tigers roam 
 free. There are deer in plenty, with game of the lesser sort, 
 and these harmless people, having learnt the art of dressing 
 skins as no others can, are employed all the year round by the 
 white Sahibs, who come hither for the purpose of shooting. It 
 is nothing to tliem that the work is monotonous ; that their 
 whole lives are spent in the everlasting scrubbing and scra})- 
 ing of buck and cheetah skins. Tliey are paid, and that is all 
 
IFT^'- 
 
 358 
 
 HlTIl THE 1'JU^'> E iA- INJUA. 
 
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 thoy care for. What is life to them luit a succession of eating, 
 drinking, sleeping, and waking? Fai' from their ken lies th(^ 
 H'stless, })usy world beyond, and they have no desire but to do 
 as tludr fathers did before them. 
 
 Very dilferent peoi)le are those wlio are carrying your luggage 
 uj) the mountain side. They are men of the hills — strong, 
 musculai-, restless beings, wlio love nothing so much as roving 
 and roaming. Most of them were born in Thibet, or in the 
 stray hamlets which are to be found in all parts of the Hima- 
 layas. Their hair in front is cut short, so as not to impede the 
 vision of their Mongolian eyes. It hangs down long at the 
 sides as a protection for their ears. All the covering they have 
 is a rough rug, and their feet are kept from the crags by only 
 a straw shoe. Yet, thus equipped, they would start immediately, 
 if directed, across even the great snow-covered ridge of mountains 
 into Central Asia, at tlie risk of getting nothing more sub- 
 stantial than icy water for days — four hundred miles of moun- 
 tain travelling. They smile when j^ou say it is an impossibility ; 
 and three out of six of them tell you they have already 
 achieved it. Indeed, an English officer who is near confirms 
 their story by stating how, one bleak October, ho and a com- 
 panion, escorted by a hundred and twenty of these hardy 
 savages, were safely conveyed through snow, river passes, and 
 over steep ridges, with little more trouble or danger than we are 
 experiencing now, and points to the fact that four men who died 
 in process of that journey were not natives of the hills, but 
 counterfeits, who wore warm clothing, and thought by such 
 means to emulate the nearly naked but immeasurably hardier 
 children of the Himalayas. 
 
 What these great heights are like you cannot as yet tell ; for 
 though the distance beneath is immense, you cannot see many 
 feet upwiirds so projecting are the moss-covered cliffs. And 
 sometimes you catch a glimpse from some rounded spur of a 
 mass of mountains, though this is only for an instant. At length 
 
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 ENdTJSn LIFE IX TIIR HflLS. 
 
 35'.> 
 
 of outing, 
 11 lies tlio 
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 r luggage 
 — strong, 
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 or in tlie 
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 ; by only 
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 aountains 
 nore sub- 
 of monn- 
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 already 
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 dlls, but 
 by 3uch 
 r hardier 
 
 tell ; for 
 oe many 
 t's. And 
 pur of a 
 Lt length 
 
 you begin to n«'ar the top, and to gain an itlea of an Ind.iau 
 sanatorium. Perhaps the first notification is a cutting blast of 
 a cold north wind. Ihen you look round, and find that you 
 are skirting a kind of huge basin; that the ledge nou are on 
 leads slowly up to a point on which a great white building 
 stands ; that here and there other houses are peeping forth 
 from cavernous hiding-places, and that all thes<5 various struc- 
 tures are upo lielves Hiniihir to that which you are traversing, 
 You ar<!, in fact, making your first ac((Uaintance with Mussoorie, 
 with all its bungalows and cottages. Perhaps you somewhat 
 ex|)ected to find a street or road, some kin<l of thoroughfare on 
 which you might amble at ease. There is nothing of the sort, 
 in the ordinary acceptation of the terms, in the place. It is 
 one succession of ledges and preci[)ices. Wherever a level spot 
 could be found, or a hill-top whereon a house could by any 
 possibility be placed, there one has been erected. Then, to reach 
 it, a cutting has been made in the rock si'tfi^^iently wide for 
 two horses to pass ; perhaps a slight railing has been fixed at 
 the more precipitous pai'ts and abrupt turnings, and all that is 
 considered necessary has been done. If you are ignorant of 
 the way, you will not wander about at night time alone. A false 
 step would precipitate you into the valley V)elow. 
 
 Once in Mussoorie, it is easy to see why wealthy Anglo- 
 Indians should flee here to escape the sun in the plains. Seven 
 thousand feet above the level of the sea and even more, a cool 
 breeze is peri)etually playijig ; the temperature is almost the 
 same as that of England, and, were the ground only moderately 
 even, life in this retreat would be a delight. Level it is in on(j 
 direction, and in that only. Passing by the English church, 
 which is itself perched on a point of rock overlooking a deep 
 valley, the traveller quits the houses of Mussoorie, and enters 
 the jungle which coveis the hills. How ]>eautiful tliis is, only 
 those who have se mi it know 
 
 Gingerly picking its way, your horse leads you through torests 
 

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 (716) 872-4503 
 

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 WITH THE FIUNCE IN INDIA. 
 
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 of rhododendrons fifty feet high with stems as thick and as 
 strong as elm trees, and branches covered with myriads of bright 
 red blossoms — or you find yourself in a region of forns, with the 
 huge wide-spreading leaves overtopping your head — or a little 
 further on you find your path bestrewn with acorns, shed from 
 the Himalaya oak. Pheasants, startled by the unwonted sound 
 of your horse's hoofs, fly up with a whirr into the impenetrable 
 recesses above or down into the denser foliage beneath. Mag- 
 pies chatter round you by hundreds, and parrots with bright, 
 green feathers keep them company. You will do well not to 
 have brought a favourite dog with you, for below are crafty 
 leopards waiting quietly for such stray pets as may incautiously 
 penetrate their hiding places ; and your presence will scarcely 
 suffice for its protection should a hungry cheetah cross your 
 terrier's path. With a bound much swifter than those tame 
 hunters of Baroda and Jummoo, the leopard gains the ledge, 
 seizes its prey, end disappears into the thicket. Last season, at 
 the very spot on which we are standing, the retriever of my 
 companion was well-nigh snatched away, two strong men barely 
 sufficing to baulk the leopard of its intended victim. Let it not 
 be imagined that a man need fear anything. The strength of 
 the leopard is no gauge of its bravery ; and he never faces a 
 human being unless ^ i ought to bay. 
 
 At length you emerge from the jungle for a few yards, and 
 then what a view presents itself ! 
 
 Straight away in front lie the larger mountains of the Him- 
 alayas, the great snowy range of which so much has been said, 
 but of which so iittle is known. There is Gungootra, the source 
 of the Ganges, with its four bright peaks and long connect- 
 ing range, and almost touching it Jumnootra, whence flows 
 the Jumna we have but lately seen in the valley of the 
 Dhoon. From yonder glaciers the two streams flow, re- 
 inforced in different places and from different mountains, 
 till they become the gigantic rivers which the Hindoos wor- 
 
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thick and as 
 :iads of bright 
 'prns, with the 
 id — or a little 
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 L wonted sound 
 impenetrable 
 neath. Mag- 
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 in those tame 
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 uast season, at 
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 oa. Let it not 
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 never faces a 
 
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 of the Him- 
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 valley of the 
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 Hindoos wor- 
 
 ENGLISJI LIFE IN THE HILLS. 
 
 3lU 
 
 ship, which meet at Allahabad, and flow into the sea by 
 Calcutta. Side by side thoy move together. You could cross 
 them both in a single day were you but down in tlit; 
 valley. Indeed, there is a point at which you can see tlic* 
 crevices of two separate waterfalls, each of which you are told 
 empties itself into a diil'erent river. But on this point you can 
 scarce!}^ assure yourself. You would have to climb over scores 
 of mountains, each of them as high as the great I*ilatus at 
 Lucerne ; you would have to press your way through jungles 
 so dense that in the summer-time, when the rains have fallen 
 and vegetation is ripe, they are almost impassable, and you 
 would have to be careful not to lose your way, else you might 
 hopelessly wander in search of your goal till you reached an 
 uninhabited region, and there cease to exist. IStill there are 
 those who have successfully adventured, and tt-ll you that Jum- 
 nootra, when close at hand, resembles nothing so much as a 
 huge cathedral, that its towering peak, which reaches a height of 
 twenty four thousand feet, is like the spire of a lordly fane, 
 and that its snows make you almost believe that it is built of 
 the purest white marble. 
 
 One might easily believe this sitting under the shadow of 
 bending bamboos, close to a little waterfall which has been 
 utilised for the purpose of lunch, so grand is the mountain 
 which shuts in the horizon. But unhappily a lengthened look 
 is scarcely possible, for the sun is fast setting, and what is more 
 important still, a storm is gathering, and we are six miles from 
 home. Every now and then the moan of wild beasts can be 
 heard among the trees, the clatter of tho birds is incessant, and 
 our horses plunge and kick as tho black clouds float towards 
 the valley we are in. Six miles to climb up rocky path and 
 jungle, six miles on ledge and shelf, our horses unsteady, and 
 the rain coming on ! Yet who would miss the sight of a storm 
 in the Himalayas 1 The stream of light which now and again 
 revealed the two great mountains and all their lesser kin more 
 
 23 
 

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 362 
 
 fFJTfl^ TiT^ PRINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 than compensated for the terrific downpour of rain which accom- 
 panied the vast illumination ; and if the journey was tedious, 
 the spectacle was grateful as being one we might never witness 
 
 again. 
 
 Such, then, is the place to which wealthy Anglo-Indians go 
 in the hot season, and send their wives and children. Once 
 here, their diversions are numerous, for to the English whose 
 life is spent in India the chief thought always is how much 
 pleasure may be best extracted from the life they are forced to 
 lead. Very naturally this characteristic is not left idle in the 
 hills, and thus it is that in addition to the private social reunion 
 there is always a daily assembly of all who are held to belong 
 to society. 
 
 To effect this it is necessary that there should be a general 
 rendezvous, and this is formed by the establishment of an 
 Institute at every station. Thither, as soon as the sun loses 
 somewhat of his power, in the afternoon all bend their steps. 
 Ladies are carried in their jhampans, gentlemen go on horse- 
 back or afoot. To be absent would be about as unwarrantable 
 a failing as an Anglo-Indian could well imagine. Nor is this 
 without reason, for more pleasant hours could not be spent. 
 For the stronger men, who are swift of foot and adroit of wrist, 
 there is lawn tennis, in playing which residents in the North- 
 West are adepts. Perhaps it is owing to the fact that in years 
 gone by racquets were a favourite game. Anyhow, men who 
 come fresh from England invariably find themselves no match 
 for the residents, and have to work hard before they can cut a 
 rospectable figure in the lawn tennis court. But after all Bad- 
 minton holds its own against all other diversions ; and if you 
 have any doubt as to the perfection to which this excellent 
 game can be brought, you have but to invite the first two or 
 three ladies who may chance to come from India to illustrate their 
 skill, when you will quickly be convinced, especially if you 
 chance to figure in the ofiposing court. They form parties which, 
 
ENGLISH LIFE IN THE HILLS. 
 
 863 
 
 which accom- 
 
 was tedious, 
 
 aever vritness 
 
 ^lo-Indians go 
 Idren. Once 
 nglish whose 
 is how much 
 are forced to 
 ft idle in the 
 locial reunion 
 eld to belong 
 
 be a general 
 liment of an 
 bhe sun loses 
 i their steps, 
 go on horse- 
 iwarran table 
 Nor is this 
 ot be spent, 
 roit of wrist, 
 II the North- 
 that in years 
 •w, men who 
 'es no match 
 ley can cut a 
 fter all Bad- 
 ; and if you 
 lis excellent 
 first two or 
 ustrate their 
 ially if you 
 irties which, 
 
 evening after evening, from one month to another, play without 
 
 ceasing. You know where to find Colonel S ; you can tell 
 
 exactly at which net his wife is playing; the Commissioner 
 will be at his post to a moment, and the Assistant Magistrate's 
 wife will be cheerfully batting away on the sjwt where you saw 
 her a week ago, at the very same hour. There is no obstacle 
 they will not overcome to ensure their favourite game. Is the 
 sun still too hot for them to venture out of doors 1 Then a 
 bed-room is turned out, the net is stretched across, and the 
 shuttlecock is soon flying merrily in every direction. Are they 
 at a hill station, where all is ledge anc' shelf and slope 1 A 
 hundred coolies are immediately set to work to hew and cut at 
 the ground till a level place is made and roped in ; then up goes 
 the ever-appearing net, and the bats are in full swing directly. 
 Of course, Mussoorie is no exception to the rule. All round 
 the Institute crooked places have been made straight, and 
 rough places plain, rock has been actually blasted with gun- 
 powder to make way for the all-pervading shuttlecock, and as 
 to trees, they have certainly not been allowed to stand in the 
 way. Only mention the possibility of Badminton, and the trees 
 are moved off" as if by magic. Nor is this altogether without 
 its good results. How much liver complaint has been warded 
 off doctors do not like to say. But the fact remains that fewer 
 people in proportion go home to England in the hot weather, 
 though money is apparently more plentiful than ever. For 
 those, however, who do not care for such athletic exercises, 
 there is the well-kept floor of the Institute itself; some volun- 
 teer is always at the piano ; no master of ceremonies is needed, 
 for all know each other, and partners are whirling round with- 
 out intermission. Staid old men spend their time in the read- 
 ing-room or at billiards , matches are even made here by 
 thoughtful mammas, and ^oung officers, military and civilian, 
 are inveigled into the joys and sorrows of matrimony. I know 
 a station in which five officers in one English regiment have 
 
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 364 
 
 WITH THE PBINCE IN INDIA. 
 
 thus V)een entrapped during the past six months, two of them 
 subalterns. 
 
 This, then, is life in India ; another side to the picture could 
 be shown, of terrible heat and utter prostration during the six 
 summer months down in the plains. But why think of this 
 when the, ringing laughter from the Badminton court mingles 
 with the music in the Institute, the clicking of the billiard 
 balls, and the soft conversation of lovers 1 
 
 The journey of the Prince of Wales, so far as India was 
 concerned, concluded shortly afterwards; his Royal Highness 
 merely pausing on his way from Allahabad to Bombay, to pay 
 a flying visit to Holkar, at his capital of Indore. Of the 
 political and social results of the trip it is not my purpose to 
 speak in this place. Sulfice it to say, that owing to the united 
 efforts of military and civil officials of India, his Royal High- 
 ness was afforded, in the course of the four months he spent in 
 that marvellous country, an opportunity of gaining knowledge 
 with regard to its resources and its peoples, the like of which 
 was never enjoyed before, and, possibly, never will be again. 
 
lA. 
 
 lis, two of them 
 
 he picture coiiltl 
 a during the six 
 y think of this 
 1 court mingles 
 of the billiard 
 
 r as India was 
 Eloyal Highness 
 Bombay, to pay 
 idore. Of the 
 my purpose to 
 g to the united 
 is Royal High- 
 ths he spent in 
 ling knowledge 
 ( like of which 
 rill be again.