Title: Across India; Or, Live Boys in the Far East
Author: Oliver Optic
Release date: April 4, 2005 [eBook #15540]
Most recently updated: December 14, 2020
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Robert Shimmin, Rudy Ketterer and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team.
AUTHOR OF "A MISSING MILLION" "A MILLIONAIRE ATSIXTEEN" "A YOUNG
KNIGHT-ERRANT" "STRANGE SIGHTS ABROAD" "AMERICAN BOYS
AFLOAT" "THE YOUNG NAVIGATORS" "UP AND DOWN
THE NILE" "ASIATIC BREEZES" AND UPWARDS
OF ONE HUNDRED OTHER VOLUMES
To
MY LONG-TRIED FRIEND OF MORE THAN FORTY YEARS,
WITH WHOM IN ALL THAT TIME,
I HAVE NOT HAD A BICKER OR A SHADOW OF UNPLEASANTNESS
THOUGH HE HAS BEEN MY SENIOR PUBLISHER FOR MORE
THAN AN ENTIRE GENERATION, AND TO WHOM
I HAVE NOT DEDICATED A BOOK
FOR THIRTY YEARS
This Volume
IS RESPECTFULLY AND CORDIALLY INSCRIBED BY HIS
FAITHFUL AND EVER GRATEFUL FRIEND
WILLIAM T. ADAMS
"Across India" is the first volume of the third series of the"All-Over-the-World Library," in which the voyage of the Guardian-Mother iscontinued from Aden, where some important changes were made in the currentof events, including the disposal of the little steamer Maud, which figuredto a considerable extent in the later volumes of the library, though theyalso comprehended the addition of another and larger consort to the ship,in which the distinguished Pacha, as a reformed and entirely reconstructedperson, sails in company with the voyagers.
A few days out from the port of departure, a stirring event, a catastropheof the sea, adds three very important personages to the cabin passengers ofthe Guardian-Mother, and affords two of the "live boys" an opportunity todistinguish themselves in a work of humanity requiring courage and skill.These additions to the company prove to be a very fortunate acquisition tothe party; for they are entirely familiar with everything in and relatingto India. They are titled individuals, two of the trio, who have not onlytravelled all over the peninsula, but have very influential relations withthe officers of the government, and the native princes, rajahs, kings,maharajahs, and nobles.
The commander, the professor, the surgeon, the young millionaire, andothers who have hitherto given the "talks" and lectures for the instructionof the young people, and incidentally of the older ones also, findthemselves almost entirely relieved from duty in this direction by thosewhom the ship's company have saved from inevitable death in the stormybillows of the Arabian Sea. The gratitude of the two titled members of thetrio, and their earnest appreciation of the educational object of the longvoyage, induce them to make themselves very useful on board.
They do not confine themselves to the duty presented to them in "ConferenceHall;" but they are profuse, and even extravagant, in their hospitality,becoming the hosts of the entire party, and treating them like princes inthe principal cities of India, in all of which they are quite at home. Oneof the Hindu maharajahs proves to be an old friend of both of them, and theparty reside a week at his court; and the time is given up to the study ofmanners and customs, as well as to hunting and the sports of the country.
Felix McGavonty, with Kilkenny blood in his veins, is firm in his beliefthat he ought not to be afraid of snakes, and does for India a little ofwhat St. Patrick did completely for Ireland. The other "live boys," thoughnot so much inclined as the Milesian to battle with the cobra-de-capello,have some experience in shooting tigers, leopards, deer, pythons,crocodiles, and other game, though not enough to wholly satisfy theirnatural enterprise.
The tour of the party is made by railroad in India, from Bombay, taking inLahore, Delhi, Agra, Cawnpoor, Lucknow, Benares, Calcutta, and by theGuardian-Mother to Madras and Ceylon. On the way and in the cities thetitled conductors continue their "talks" and lectures about the placesvisited, with as much of history as time would permit, including an epitomeof those great events in India, the Mutiny of the Sepoys, the "Black Hole,"and other events of the past. The speakers were assisted by elaborate maps,which the reader can find in his atlas. Statistics are given to some extentfor purposes of comparison. Brief notices of the lives of such men asBishop Heber, Sir Colin Campbell, Henry Havelock, and others areintroduced.
The party did not claim to have seen all there was of India; simply to haveobtained "specimen bricks" of the principal cities, with a fair idea of themanners and customs of the people.
WILLIAM. T. ADAMS.
"Well, Captain Scott, what is the run to-day?" asked Louis Belgrave, theowner of the steam-yacht Guardian-Mother, which had at this date made herway by a somewhat devious course half way round the world, and was in theact of making the other half.
The young magnate was eighteen years old, and was walking on the promenadedeck of the steamer with a beautiful young lady of sixteen when he askedfor information in regard to the run, or the distance made by the shipduring the last sea-day.
"Before I answer your question, my dear Louis, I must protest against beingany longer addressed as captain, for I am not now entitled to thathonorable appellation," replied the young man addressed by the owner.
"Once a captain always a captain," replied Louis. "One who has beena member of Congress is still an 'Honorable,' though his term ofoffice expired twenty or forty years ago. The worthy commander of theGuardian-Mother was always called Captain Ringgold in Von Blonk Park andNew York, though he had not been in command of a ship for ten years,"argued Louis.
"That's right; but the circumstances are a little different in my case. Inthe first place, I am only eighteen years old, and my brief command was avery small one, as the world goes. It hardly entitles me to be calledcaptain after I have ceased to be in command. In charge of the little MaudI was the happiest young fellow on the Eastern Continent; but I am just ashappy now, for this morning I was formally appointed third officer of theGuardian-Mother, at the wages paid to Captain Sharp when he had the sameposition."
"I congratulate you, Mr. Scott," said Louis, grasping the hand of the newofficer, though he had been duly consulted in regard to the appointment theday before.
"Permit me to congratulate you also, Mr. Scott," added Miss Blanche, as sheextended to him her delicate little hand.
"Thank you, Miss Woolridge," replied the new third officer, raising theuniform cap he had already donned, and bowing as gracefully as adancing-master. "Thank you with all my heart, Louis. I won't deny that Iwas considerably broken up when the Maud was sold; but now I am glad of it,for it has given me a position that I like better."
"Now, Mr. Scott, what is the run for to-day?" asked Louis, renewing hisfirst question.
"I don't know," replied the third officer with a mischievous smile.
"You don't know!" exclaimed Louis.
"I do not, Louis."
"I thought all the officers, including the commander, took the observation,and worked up the reckoning for the . We got eight bells nearly anhour ago, and the bulletin must have been posted by this time."
"It was posted some time ago. All the officers work up the reckoning; and Idid so with the others. The commander and I agreed to a second."
"What do you mean by saying you do not know the run?" demanded Louis.
"I do know the run; but that was not what you asked me," answered Scottwith the same mischievous smile.
"What did I ask you?"
"The first time you asked me all right, and I should have answered you if Ihad not felt obliged to switch off and inform you and Miss Woolridge of mynew appointment. The second time you put it you changed the question."
"I changed it?" queried Louis.
"You remember that when Mrs. Blossom asked Flix where under the sun he hadbeen, he replied that he had not been anywhere, as it happened to be in theevening, when the sun was not overhead."
"A quibble!" exclaimed Louis, laughing.
"Granted; but one which was intended to test your information in regard toa nautical problem. You asked me the second time for the run of to-day forthe last twenty-four hours."
"And that was what I asked you the first time," answered Louis.
"I beg your pardon, but you asked me simply for the run to-day."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
"Will you please to tell me how many hours there are in a sea-day?" askedScott, becoming more serious.
"That depends," answered Louis, laughing. "You have me on the run."
"You will find that the bulletin signed by the first officer gives the runas 330 miles; but the answer to your second question is 337 miles, about,"added the third officer. "Just here the day is only twenty-three hours andforty minutes long as we are running; and the faster we go the shorter theday," continued the speaker, who was ciphering all the time on a card.
"I don't see how that can be," interposed Miss Blanche, with one of herprettiest smiles.
"There is the lunch-bell; but I shall be very happy to explain the mattermore fully later in the day, Miss Woolridge, unless you prefer that Louisshould do it," suggested Scott.
"I doubt if I could do it, and I should be glad to listen to theexplanation," replied Louis, as they descended to the main cabin; for thenew third officer was permitted to retain his place at the table as well ashis state-room.
The commander had suggested that there was likely to be some change ofcabin arrangements; for it was not in accordance with his ideas of rightthat the third officer should be admitted to the table, while the first andsecond were excluded; and Louis was very desirous that his friend Scottshould remain in the cabin. The repasts on board the steamer were socialoccasions, and the party often sat quite an hour at the table, as at thepresent luncheon. But as soon as the company left their places, Louis andMiss Blanche followed the third officer to the promenade deck, to hear thedesired explanation of sea-time.
"Of course you know how the longitude of the ship is obtained, MissWoolridge?" the young officer began.
"Papa explained it to me once, but I could not understand it," replied thefair maiden.
"Then we will explain that first. One of the great circles extendingthrough the poles is called the prime meridian; and any one may beselected, though that of Greenwich has been almost universally adopted.This place is near London. From this prime meridian longitude iscalculated, which means that any given locality is so many degrees east orwest of it. Sandy Hook is in longitude 74°, or it is that number of degreeswest of Greenwich. Aden is in 45° east longitude."
"Then you find how many miles it is bymultiplying the number of degreesby 69," suggested Miss Blanche.
"You have forgotten about knots, or sea-miles,"said Louis.
"So I have! I should have said multiply by 60,"added the young lady.
"That would not do it any better," replied Scott.
"Degrees of latitude are always the same for allpractical purposes; butdegrees of longitude are as--
'Variable as the shade
By the light quivering aspen made,'"
continued the third officer, who was about to say"as a woman's mind;"but he concluded that it was not quite respectfulto the lovely beingbefore him.
"What a poetical sea-monster you are, Mr. Scott!"exclaimed Miss Blanchewith a silvery laugh.
"I won't do so any more," Scott protested, andthen continued hisexplanation. "Degrees of longitude vary from nothing at the poles, up to69.07 statute, or 60 geographical or sea-miles, at the equator. We are nowin about 15° north latitude; and a degree of longitude is 66.65 statutemiles, or 57.9855 sea-miles, near enough to call it 58. By the way, Louis,multiply the number of statute miles by .87, and it gives you thesea-miles. Divide the knots by the same decimal, and it gives the statutemiles."
"I will try to remember that decimal as you have done," replied Louis."Now, Mr. Scott, don't open Bowditch's Navigator to us, or talk aboutprojection,' 'logarithms,' 'Gunter,' and 'inspection;' for I am not capableof understanding them, for my trigonometry has gone to the weepingwillows."
"Talk to us in English, Mr. Scott," laughed Miss Blanche.
"Let us go up to Conference Hall, where there is a table," said the thirdofficer, as he produced a book he had brought up from his state-room. Heled the way to the promenade, where he spread out a chart in the "OrientGuide," which had twenty-six diagrams of a clock, one at the foot of everyfifteen degrees of longitude. At this point the commander came upon thepromenade.
"Formerly the figures on a timepiece in Italy, and perhaps elsewhere, wentup to twenty-four, instead of repeating the numbers up to twelve; and thesediagrams are constructed on that plan," continued Scott.
"An attempt has been made to re-establish this method in our own country. Ilearned once from a folder that a certain steamer would leave Detroit athalf-past twenty-two; meaning half-past ten. But the plan was soonabandoned," interposed the captain.
"Aden, from which we sailed the other day, is in longitude 45° east. Everydegree by meridians is equal to four minutes of clock-time. Multiply thelongitude by four, and the result in minutes is the difference of timebetween Greenwich and Aden, 180 minutes, or three hours. When it is noon atGreenwich, it is three o'clock at Aden, as you see in the diagram beforeyou."
"Three o'clock in the morning, Mr. Scott?" queried the commander.
"In the afternoon, I should have added. Going east the time is faster, andvice versa," continued the young officer. "At our present speed ourclocks must be put about twenty minutes ahead, for a third of an hour hasgone to Davy Jones's locker."
"I understand all that perfectly," said Miss Blanche with an air oftriumph.
"You will be a sea-monster before you get home. The sirens were beautiful,and sang very sweetly," added Scott jocosely.
"They were wicked, and I don't want to be one. But I do not quiteunderstand how you found out what time it was at noon to-day," added theyoung lady.
"For every degree of longitude sailed there is four minutes' difference ofclock-time," Scott proceeded. "You know that a chronometer is a timepieceso nicely constructed and cared for, that it practically keeps perfecttime. Meridians are imaginary great circles, and we are always on one ofthem. With our sextants we find when the centre of the sun is on thecelestial meridian corresponding to the terrestrial one; and at thatinstant it is noon where we are. Then we know what time it is. We comparethe time thus obtained with that indicated by the chronometer, and find adifference of four hours."
"I see it all!" exclaimed the fair maiden, as triumphantly as though shehad herself reasoned out the problem. "Four hours make 240 minutes, andfour minutes to a degree gives 60° as the longitude.
"Quite correct, Miss Woolridge," added Scott approvingly.
"If I could only take the sun, I could work up the longitude myself," thelittle beauty declared.
"You have already taken the son," replied Scott; but he meant the son ofMrs. Belgrave, and he checked himself before he had "put his foot in it;"for Louis would have resented such a remark.
"I have seen them do it, but I never took the sun myself," protested themaiden.
The sea had suddenly begun to make itself felt a few hours before, and aflood of spray was cast over the promenade, which caused the party toevacuate it, and move farther aft. It was the time of year for thenorth-east monsoons to prevail, and the commander had declared that thevoyage would probably be smooth and pleasant all the way to Bombay. It didnot look much like it when the ship began to roll quite violently.
It was a sharp squall that suddenly struck the Guardian-Mother, heeling herover so that everything movable on her decks or below went over to the leeside, and sending no small quantity of salt water over her pilot-house. Ithad begun to be what the ladies called rough some hours before; and withthem Captain Ringgold's reputation as a prophet was in peril, for he hadpredicted a smooth sea all the way to Bombay.
The Blanche, the steam-yacht of General Noury, which was only a triflelarger than the Guardian-Mother, rolled even more. She was following thelatter, and seemed to be of about equal speed, though no trial had beenmade between them. Miss Blanche and Louis had retreated to a dryer placethan the promenade when the shower of spray broke over the pilot-house uponthem, leaving the commander and Mr. Scott there.
Captain Ringgold frowned as he looked out on the uneasy waves, for thesquall appeared to be a surprise to him; but it proved to be more than awhite squall, which may come out of a clear sky, while with a black one thesky is wholly or partly covered with dark clouds. It continued to blow veryfresh, and the commotion in the elements amounted to nothing less than asmart gale.
"This is uncommon in the region of the north-east monsoons," said thecommander, who was planking the promenade deck with Scott. "During Januaryand February the wind is set down as moderate in these waters. I have madetwo runs from Cape of Good Hope to Bombay, and we had quiet seas from thelatitude of Cape Comorin to our destination both times; and I expected thesame thing at this season of the year on this voyage."
The captain was evidently vexed and annoyed at the failure of hisprediction, though squalls were liable to occur in any locality; but thepresent rough weather had begun to look like a gale which might continuefor several days. The north-east monsoons were what he had a right toexpect; but the gale came up from the south south-west. The commanderappeared to be so much disturbed, that the young officer did not venture tosay anything for the next half-hour, though he continued to walk at hisside.
At the end of this time the commander descended to his cabin, invitingScott to go with him. On the great table was spread out the large chart ofthe Indian Ocean. From Aden to Bombay he had drawn a red line, indicatingthe course, east by north a quarter north, which was the course on whichthe steamer was sailing.
"Have you the blue book that comes with this chart, Captain Ringgold?"asked Scott, rather timidly, as though he had something on his mind whichhe did not care to present too abruptly; for the commander was about thebiggest man on earth to him.
"This chart is an old one, as you may see by the looks of it and thecourses marked on it from the Cape of Good Hope," replied the captain,looking at the young officer, to fathom his meaning. "I put all my chartson board of the Guardian-Mother when we sailed for Bermuda the first time.If I ever had the blue book of which you speak, I haven't it now; and Iforget all about it."
"I bought that chart at Aden the first day we were there, when I expectedto navigate the Maud to Bombay; and with it came the blue book, whichtreats mainly of winds, weather, and currents," added Scott. "I studied itwith reference to this voyage, and I found a paragraph which interested me.I will go to my state-room for the book, if you will permit me to readabout ten lines from it to you."
The captain did not object, and Scott soon returned to the commander'scabin with the book. The autocrat of the ship was plainly dissatisfied withhimself at the failure of his prediction for fine weather, and perhaps hefeared that the ambitious young officer intended to instruct him in regardto the situation, though Scott had conducted himself in the most modest andinoffensive manner.
"I don't wish to be intrusive, Captain Ringgold, but I thought it waspossible that you had forgotten this paragraph," said the young officer,with abundant deference in his tone and manner.
"Probably I never saw it; but read it, Mr. Scott," replied the commander.
"The weather is generally fine, and the sky clear, with neither squall norrain, except between Ras Seger and the island of Masira,'" Scott began toread, when the commander interrupted him, and fixed his gaze on the chart,to find the localities mentioned.
"Ras Sajer," said the captain, placing the point of his pencil on the capewhose name he read. "That must be the one you mention."
"No doubt of it, sir; and I have noticed that the spelling on the chart andin the books doesn't agree at all. The island is Massera on my chart."
"They mean the same locality. Go on, Mr. Scott," added the captain.
"'And the vicinity of the bay of Kuriyan Muriyan, where the winds andweather are more boisterous and variable than on any other part of thecoast,'" continued Scott.
"Where is that bay?" asked the commander.
"It is between the two points mentioned before; but it is Kuria Muria onthe chart;" and the captain had the point of his pencil on it by this time.
"We are within three hours' sail of the longitude of that bay, but ahundred and fifty miles south of it," said the commander. "The informationin the book is quite correct. Is there anything more about it?"
"Yes, sir; a few lines more, and I will read them: 'Respecting KuriyanMuriyan Bay, Captain S.B. Haines, I.N., remarks that the sudden change ofwinds, termed by the ArabsBelat, and which blow with great violencefor several days, are much dreaded; but what surprised me more than theseland winds were the frequent and heavy gales from the S.S.W. duringFebruary and March, blowing for six days together.'"
"This gale, for such it appears to be, instead of a mere squall, as Isupposed it was at first, has come before it was due by a few days; but itproves that what you have read is entirely correct," said the commander."My two voyages in the Arabian Sea took me twenty degrees east of thispoint, and therefore I had nothing but quiet water. But, Mr. Scott, youhave put an old navigator into the shade, and I commend you for the careand skill with which you had prepared yourself for the voyage of the Maudto Bengal."
"I protest that it was only an accident that I happened on that paragraph!"exclaimed Scott, blushing under his browned face.
"You found what you were looking for, and that was no accident. I feel thatI have added an excellent young officer to the number of my officers,"added Captain Ringgold.
"I thank you, sir, with all my heart; but may I ask one favor of you?"inquired the third officer.
"Name it, and I will grant it if possible."
"I earnestly request that you do not mention this little matter to anyperson on board of the ship."
The commander of the Guardian-Mother was an honest and just man, and he wasdisposed to give credit to any one who deserved it, even at his ownexpense, and he looked at the young officer in silence for some moments.Then they argued the question for a time; but the captain finally grantedthe new officer's request, praising him for his modesty, which was rather anewly developed virtue in his character.
The steamer continued to roll violently when Louis assisted Miss Blanchedown the stairs to the main cabin. The dozen passengers who had notgone on deck after luncheon were in excellent humor, for all of themwere experienced sailors by this time, and beyond the discomforts ofseasickness. All of them held the commander in such high respect andregard, that not one of them mentioned the failure of his prediction offine weather for the next five or six days. Perhaps all of them wondered,for the captain's predictions before had been almost invariably verified;but not one of them spoke of his missing it in this instance.
The gale continued the rest of the day and during the night. When themorning watch came on duty at four o'clock, Captain Ringgold was pacing thepromenade deck, peering through the darkness, and observing the huge wavesthat occasionally washed the upper deck. He had not slept a wink during thenight, though he had reclined an hour on the divan in the pilot-house. Hewas not alarmed for the safety of his ship, but he looked out for her verycarefully in heavy weather.
He was particularly interested in the conduct of the Blanche. She had takena position to windward of the Guardian-Mother, and appeared to be doingquite as well in the heavy sea as her consort. She had been built with allthe strength and solidity that money could buy; and she was as handsome acraft as ever floated, not even excepting her present companion on thestormy sea, and she was proving herself to be an able sea-boat.
"Good-morning, Mr. Scott," said the commander, as the young officer touchedhis cap to him.
Scott had been temporarily placed in the watch with the first officer, andhis post of duty was at the after part of the ship.
"Good-morning, Captain Ringgold," replied Scott, as he halted to ascertainif the commander had any orders for him. "The gale does not appear to havemoderated since I turned in, sir."
"On the contrary, it blows fresher than ever. I did not expect such a nastytime as we are having of it," added the commander.
"According to Captain Haines of the Indian navy, we may expect it to lastfive days longer, for we have had nearly one day of it."
"Not quite so bad as that, Mr. Scott. If we had stayed in the vicinity ofKuria Muria Bay, we might have got five days more of it; but this is alocal storm, and we shall doubtless run out of it in a day or two at most,and come again into the region of the north-east monsoon."
"I hope so for the sake of those in the cabin; and I did not think of thelocal feature you mention."
"The deck is well officered now," added the captain with a gape, "and Iwill take a nap in my cabin for an hour or two. Mr. Boulong will have mecalled if the storm gets any worse."
The commander went to his cabin, and Scott walked aft to the compass abaftthe mainmast. The binnacle was lighted, and he looked into it. The coursewas all right, though the ship yawed a good deal in the trough of the sea,the gale pelting her squarely on the beam. Though it was not an easy thingeven for a thorough seaman to preserve his centre of gravity, the youngofficer made his way fore and aft with the aid of the life-lines which hadbeen extended the evening before. He watched the motions of the Blanche,for there was nothing else to be seen but the waste of angry waters.
Far ahead the light of the breaking day began to penetrate the gloomy blackclouds. It was a pleasure to come out of the deep darkness, and he observedwith interest the increase of the light. While he was watching the east,the lookout man in the foretop hailed the deck. He listened and movedforward to the foremast to hear what passed between him and the firstofficer.
"Steamer on the port bow, sir!" reported the man aloft.
Scott saw the vessel, but she was too far off to be made out. She passedand disappeared; but about the moment he lost sight of her, he thought heheard the report of a musket, or some other firearm, to the northward ofthe ship. He listened with all his ears, and then distinguished veryfaintly shouts from human voices. He waited only long enough to satisfyhimself that he had not mistaken the roar of the sea for calls for help,and then went forward to the pilot-house, where he announced that he hadheard the shots and the cries.
"Are you sure of it, Mr. Scott?" asked the first officer.
"Very sure, sir."
"We have heard nothing, and the lookouts have not reported anything," addedMr. Boulong.
"On deck, sir! Wreck on the port beam!" yelled the lookout aloft.
"Call the captain, Mr. Scott," said the first officer, as he went out ondeck.
He made out the ominous sounds, and judged that they came from a point notmore than a mile distant. The commander and Scott appeared immediately; andwith the increased daylight they discovered several men clinging to whatappeared to be a wreck.
The Guardian-Mother had sailed from New York about fourteen months beforeshe appeared in the waters of the Arabian Sea. She was a steam-yacht of 624tons burden, owned by Louis Belgrave, a young man who had just entered hiseighteenth year. His native place was Von Blonk Park, in New Jersey, mostof whose territory had been the farm of the young gentleman's grandfather,who had become a millionaire by the sale of his land.
The terrors of the War of the Rebellion had driven the old man to converthis property into gold, which he had concealed so effectually that no onecould find it. His only son, more patriotic than his father, had enlistedin the loyal army, and had been severely wounded in the brave and faithfuldischarge of his duty, and returned to the home of his childhood a wreck ofhis former self.
His father died during his absence, and Paul Belgrave, the soldier, was hissole heir. His physical condition improved considerably, though he neverceased to suffer from the effects of his wound. The homestead of hisfather, which had not been sold with the rest of his land, afforded theinvalid a sufficient support; and he married Maud Nashwood, the onlydaughter of one of the small magnates of Von Blonk Park, which had nowbecome a thriving town, occupied mainly by business men of New York.
Paul Belgrave was a millionaire without any millions; for he was never ableto find the large property of his deceased parent. For ten years he dugover the cellar bottom of the old house, and the ground in the vicinity;but the missing million entirely eluded his search, and he died as soon ashe gave up all hope of finding the treasure.
Mrs. Belgrave was left with their son, then eight years old; but the estateof her husband, with the property of her father, supported her comfortably.The widow had been married at sixteen; and she had the reputation of beingthe prettiest woman in the Park after her husband died. She had manysuitors, but she finally married a handsome English horse-trainer, whocalled himself Wade Farrongate, though that was not his real name.
For some reason not then apparent, this man at once became the enemy ofLouis Belgrave; and the war between them raged for several years, thoughthe young man did all he could to conciliate his stepfather. The man was arascal, a villain to the very core of his being, though he had attained aposition of considerable influence among the sporting gentry of New Yorkand New Jersey, mainly for his skill as a jockey, and in the management ofthe great races.
Louis discovered a plan on the part of Farrongate to appropriate the stakesand other money dependent upon the great race of the season, and escape toEngland with his wife and stepson. In this scheme Louis, after he hadobtained the evidence of the jockey's villany, went on board of the steamerwhich was to convey them all over the ocean, and succeeded, with no littledifficulty, in convincing his mother of the unworthiness of her husband;and she returned with her son to Von Blonk Park. The young man went back tothe steamer, and by skilful management obtained all the plunder of thevillain, who sailed for England without his treasure.
Farrongate, or rather John Scoble, which was his real name, was a deserterfrom the British army. He was arrested on his return, and compelled toserve out the remainder of his term of service. The death of an uncle inIndia recruited his finances, and he returned to New York. It afterwardsappeared that he had some clew to Peter Belgrave's missing million, and hewas therefore anxious to recover the possession of the wife who hadrepudiated him.
A successful conspiracy enabled him to convey her to Bermuda. At this stageof the drama, Captain Royal Ringgold, an early admirer of the pretty widow,became an active participant in the proceedings, and from that time he hadbeen the director of all the steps taken to recover Louis's mother.
In the interim of Scoble's absence, Louis, assisted by his schoolfellow anddevoted friend, Felix McGavonty, had accomplished what his father hadfailed to achieve in ten years of incessant search: he had found themissing million of his grandfather, and had become a millionaire atsixteen. The young man fancied that yachting would suit him; and heproposed to Squire Moses Scarburn, the trustee of all his property, topurchase a cheap vessel for his use.
The spiriting away of his mother gave a new importance to the nauticalfancy of the young man. Captain Ringgold condemned the plan to buy a cheapvessel. He had made a part of his ample fortune as a shipmaster, and hadbeen an officer in the navy during the last half of the War of theRebellion. He advised the young man's mother, who was also his guardian,and the trustee to buy a good-sized steam-yacht.
A New York millionaire had just completed one of the most magnificentsteamers ever built, of over six hundred tons' burden; but his sudden deathrobbed him of the pleasures he anticipated from a voyage around the worldin her, and the vessel was for sale at a reasonable price. The shipmasterfixed upon this craft as the one for the young millionaire, declaring thatshe would give the owner an education such as could not be obtained at anycollege; and that she could be sold for nearly all she cost when she was nolonger needed.
This argument, and the pressing necessity of such a steamer for therecovery of Mrs. Belgrave, carried the day with the trustee. The vesselwas bought; and as she had not yet been named, Louis called her theGuardian-Mother, in love and reverence for her who had watched over himfrom his birth. After some stirring adventures which befell Louis, the newsteam-yacht proceeded to Bermuda, where Scoble had wrecked his vessel onthe reefs; but the object of the search and all the ship's company weresaved.
The Guardian-Mother returned to New York after this successful voyage,though not till Captain Ringgold had obtained a strong hint that Scoble hada wife in England. The educational scheme of the commander was then fullyconsidered, and it was decided to make a voyage around the world in theGuardian-Mother. She was duly prepared for the purpose by Captain Ringgold.A ship's company of the highest grade was obtained. The last to be shippedwas W. Penn Sharp as a quartermaster, the only vacancy on board. He hadbeen a skilful detective most of his life, and failing health alonecompelled him to go to sea; and he had been a sailor in his early years,attaining the position of first officer of a large Indiaman.
The captain made him third officer at Bermuda, the better to have hisservices as a detective. He had investigated Scoble's record, andeventually found Mrs. Scoble in Cuba, where she had inherited the largefortune of an uncle whom she had nursed in his last sickness. Scoble hadcome into the possession of the wealth of a brother who had recently diedin Bermuda. He had purchased a steam-yacht of four hundred tons, in whichhe had followed the Guardian-Mother, and had several times attempted tosink her in collisions.
Officers came to Cuba to arrest him for his crimes at the races, and he wassent to the scene of his villany, where the court sentenced him to SingSing for a long term. The court in Cuba decreed that his yacht belonged tohis wife; and her new owner, at the suggestion of the commander of theGuardian-Mother, made Penn Sharp, to whom she was largely indebted for thefortune to which she had succeeded, the captain of her. The steam-yacht wasthe Viking, and Mrs. Scoble sailed in her to New York, and then to England,where she obtained a divorce from her recreant husband, and became the wifeof Captain Sharp, who was now in command of the Blanche, the white steamerthat sailed abreast of the Guardian-Mother when the wreck in the ArabianSea was discovered.
From a sailing-yacht sunk in a squall in the harbor of New York, the crewof the steamer had saved two gentlemen. One was a celebrated physician andsurgeon, suffering from overwork, Dr. Philip Hawkes. He was induced toaccept the commander's offer of a passage around the world for his servicesas the surgeon of the ship. His companion was a learned Frenchman,afflicted in the same manner as his friend; and he became the instructor onboard.
Squire Scarburn, Louis's trustee, who was always called "Uncle Moses," wasa passenger. Mrs. Belgrave had taken with her Mrs. Sarah Blossom, as acompanion. She had been Uncle Moses's housekeeper. She was a good-lookingwoman of thirty-six, and one of the "salt of the earth," though hereducation, except on Scripture subjects, had been greatly neglected. FelixMcGavonty, the Milesian crony of Louis, had been brought up by the trustee,and had lived in his family. The good lady wanted to be regarded as themother of Felix, and the young man did not fully fall in with the idea.
When Louis recovered the stolen treasure of the jockey, he had applied toone of the principal losers by the crime, Mr. Lowell Woolridge, thendevoted to horse-racing and yachting, for advice in regard to the disposalof the plunder. All who had lost any of the money were paid in full; andthe gentleman took a fancy to the young man who consulted him. For thebenefit of his son he discarded racing from his amusements. He invitedLouis and his mother to several excursions in his yacht; and the twofamilies became very intimate, though they were not of the same socialrank, for Mr. Woolridge was a millionaire and a magnate of the FifthAvenue.
The ex-sportsman was the father of a daughter and a son. At fifteen MissBlanche was remarkably beautiful, and Louis could not help recognizing thefact. But he was then a poor boy; and his mother warned him not to getentangled in any affair of the heart, which had never entered the head ofthe subject of the warning. When the missing million came to light, she didnot repeat her warning.
After the Guardian-Mother had sailed on her voyage all-over-the-world, MissBlanche took a severe cold, which threatened serious consequences; and thedoctors had advised her father to take her to Orotava, in the CanaryIslands, in his yacht. The family had departed on the voyage; butbefore the Blanche, as the white sailing-yacht was called, reached herdestination, she encountered a severe gale, and had a hole stove in herplanking by a mass of wreckage. Her ship's company were thoroughlyexhausted when the Guardian-Mother, bound to the same islands, discoveredher, and after almost incredible exertions, saved the yacht and the family.
The beautiful young lady entirely recovered her health during the voyage,and Dr. Hawkes declared that she was in no danger whatever. The Blancheproceeded with the steamer to Mogadore, on the north-west coast of Africa,in Morocco. Here the ship was visited by a high officer of the army ofMorocco, who was the possessor of almost unbounded wealth. He wasfascinated by the beauty of Miss Blanche, and his marked attentions excitedthe alarm of her father and mother, as well as of the commander. He hadpromised to visit the ship again, and take the party to all the notedplaces in the city.
The parents and the captain regarded such a visit as a calamity, and thesteamer made her way out of the harbor very early the next morning, towingthe yacht. The Guardian-Mother sailed for Madeira, accommodating her speedto that of the Blanche. The party had been there only long enough to seethe sights, before the high official, Ali-Noury Pacha, in his steam-yachtcome into the harbor of Funchal.
The commander immediately beat another retreat; but the Fatimé, as theMoroccan steamer was called, followed her to Gibraltar. Here the Pachadesired an interview with Captain Ringgold, who refused to receive him onboard, for he had learned in Funchal that his character was very bad, andhe told him so to his face. When the commander went on shore he wasattacked in the street by the Pacha and some of his followers; but thestalwart captain knocked him with a blow of his fist in a gutter filledwith mud. Ali-Noury was fined by the court for the assault, and, thirstingfor revenge, he had followed the Guardian-Mother to Constantinople, andthrough the Archipelago, seeking the vengeance his evil nature demanded. Heemployed a man named Mazagan to capture Miss Blanche or Louis, or both ofthem.
Captain Sharp, who was cruising in the Viking with his wife, whileat Messina found the Pacha beset by robbers, and badly wounded. Theex-detective took him on board of his steamer, procured a surgeon, andsaved the life of the Moor, not only in beating off the robbers that besethim, but in the care of him after he was wounded. They became strongfriends; and both the captain and Mrs. Sharp, who had been the most devotedof nurses to him, spoke their minds to him very plainly.
The Pacha was repentant, for his vices were as contrary to the religion ofMohammed as to that of the New Testament. Captain Sharp was confident thathis guest was thoroughly reformed, though he did not become a Christian, ashis nurse hoped he would. Then his preserver learned that the Pacha hadsettled his accounts with Captain Mazagan, and sold him the Fatimé.
It appeared when Captain Sharp told his story to the commander of theGuardian-Mother at Aden, that Mazagan had been operating on his own hook inEgypt and elsewhere to "blackmail" the trustee of Louis. The Pacha hadordered a new steamer to be built for him in England; and when she arrivedat Gibraltar, he had given the command of her to Captain Sharp, to whom heowed his life and reformation.
At Aden, Captain Ringgold discovered the white steamer, and fearing she wasthe one built for the Pacha, as Mazagan had informed him in regard to her,he paid her a visit, and found Captain Sharp in command of her. The Moorwas known as General Noury here, and he made an abject apology to thevisitor. Convinced that the Moor had really reformed his life, they werereconciled, and General Noury was received with favor by all the party.
The Blanche was sailing in company of the Guardian-Mother for Bombay whenthe wreck with several men on it was discovered. And now having reviewedthe incidents of the past, fully related in the preceding volumes of theseries, it is quite time to attend to the imperilled persons on the wreck.
It was still but a dim light when the commander appeared on deck. He couldnot have slept more than an hour, but he was as wideawake and active asever before in his life. He had a spyglass in his hand, with which heproceeded to examine the wreck as soon as he had obtained its bearings; forhe never did anything, even under such desperate circumstances as thepresent, until he had first ascertained what was best to be done.
"How long is it since you made out the wreck, Mr. Boulong?" he inquired,still looking through the glass.
"Mr. Scott reported cries from that direction not ten minutes ago, and thelookout aloft hailed the deck a minute or two later," replied the firstofficer.
"Make the course north by east," added the captain.
"North by east, sir," replied Mr. Boulong, mounting the promenade, andgiving the order to the quartermaster through the window. "Steer small tillyou get the course, Bangs."
The captain and the third officer remained on the promenade deck, stillobserving the persons on the wreck, who continued to shout and to dischargetheir firearms till they saw the head of the steamer slowly turned to thenorth, when they appeared to be satisfied that relief was at hand.
"They are in a very dangerous position," said the commander. "I cannot makeout what they are clinging too; but it is washed by the sea at every wave,and they cannot hold out long in that situation. I wonder that all of themhave not been knocked off before this time."
"They must have some strong hold on the thing that floats them, whatever itis, for they are under water half the time," replied Scott, who was alsousing a spyglass. "I can't make out what they are on; but it looks like awhaleback to me, with her upper works carried away."
"There are no whalebacks in these seas," replied the captain.
"But I saw one in New York Harbor; and I have read that one has crossed theAtlantic, going through the Welland Canal from the great lakes."
"They have no mission in these waters, though what floats that party looksvery much like one. Call all hands, Mr. Boulong, and clear away the firstcutter."
By this time the Guardian-Mother was on her course to the northward. Thestorm was severe, but not as savage as it might have been, or as thesteamer had encountered on the Atlantic when she saved the sailing-yachtBlanche from foundering. The ship had been kept on her course for Bombay,though, as she had the gale on the beam, she was condemned to wallow in thetrough of the sea; and stiff and able as she was, she rolled heavily, asany vessel would have done under the same conditions.
The change of course gave her the wind very nearly over the stern, and shepitched instead of rolling, sometimes lifting her propeller almost out ofthe water, which made it whirl like a top, and then burying it deep in thewaves, causing it to moan and groan and shake the whole after part of theship, rousing all the party in the cabin from their slumbers. The ship hadhardly changed her course before Louis came on deck, and was soon followedby Felix McGavonty.
"What's the row, Mr. Scott?" asked the former.
"Are ye's thryin' to shake the screw out of her?" inquired the Milesian,who could talk as good English as his crony, the owner, but whooccasionally made use of the brogue to prevent him from forgetting hismother tongue, as he put it, though he was born in the United States."Don't ye's do it; for sure, you will want it 'fore we get to Bombay."
"Don't you see those men standing upon something, or clinging to whateverfloats them? They are having a close call; but I hope we shall be able tosave them," replied the third officer.
The captain had gone to the pilot-house, from the windows of which thewreck could be seen very plainly, as its distance from the ship was rapidlyreduced. By this time the entire crew had rushed to the deck, and werewaiting for orders on the forecastle. Mr. Boulong, with his boat's crew,had gone to the starboard quarter, where the first cutter was swung in onher davits. The boat pulled six oars, and the cockswain made seven hands.
With these the cutter wad quickly swung out, and the crew took their placesin her, the bowman at the forward tackle, and the cockswain at the after.It was the same crew with which the first officer had boarded the Blanchewhen she was in imminent peril of going down, and he had entire confidenceboth in their will and their muscle. He stood on the rail, holding on atthe main shrouds, ready for further orders.
In the pilot-house, with both quartermasters at the wheel, the captain wasstill observing with his glass the men in momentary peril of being washedfrom their insecure position into the boiling sea. Felix had gone aft withthe first officer, and had assisted in shoving out the first cutter fromthe skids inboard, and Louis had come into the pilot-house with Scott.
"Has any one counted the number of men on the wreck, or whatever it is?"inquired the commander.
"There are eleven of them," promptly replied Scott, who, as an officer ofthe ship, was in his element, and very active both in mind and body.
"Too many for one boat in a heavy sea," added Captain Ringgold. "You willclear away the second cutter, Mr. Scott, and follow Mr. Boulong to thewreck."
"All the second cutters aft!" shouted the third officer from the window;and the crew of this boat rushed up the ladder to the promenade deck, andfollowed the life-line to the davits of the cutter.
"Bargate, who pulls the stroke oar in the second cutter, has the rheumatismin his right arm, and is not fit to go in the boat," interposed Mr.Gaskette, the second officer.
"Let me take his place, Captain Ringgold!" eagerly exclaimed LouisBelgrave.
"Do you think you can pull an oar in a heavy seaway, Mr. Belgrave?" askedthe commander, who always treated the owner with entire respect in thepresence of others, though he called him by his given name when they werealone.
"I know I can!" replied Louis very confidently.
"I do not object, if Mr. Scott is willing."
"I am very willing, for Mr. Belgrave's muscle is as hard as a flint."
"Very well. Hurry up!" added the captain.
Four other men were sent aft to assist in the preparations for putting thesecond cutter into the water; and in as short a time as Mr. Gaskette, whousually went in that boat on important occasions, would have required to doit, the cutter was ready to be dropped into the water when the order wasgiven.
The captain and the second officer continued to watch the party on thewreck, expecting every moment to see some of them swept into the savagewaves that beat against their frail support. The ship went at full speed onher course; for the commander would not waste an instant while the lives ofso many human beings depended upon his action.
"Can you make out what they are clinging to, Mr. Gaskette?" asked thecommander of the only person besides the two quartermasters who remainedwith him in the pilot-house.
"Yes, sir; I am just getting an idea in regard to it, though the thing isawash so that I can hardly make it out," replied the second officer. "Ithink it is the bottom of a rather small vessel, upside down; for I seesomething like a keel. The party have two ropes stretched the whole lengthof the bottom, to which they are clinging."
"You are right; that is plainly the bottom of a vessel, and I wonder thatthe craft has not gone down by this time. How she happens to be in thatsituation, and why she has not sunk, are matters yet to be explained. Goaft, if you please, and see that both cutters are ready to be lowered intothe water, Mr. Gaskette. It is not prudent to go much nearer to the wreck,for the gale may drift us upon it."
The second officer left the pilot-house, and found the crews all seated intheir boats, with everything in readiness to obey the order to lower away;and he reported the fact to his superior.
"Starboard the helm, Bangs, and steer small!" said Captain Ringgold as soonas the officer returned with the information he had obtained.
To "steer small" is to move the rudder very gradually; for if the coursewere suddenly changed a quarter of the circumference of the compass in sucha sea as was then raging, it would be liable to make the steamer engage insome disagreeable, if not dangerous, antics.
"Steady!" added the captain when the steamer was headed a point south ofwest.
This position brought the starboard side of the ship on the lee; that is,this part of the ship was sheltered from the fury of the wind and thewaves, and it was the proper situation in which to lower a boat into thewater; for on the windward side these two powerful forces would be likelyto stave the cutter against the side of the steamer.
After the commander had struck the gong to stop her, he gave the order tothe second officer to lower the first cutter; and he left the pilot-housefor this purpose. Mr. Boulong was an exceptionally skilful officer in thehandling of a boat in a heavy sea. Watching for the favorable moment, hegave the order to the cockswain and bowman to lower away, with the aid ofthe oarsmen near them.
"Cast off the after fall, Stoody!" said he sharply to the cockswain; andthe order was promptly obeyed. "Cast off your fall, Knott!" he added almostinstantly. "Let fall! Give way!"
A receding wave carried the boat away from the side of the ship, preciselyas Mr. Boulong had calculated. The six oars dropped into the water as one,and the men began to pull, getting a firm hold on the receding wave, whichsent the cutter to a safe distance from the ship. As soon as she was clear,the commander, who had remained in the pilot-house, rang the gong to goahead. When the steamer had gathered sufficient headway, she was broughtabout as cautiously as before.
The second cutter was on the port quarter of the vessel, and this movementplaced the boat under the lee. Mr. Gaskette had remained aft, and when theship had stopped her screw and nearly lost her headway, the captain shoutedto him through his speaking-trumpet, which the roar of the waves and theescaping steam rendered necessary, to "Lower away!"
"Lower away when you are ready, Mr. Scott!" repeated the second officer.
Though Scott was only eighteen years old, he was an intuitive sailor, andhad a good deal of experience for his years. He had never before occupiedhis present position; but his nautical genius, fortified by sundry combatswith wind and waves, made him feel quite at home. As the first officer haddone, he seized the auspicious moment when the retiring wave promised itsefficient aid, and gave the orders to cast off the falls.
The six oars grappled with the water on the smooth side of a great wave,and carried it to the apex of the next billow; and she went off ashandsomely as the first cutter had done. Mr. Gaskette saw these manoeuvressuccessfully accomplished, and then started for the pilot-house, to reportto the captain. On his way he could not help giving an inquiring look atthe manner in which the substitute for Bargate performed his duty.
At eighteen Louis was a healthy, vigorous, athletic fellow, developed by anactive life on the ocean, and weighing one hundred and fifty pounds. In anytrial of strength he was more than the equal of any other member of the"Big Four," as the four young men berthing in the cabin called themselves,borrowing the name from a combination of railroads in the West. He was welltrained as an oarsman, and the second officer was satisfied that he wasdoing his full share of the work.
As Mr. Gaskette reached the pilot-house there was a commotion there, and itwas evident to him that something unlooked for had occurred. He glanced atthe two cutters; but they were all right, and were steadily making theirway to the locality of the wreck.
"The wreck is going down, sir!" exclaimed Bangs with startling energy justbefore the second officer reached the door.
"It is all up with that craft!" added Twist, the other quartermaster.
Captain Ringgold said nothing, but calmly surveyed the men who were nowstruggling in the water. They seemed to be all able to swim; but it was acloser call than they had had before. The two cutters appeared to be theironly possible salvation, and they were still at a considerable distancefrom the scene of peril.
It was a terribly exciting and harrowing spectacle; but the commanderlooked as impassable as ever. He rang the gong for the ship to go ahead;and Mr. Gaskette wondered what he intended to do, though he was not leftmore than a moment in suspense.
The first and second cutters of the Guardian-Mother were struggling bravelywith the huge billows, but not making very rapid progress, though the galewas in their favor. The eleven men floundering in the water where the wreckhad disappeared under them were provided with life-preservers, it was nowdiscovered, and their chances were somewhat less desperate than they wereat first taken to be. But the waves rudely knocked them about, andsometimes upset them so as to require a struggle to regain their uprightposition.
"The Blanche is close aboard of us, Captain Ringgold," said Mr. Gaskette."She is running at full speed for a position on our port hand."
"Very good," replied the commander. "That is the right thing for her to do,if she don't come too near us."
"She is at a safe distance, sir, and her starboard quarter-boat is mannedand ready to drop into the water."
"Captain Sharp will do the right thing at the right time," replied thecommander, whose gaze was riveted upon the struggling party in the water.
"I trust we shall be able to save the whole of them."
"The chances are good for it," answered the second officer.
"How is the second cutter doing?" inquired Captain Ringgold.
"She is doing very well, sir, though she is some distance behind the firstcutter, for she got away from the ship later. Mr. Belgrave is pulling astroke as vigorous as the rest of the crew. The Blanche is coming about,and she will have her starboard boat in the water in a few minutes more."
As her head swung round to port she stopped her screw, and then backed fora few moments, till she had killed the most of her headway; for CaptainSharp knew better than to drop the boat into the water while the vessel wasmaking sternway. In a very short space of time the six-oar craft waspulling with all the muscle of her British tars for the scene of peril, andnot more than two cables' length astern of the second cutter of theGuardian-Mother.
Captain Ringgold observed the boats with the most intense interest as theyapproached the unfortunate men in the water. The Blanche came about again,and her other quarter-boat was soon pulling after the first. Possibly therewas some feeling of rivalry among the crews of the boats in the good workin which they were engaged, for they were all putting their utmost vigorinto their oars.
But no boat appeared to gain on the others, and the one which had startedfirst continued to maintain her advantage till the work of rescuing thesufferers actually began. By this time the action of the waves hadseparated the party, so that they were scattered over a considerablesurface of the breaking billows. Mr. Boulong could see that some of the menin the water were nearly exhausted; for many of them had wasted theirstrength in useless struggles.
The first cutter was approaching a man who was at the extremity of thewestern wing of the party. He was a European of thirty years or less; andthough his head, hair, and beard were dripping with salt water, there wassomething in his expression, as he bestowed a single glance upon the boatnow close to him, which commanded the respect, and even admiration, of thefirst officer. He was cool and self-possessed in spite of the peril of hissituation, and was observing with painful solicitude the struggles of aperson about ten fathoms from him.
"Stand by to lay on your oars!" said Mr. Boulong with energy, when thefirst cutter was within a boat's length of the individual. "Hold water!Stand by to haul him in, Knott!" he added to the bow man. "Stern all!"
These orders were given as the boat came within her length of the man; andKnott was unshipping his oar, when the stranger raised his left hand,pointing to the struggling person he had been observing in spite of thenear approach of the cutter.
"Save that man first, for he is drowning!" he shouted in tones full ofanxiety, if not positive suffering. "I can take care of myself for a whilelonger."
Mr. Boulong's vision had taken in the drowning man, and he fully realizedthat the person's situation was desperate, if he was not already hopelesslylost. He had struggled and twisted himself in his involuntary efforts, tillhis life-preserver had worked its way down to his hips, and then itoverthrew him; for he turned a somerset, and disappeared under a comingwave. He had utterly "lost his head," and was like an infant in the fury ofthe billows.
The men were still backing water with their oars, in obedience to the orderof the officer; but as soon as the oars would go clear of theself-possessed gentleman, Mr. Boulong gave the command to "Give way!" andagain the cutter went ahead.
It required but a few strokes to give the necessary headway to the boat;and Knott was again ordered to stand by to haul him in. The great waveingulfed and swept over him, and again left him aimlessly battling with thekilling billows. The bowman was in position, and leaned over so far toreach the sufferer, that the officer ordered the next two men to seize himby the legs, to prevent him from being dragged overboard.
Knott grasped him by his upper garment, and drew his head out of the water.He held on like an excited bulldog, in spite of the erratic vaulting of theboat and the struggles of him whom the deep sea seemed to have chosen asits victim. But the bowman was a muscular seaman of fifty, and he won thevictory over the billows, and hauled the man into the cutter. He was aperson of rather swarthy complexion, dressed in Hindu costume. He waspassed along through the oarsmen to the stern-sheets, where Mr. Boulongproceeded to lift him up with his feet in the air, to free his lungs fromthe salt water he must have imbibed.
By this time the second cutter came up to the scene, and Scott in commandwondered why the first officer had passed by one man to save another; forin the commotion of the waves he had not been able to realize the conditionof the Hindu, as he appeared to be. But the cool gentleman had beenover-confident; and instead of waiting for one of the boats to pick him up,he had disengaged himself from his life-preserver, and attempted to swim tothe first cutter. Mr. Boulong was so occupied with his treatment of thefirst man rescued, that he did not see him, or hear his shout above thenoise of the savage waves, and had directed the cockswain to steer for thenext man, who seemed to be an older person than either of the others.
The Hindu had not entirely lost his senses; and when he was disburdened ofthe load of salt water he had swallowed, he looked about him, though stillin a somewhat dazed condition.
"Dr. Ferrolan!" he exclaimed. "Oh, save him!" He pointed to him as thestern of the boat rose on a billow; and he proved to be the person towardswhom the cockswain was steering the boat. "Where is Lord Tremlyn?" heasked, as he surveyed the surrounding waters. "There!" he screamed wildly,as he pointed over the stern, where the person indicated was swimming forthe first cutter.
"The other boat is close aboard of him, and will soon pick him up," saidMr. Boulong, turning his attention to one ahead of the cutter.
As he spoke, a booming billow struck Lord Tremlyn, as the Hindu hadrevealed his name, just as Scott was running his boat up to take him onboard. He was caught just in the comb of the wave, and it upset him, makinghim turn a complete somerset, as his companion had done; but he was masterof himself, and when he came up, he appeared to dive through the crest ofanother billow, and came out close alongside Scott's boat, near the bow. Aready seaman seized him by the arm, and, with the aid of another, hauledhim into the boat, where he was passed into the stern-sheets.
"Was Sir Modava saved?" he asked, with no little excitement in his manner,as he spit the salt water from his mouth.
"Don't know him, sir; but they just hauled a man into the first cutter,"replied Scott.
"Which is the first cutter?" asked Lord Tremlyn, looking about him.
"The one just ahead of us, sir."
"Thank God, he is saved!" ejaculated his soaked lordship. "Kindly pull upto her, and let me be sure of it."
"That is easier said than done, sir. The first cutter has just picked upanother man, and now she is pulling for all she is worth for the next one.I couldn't overhaul her if I tried, and just now our business is to savethose in the water," answered the third officer.
"You are right, Mr. Officer," added Lord Tremlyn, as he seated himself inthe place pointed out to him.
There were still eight others in the water, and all of them were to thenorth of the boats. Those from the Blanche had noticed this fact, and werepulling in that direction. Mr. Boulong had directed his boat, after takingin Dr. Ferrolan, as the Hindu called him, to the person the farthest to theeastward, leaving the others to be saved by the boats nearer to them.
It is enough to say that all the wrecked party were saved, without givingthe details of the picking up of each of them. The vessel in which they hadfoundered had entirely disappeared, and nothing was seen belonging to her.Against the head sea all the boats pulled back to the two steamers. Thefirst cutter of the Guardian-Mother had saved three, the second three, andthe two boats of the Blanche had picked up five.
"Now give three cheers, Mr. Scott," said Louis Belgrave in a low tone, asthe second cutter, ahead of the first on the return, approached the ship."The captain will understand from that we have saved all the party."
Scott approved the suggestion, and the cheers were given with a will, andrepeated by the crew of the first cutter, not far behind. They werereturned from the ship; and the voices included those who belonged in thecabin, as well as the officers, seamen, and waiters, while the ladies,clinging to the rails of the promenade, vigorously waved theirhandkerchiefs, as the sun rose clear from the eastern waves, though it soondisappeared in the clouds. It was evident to the officers that the gale wasbreaking; or perhaps, as the commander put it, the ship was running out ofit.
Each of the boats got under the lee in turn; the falls were hooked on, andboth cutters were hoisted up to their davits, as they had come from thescene of their exploits. Mr. Gaskette was directed to get the ship on hercourse again; and Captain Ringgold went aft to welcome the shipwreckedmariners, or whatever they were.
The seamen assisted the dripping passengers to the deck; and the masculinetenants of the state-cabin crept along the life-lines to take part in thescene, or at least to witness it. As the steamer was headed to theeastward, the second cutter was the first to be hoisted up. The firstperson to be assisted to the deck was Lord Tremlyn, though those who hadsaved him were not yet aware of his quality. The commander extended hishand to him, and it was cordially grasped.
"I congratulate you, sir, on your escape from the wreck of your ship," saidhe. "I thank God most earnestly that we have been able to save all yourparty. I hope none were lost before we made you out on the wreck."
"Not one, Captain; and I join with you in reverent gratitude to Him whorules the sea in calm and storm, for our preservation from certain death,which would have been our fate, one and all, but for the care and skillwith which you have worked out our salvation. I thank you and the brave andnoble officers and crews of your boats with all my mind and heart. I speaknot for myself alone, but for all the ship's company of the Travancore, nowgone to the bottom," replied Lord Tremlyn, again grasping the hand of thecommander.
In a short time the saved from the first cutter joined the others on thepromenade deck, and the Guardian-Mother proceeded on her course to Bombay.
"Were you the captain of the Travancore, sir?" asked the commander.
"I am only an amateur sailor," said his lordship; "but I was in command ofthe unfortunate vessel, which was a steam-yacht of small dimensions, in theservice of the Indian government. Ah, Dr. Ferrolan," he continued as thosefrom the first cutter crossed the deck; and he grasped the hand of theperson addressed, "let us thank God first, and then the commander of thisship, that we have been preserved,--all the ship's company, I am informed."
"I join you most heartily, my Lord," replied the doctor. "Captain----"
"Captain Ringgold," prompted Mr. Boulong, by whose boat he had been saved.
"Captain Ringgold, I am your debtor for life;" and he proceeded to expresshis obligations more at length. "Permit me to present to you Lord Tremlyn,a gentleman who came to India on semi-official business."
"I am happy to know you, Lord Tremlyn," replied the commander; but thetitle did not appear to make a very profound impression upon him.
"Captain Ringgold, allow me to introduce my particular friend, Sir ModavaRao, a gentleman high in the favor of the Indian government, and I may addof all the native princes."
"I am very happy to make your acquaintance, Sir Modava," replied thecommander, taking his dusky hand.
The captain then invited the two titled gentlemen and the doctor of theparty to the cabin, while the two engineers were turned over to Mr.Sentrick, the chief engineer.
It was still early in the morning, and the cabin party were not disposed toremain any longer on the promenade deck; for it was almost impossible forsome of them to stand up, even with the aid of the life-lines and therails, and all of them retreated to the boudoir and music-room. None ofthem had been introduced to the strangers; for they had asked to beexcused, as they were not in a presentable condition.
The trio of distinguished individuals who had been conducted to the maincabin by the commander were of course soaked with water, and chilled afterremaining so long in their involuntary bath; and for this reason noquestions were asked of them to bring out an explanation of the cause ofthe disaster of which they had been the victims. There were three vacantstate-rooms, to which they were assigned, and each of them had a bathroomconnected with it. The two cabin stewards had already been ordered toprepare these rooms for the occupancy of the newcomers. Warm baths wereready for them when they took possession of the apartments.
"All this is more luxurious than we have been accustomed to lately," saidLord Tremlyn, when the commander ushered him into No. 11, which wasprovided with everything belonging to a suite of rooms in the best hotelsof the United States.
"I hope you will be able to make yourself comfortable, sir; but yourgreatest need at the present moment appears to be dry clothing, when youhave restored your limbs to their normal condition in the bath, and I willendeavor to supply this want," replied the commander.
"You are very kind, Captain Ringgold, and I shall never cease to begrateful to you for the service you have rendered to me and my companions;for all of us would have perished when the wreck of our steamer went down,without the prompt assistance you rendered to us," said the principalpersonage of the party, who was still shivering under the influence of thechill he had received in the cold waters of the sea.
The captain retired, closing the door of the room. He went to No. 12, towhich Sir Modava Rao had been shown, and then to No. 13, which had beenappropriated to Dr. Ferrolan. He assured both of them that dry clothingwould be provided for them, and both of them stammered forth theirobligations very profusely from between their chattering teeth. The doorswere closed upon them after they had been instructed to call upon thestewards outside for anything they needed.
The commander had taken the measure of the trio, and knew where to applyfor the clothing needed. The surgeon of the party was about the size of Mr.Sage, the chief steward of the ship; and he was asked to supply a fullsuit, including undergarments, shirt, socks, collar, and cravat. Hislordship was about the size of Mr. Woolridge, who was more than happy toprovide for the needs of this gentleman. Professor Giroud was a ratherslender person; and from his wardrobe came the suit and other furnishingsfor the titled Hindu. The clothing of each person was placed on a stool atthe door of his room, and he was notified where to obtain it.
"Mr. Sage, you understand by this time that we have sixteen places to betaken at the table," said Captain Ringgold to the chief steward.
"I think I had better set two tables, for sixteen would be rather crowdedin the space we use now," replied Mr. Sage, who was a Napoleon in hiscalling. "I propose to arrange them as they were at the big dinner you gaveat Aden."
"And while you are about it you may arrange for nineteen places at thetables," replied the captain; but he did not explain who were to occupy thethree he had added to the number.
The commander went to his private cabin, after he had visited thepilot-house, and made a diagram of the two tables, assigning places to eachof the party and the guests, but leaving three of the end places vacant. Heshowed it to Louis and Mrs. Belgrave, and they made no objection to the newarrangement. It was handed to the chief steward, who put a card with thename of the occupant of each seat on the plate in front of it. Therevolving chairs at the tables had to be all changed, and more added to it;and Stevens the carpenter, with his assistants from the crew, were busy foran hour making the change.
When the commander visited the music-room, he was unable to answer any ofthe questions of his passengers as to the details of the wreck of theTravancore, though he gave the names and quality of the three gentlemen whohad been invited to go below. The sleepers in the cabin had been aroused bythe erratic movements of the steamer before daylight, especially by thechange from rolling to pitching. There was a thundering roar of escapingsteam at times, and all of them had "turned out" to ascertain the cause ofthe commotion. Felix and Morris had been the first to go on deck, and theyhad informed the others of the nature of the event which had caused thecommotion on board.
The regular passengers had seen the strangers as they came down to thepromenade deck from the cutters. They were naturally filled with curiosityto ascertain who and what the trio were. One was a lord, another a sir, andthe third a surgeon; and this was all that was known to any one.
"Have we really a live lord on board, Felix?" asked Mrs. Blossom, as theywere waiting for breakfast in the music-room.
"He is not a dead one, sure," replied the Milesian, "though he would soonhave been a very dead one if we had not happened along when we did."
"One of them was a colored man," added the good lady.
"Sir Modava Rao!" exclaimed Felix. "He is not more than a shade darker thanyou are, Aunty; and he is a great man in the country we visit next. But dryup; the captain is going to say something."
The commander gave the names of the three distinguished persons who werethen in the cabin. It was very nearly breakfast-time, and the trio had hadabundant time to dress themselves in the garments provided for them, and herequested all the party to descend to the cabin, leading the way himself.They found the rescued party seated on the divans between the doors of thestate-rooms, and they all rose to their feet as soon as the commanderappeared.
They presented an entirely different appearance from what they did in theirdrabbled garments; for those who had supplied them with clothing hadbrought out their best clothes, and the three gentlemen seemed to be incondition to go to church. Lord Tremlyn hastened to the captain withextended hand as he stepped down upon the floor of the cabin.
"I desire to express my gratitude anew to you, and to the gentlemen whohave made us capable of coming into your presence in proper condition,"said his lordship, as the commander took his offered hand, which was wrungwith the utmost cordiality.
"So far as I am concerned, my Lord, I have done nothing but my duty; for Iam a sailor, and the true son of the ocean is always ready to sacrificeeven his life to save a shipwrecked brother of the sea," replied thecaptain.
"Then you are a true son of the ocean, Captain Ringgold, and I shallremember you as long as I live in my prayers!"
"So shall we all!" exclaimed Sir Modava, taking the hand of the commander.
"I indorse the sentiment," added Dr. Ferrolan.
"In regard to the clothing," said the commander, as he threw back his head,elevated his shoulders, and spread out his arms, so as to exhibit to itsfull extent the height and breadth of his stalwart form, "I was,unfortunately, unable to contribute to the supply of garments for yourparty; for mine on any one of you would have been like a shirt on ahandspike."
"But a London tailor could hardly have fitted us any better," replied thespokesman of the trio.
"I am happy to see you in such excellent condition so soon after thedisaster. With your permission, gentlemen, I desire to introduce you toeach of my passengers, promising to indicate those whose garments youwear," continued the commander.
"With the greatest pleasure," replied Lord Tremlyn; and the other two bowedtheir acquiescence.
"This, gentlemen, is Mr. Belgrave, the owner of the Guardian-Mother, thesteam-yacht in which he is making a voyage round the world."
"I am extremely pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Belgrave," addedLord Tremlyn, as he took the hand of the young millionaire. "We owe ourlives to the fortunate presence of your magnificent steam-yacht in thispart of the Arabian Sea. Permit me to present to you Prince Modava, who hasbeen knighted for his distinguished services to the British Crown, and whoprefers to be known by his English title."
"That's your colored man!" whispered Felix to Mrs. Blossom.
"Good gracious!" exclaimed the motherly lady. "A live prince!"
"It affords me very great pleasure to become acquainted with you, Mr.Belgrave," with a smile so sweet and expressive that it ravished the heartsof the ladies. "I am under a burden of obligation to you which I shallnever be able to repay; and I hope I shall be able to render you someslight service in assisting you to see India, for I learn that you arebound to Bombay."
"I thank you, Sir Modava; and we shall gratefully accept any favors you mayextend to us."
"Let me add, my Lord, that Mr. Belgrave pulled the stroke oar in the boatwhich picked you up after you had sent our first cutter to the relief ofSir Modava," interposed the commander.
"Then I shall have an additional reason to remember with gratitude theyoung gentleman," added Lord Tremlyn.
"Mrs. Belgrave, gentlemen, the mother of our owner," the captain proceeded,as he took the lady by the arm.
"I congratulate you, madam, on being the mother of such a noble son; fornot many young men with the fortune he has at his command would pull an oarin such a gale, such a storm, even to save his fellow-beings from perishingin the angry waves," said his lordship, as he took the hand of the lady."Blessed be the mother of such a boy!"
The members of the Woolridge family were next presented to the trio; andthe distinguished strangers had something pleasant to say to each of them.The "live lord" was only twenty-eight years old, and Sir Modava but thirty,while Dr. Ferrolan was forty-six; and all of them seemed to be greatlyimpressed, and even startled, when Miss Blanche dawned upon them; for shewas as beautiful to them as she was to everybody else, and they seemed tobe unwilling to allow her to make room for the others to be introduced.
Every person in the cabin seemed to enter into the spirit of the occasion;and the wearers of the borrowed clothing, as the owners of the garmentswere indicated, brought forth many humorous remarks from both sides, whichit would be pleasant to report if space permitted. The ceremony wasfinished in due time, though it was rather a long time.
"We are not accustomed to the companionship of titled personages," said thecommander at its conclusion. "But we are eminently a social party, and wedesire our guests to make themselves as much at home on board of theGuardian-Mother as if they owned her, and were running her for their ownpleasure."
"Thank you, Captain Ringgold. Titles are not men, and we know that you areall republicans. If we do not make ourselves worthy of the generous welcomeyou have extended to us, we shall not ask any consideration on accountof the titles that have fallen upon us through the nature of ourconstitutional government. I believe that we all stand on the same levelbefore our Maker; and whatever social distinctions prevail in our country,they do not exempt any Briton from being a gentleman and an honest man,"replied Lord Tremlyn. And his remarks were warmly applauded by both Englishand Americans; and the gentleman bowed his thanks for this appreciation ofhis sentiments.
At a nod from the captain the bell was rung for breakfast. Taking the "livelord" by the arm, he conducted him to the seat next him on his right. Louisconducted Sir Modava to the place on the commander's left, and placed hismother next to him. It was found impracticable to heed the names that hadbeen placed on the plates, for it would have taken too much time. Louistook Miss Blanche to the place next to his mother, and seated himself ather right.
Dr. Hawkes took possession of Dr. Ferrolan, and placed himself and UncleMoses on each side of him. The professor took charge of Mrs. Blossom. Thecaptain invited those who remained standing to take such seats as theychose; and when all were placed at the table, he reverently said a briefgrace. Everybody was unusually social; but as the commander had announcedthat the particulars of the wreck of the Travancore would be detailed indue time by Dr. Ferrolan, the subject was ignored, and the voyage of theGuardian-Mother was the general subject of conversation. The chief stewardhad "spread himself" on the breakfast, and the meal was far more elaboratethan usual; and the wrecked trio proved that they had excellent appetites.
With the rising of the sun the gale had broken, and by the time the partyin the cabin left the table, the north-east monsoon was soothing the oceanwith its gentle blast. The angry sea was rapidly becoming good-naturedagain, though the waves were still high enough to give the ship an uneasymotion. But all the party, and no less the trio added to their number, hadtheir sea-legs on, and no reasonable motion disturbed any of them.
The two engineers from the wreck of the Travancore had been as carefullylooked after as the strangers in the main cabin. They had been suppliedwith clothing, and they had breakfasted in the mess-room on the best thelarder afforded. The third person brought in by the second cutter was theHindu cook of the wrecked steamer; but he spoke English very well, and hadbeen otherwise Europeanized. He had been turned over to Baldy Bickling, thesecond cook of the ship, who had clothed and fed him, and seemed to beunable to do enough for him.
The three gentlemen in the cabin were as sociable as could be desired; andthough it was Sunday morning, the scene at the tables had been veryanimated.
When the meal was finished, the guests at their own request were shown overthe ship; and they were not at all reserved in the expression of theiradmiration at the elegance with which she had been fitted up, and not lessat the convenience of all the arrangements.
Lord Tremlyn was particularly interested in the educational feature of theGuardian-Mother, as Captain Ringgold explained his pet scheme in thelibrary, or study, abaft the state-cabin, as it was called on the plan ofthe vessel prepared by the gentleman for whom she had been built. Theguests looked at the titles of the books, considerable additions to whichhad been made at Cairo, Alexandria, and elsewhere.
"This is not a library of romances," said his lordship with a smile, as hetook in the encyclopædias, books of travel, scientific treatises, andgeographical works.
"No, sir; they cover a broad range of useful information," replied thecommander. "Those of our company who are disposed to read novels supplythemselves with that kind of literature. Quite a number of them arelecturers"--
"Lecturers!" exclaimed the distinguished guest. "Then a large number ofyour passengers must be scientific people."
"Not at all, sir; the large majority of them are men and women of goodeducation, and Professor Giroud is a learned Frenchman who has been alecturer at various colleges and schools. Dr. Hawkes is a leading member ofhis profession, and is sometimes a lecturer in various medical and surgicalinstitutions in New York. Both of these gentlemen are making this voyage toregain their health, injured by over-work."
"You are fortunate in having such men on board," added his lordship.
"But most of our lecturers are persons of fair education, and only three ofthem have been graduated from the university. We assign subjects to themsome time in advance, and they prepare themselves for the occasion. Thisgives the unprofessional people an interest in the exercises they would nototherwise have. For example, Mr. Woolridge"--
"I beg pardon, but he is the father of the beautiful young lady who wasseated at the table next to Mr. Belgrave, is he not?" interposed LordTremlyn.
"The same, sir. At first he considered the lectures a bore; and doubtlessthey were such to him, for he had been a sporting-man and a yachtsman,though he has since abandoned the races. But I gave him as a subject thehorses and other animals of Egypt. He did very well with it in his peculiarway; and since that he is one of the most interested in the lectures,--orperhaps I had better call them simply talks," added the commander.
"Then this voyage will create a new taste for him."
"I have no doubt of it. He is a Fifth Avenue millionaire, and he is able tocultivate any taste he may acquire. Mr. Belgrave is one of our most usefulspeakers, for he studies his subjects very faithfully. He is a devotedstudent, speaks French fluently, and gets along very well with Spanish.This voyage is a college course for him."
"Do your ladies take an interest in these lectures, Captain Ringgold?"
"All of them, though I have assigned a subject to only one of them. Theyall manifest their interest by asking questions. Like myself, Mrs. Belgraveand Mrs. Blossom are Methodists, while the Woolridge family areEpiscopalians, though none of us are bigoted. The sisters of my church arevery favorable to religious topics, such as were suggested on the Nile; andwhen we were near the land of Goshen and the Sinai peninsula Mrs. Belgravespoke to us in this connection. Mrs. Blossom is one of the "salt of theearth," a very good woman, very religious, and her studies have beenconfined to the Bible and her denominational newspapers. Her education wasneglected, and she is rather tonguey, so that she asks curious questions;but we all esteem her very highly, though her American peculiarities mayseem very odd to you."
"I have known similar people in England, and your description of her leadsme to respect the lady," replied the titled gentleman, who appeared to bevery democratic so far as homely merit was concerned.
Dr. Hawkes had taken his professional brother in charge, and Louis, SirModava, as the commander had Lord Tremlyn, and they were showing them overthe ship. We need not follow them or repeat their explanations; but theyfinally reached the promenade deck, where all the officers were presentedto the guests of the steamer. At Conference Hall the three couples met, andthe lectures were again commented upon; for this subject was uppermost inthe mind of the commander.
"Do you have a lecture to-day, Captain Ringgold?" asked his lordship.
"No, sir; this is Sunday, and we keep the Sabbath in a reasonable manner,and the conference is usually omitted on this day, though when the subjectis appropriate for the day the lecture is given. The professor is a RomanCatholic; but we have not had the slightest friction in regard to any man'screed. The owner and voyager in our consort, the white ship abreast of us,whose boat picked up five men of your ship's company, is a Mohammedan,though the captain and his wife are Congregationalists. We have a religiousservice on board at eleven o'clock, to which your party are invited, thoughno umbrage will be taken if you prefer to absent yourselves."
"I shall certainly attend," replied his lordship; and his companions saidthe same. "Have you a chaplain?"
"We have not, and I am obliged to act in that capacity for the want of abetter," replied the captain. "We Methodists are all trained to 'speak inmeeting,' whether we have the gift or not."
At the appointed time the gong was sounded for divine service, and fourwhistles were given, that all on board might hear the call. Chairs had beenprovided for the guests, and all the party were seated when six bellsstruck. The two engineers of the Travancore were seated on the platformwith, the cook, and all the officers and seamen who could be spared stoodwithin hearing.
Most of the party were provided with tune-books, and the captain gave out"The Life-Boat." Books were passed to the strangers, and the commander ledoff in the singing. Lord Tremlyn and Dr. Ferrolan joined in with vigorousbass voices. Captain Ringgold then followed with an extemporaneous prayer,in which he poured forth his thanks to the God who rules the sea and theland for the mercy that had spared their brothers from other lands from themighty power of the raging billows. Instead of reading a printed sermon asusual, he gave an impromptu address relating to the event of the earlymorning. Its bearing was very religious, and it was as eloquent as it washomely compared with studied discourses.
After the singing of "Nearer, my God, to thee," the service closed; but thepeople were invited to keep their seats. Without any explanation of whatwas to follow, the captain introduced Lord Tremlyn.
"Mr. Commander, and ladies and gentlemen, I am utterly unable to express myhigh appreciation of the religious service in which we have all assisted.It went to my heart, and I am sure we who have been saved from perishing inthe stormy billows joined heartily with him who officiated in giving thanksto God for our preservation," his lordship began.
"We are all profoundly impressed by the kindness, the unboundedhospitality, which have been extended to us in our unfortunate, I may sayour forlorn, condition; and I am sure that not one of us, from the amateurcaptain of the Travancore, to the coolies who were saved by the Blanche,will ever cease to bless the commander, the officers, the crew, and thepassengers of the Guardian-Mother for the overwhelming kindness and carethey have all bestowed upon us. Though we are not at the festive board, Iventure to propose to you the health of Captain Ringgold, as therepresentative of all to whom we are so gratefully indebted."
"For he's a jolly good fellow!
For he's a jolly good fellow!
For he's a jolly good fellow!
So say we all of us!"
To the astonishment, and perhaps to the disgust, of the two Methodistladies, Dr. Ferrolan struck up this refrain, singing with a vigor whichproved his earnestness. Sir Modava, the engineers, and the cook immediatelyjoined in with him. Dr. Hawkes, Uncle Moses, Mr. Woolridge, and others,because they approved the sentiment of the words, struck in at the secondline, and it became a full chorus before the last line was reached.
It is an English custom to follow a toast to a distinguished personage withthis refrain, as expressive of the sentiments of the company; and though itwas not adapted to Sunday use, it was sincere and heartfelt on the part ofall who sang it. Captain Ringgold rose and bowed his thanks, and LordTremlyn spoke again:--
"It is very natural that you should desire to know something about theguests who have been so fortuitously cast into your kindly embrace, andespecially in regard to the calamity which has made us the recipients ofyour generous hospitality; and Captain Ringgold gives us this opportunityto gratify your reasonable curiosity. I am no orator, like my brother, thecommander of the Guardian-Mother, and I shall call upon my friend andsecretary, who has been travelling with me in India for his health, to giveyou the desired information." Though it was Sunday, even the commanderjoined in the applause that greeted the doctor when he mounted the rostrum.
"Mr. Commander, and ladies and gentlemen, I beg to inform you that my LordTremlyn is quite as capable of speaking for himself as I am for him; but asI am called upon to make this explanation, I shall do so with pleasure. Ihave the honor to be the secretary of the Right Honorable Viscount Tremlyn,the son of the noble earl who is Secretary of State for India. He has beenon a mission in the interests of his father to obtain certain information,though he holds no official position.
"Sir Modava Rao has held several official positions in India, and isperhaps more familiar with the country and its British and nativegovernments than any other man. He has been travelling with Lord Tremlyn,to assist him in obtaining the information connected with his unofficialmission. My lord has completed the work assigned to him; but the viceroywished him to visit the Imam of Muscat unofficially for a certain purpose Iam not at liberty to state.
"In a small steam-yacht owned by Sir Modava, the most devoted friend of hislordship, in which he had been all around the peninsula, and up several ofits rivers, we embarked for Muscat, and safely reached that country. Thenthe viscount decided to proceed to Aden, where he had important business;for he intended to return to England by the Euphrates route, in order toinform himself in regard to the navigation of the river. We sailed forAden, believing we should have the calm and pleasant weather of thenorth-east monsoon.
"Yesterday we encountered the gale from the south-west, which was veryunusual. But the Travancore was an able seaboat, and we went along verywell until we were run into by a steamer in the darkness and mist earlythis morning. The side of the little steamer was stove in, and she began tofill. We put on our life-preservers, and prepared for the worst. Westretched a life-line fore and aft, and listened to the gurgling watersbelow deck. Suddenly, when she was partly filled with water, she capsized.We clung to the life-line, which unhitched forward.
"Of course we expected she would go down; but she did not for severalhours. We had our life-preservers on, and we made fast the lines forward,which saved us from being washed off the bottom of the vessel. I had arevolver in my pocket, and when I saw the port light of your steamer, Ifired it, and we all shouted at the top of our lungs.
"We could hear the air and the water bubbling and hissing under us attimes, and it was understood that the confined air above the water in thehull had kept her afloat. But this air had all escaped as theGuardian-mother approached us, and with no warning she went to the bottom.We were floated by our life-preservers till your boats picked us up, thoughwe were fearfully shaken and tossed about by the waves. Our gallantsaviours know how we were rescued--all honor and glory to them!"
The doctor finished his explanation and took his seat.
"Our log-book indicates that we passed a steamer to the northward of us atfour bells in the mid-watch," said Captain Ringgold, when Dr. Ferrolanfinished his narrative. "She was headed about west by south; and verylikely it was the one which ran into the Travancore, for no other wasreported."
"She was a vessel of about four hundred tons," added the viscount. "I wasin the pilot-house at the time, though the weather was so thick that Icould hardly make her out as she slipped off from our starboard bow, andwent on her course."
"Didn't she hail you, and offer to stand by you?"inquired the commander.
"I heard something like a shout coming from her, and in a moment she wasbeyond hailing-distance. I supposed we were going to the bottom in a fewminutes, and had my hands full, so that I had no time to look out for her,though I supposed she would come about and render assistance; but we didnot hear from her again."
"It is possible that she did so, and was unable to find you, for it wasvery dark, and the sea was very rough," suggested the commander. "But herconduct looks heathenish, and I will warrant that she was not an Englishsteamer; for the British tars never pass by their fellow-beings on theocean in distress without rendering assistance."
"It was a new experience to me," added his lordship, "and perhaps Ineglected something I ought to have done."
"I think not; for your first and supreme duty at that time was to look outfor the safety of your own vessel," replied Captain Ringgold.
"So far as that was concerned, I believe I did all I could do to repair themischief," continued the viscount. "The chief engineer reported to me thatthe side of the yacht was stove in near the bow, and that the water waspouring into the hull. He suggested that a double sailcloth be hauled underthe vessel. We had no sails, but we promptly made use of an awning, and wesucceeded in drawing it under the bottom, and covering the aperture."
"That was precisely the right thing to do," said the commander.
"Probably it enabled us to float a short time longer than we shouldotherwise have done; but the yacht had taken in too much water before weapplied the remedy, for suddenly, on the top of a huge wave, she made aheavy roll, capsized, and came up with her keel in the air. I am onlyafraid that I did not do all that might have been done."
"I could have done no more if I had been there with all my ship's company,"the commander declared; for the amateur captain of the Travancore was aconscientious man, and desired to relieve his mind of all blame for hisconduct; and he had really done all that could be done, though the remedyapplied was a failure.
"My chief engineer was an experienced man, and I followed his counsels ineverything," added the viscount.
"His lordship did all that it was possible for any man to do in such acase," interposed the chief engineer of the Travancore, who was seated onthe platform. "I can only thank God that we were all saved, and I am surethat no one is to blame."
"I am told that our cabin waiter and four coolies were picked up by theother steamer," said Lord Tremlyn, as he looked about him.
"That is true, sir," interposed Mr. Boulong, who stood on the deck by theplatform. "Sir Modava told me there were eleven persons on board of thewreck. I saw that number saved myself."
The details of the wreck of the Travancore were fully explained, thoughindividuals continued to talk about it until lunch-time. At the mid-dayrepast the commander gave up his plan of seating the party, and invited themembers of it to select their own places; and they all took those they hadoccupied at breakfast. In the afternoon the rough sea had almost entirelysubsided under the influence of the north-east monsoon, and the motion ofthe steamer was easy and pleasant.
The company assembled in the music-room after a walk on deck, and thecaptain, with the three notable guests, joined them after they had finishedtheir cigars; for all of them smoked. The "Gospel Hymns" and other hymn andtune books were distributed. It was the usual time for singing, and thetrio from the Travancore contributed largely to the volume of tone on theoccasion. The new third officer had been stationed in the watch with Mr.Boulong, and Scott had the first part of the afternoon watch. The officersand engineers not on duty, as well as the members of the party from thewreck, gathered at the windows of the music-room, and the commander invitedthem to take seats in the apartment, thus adding still more to the volumeof the harmony. The music was all sacred, and nothing purely secular waspermitted by the captain.
Dr. Ferrolan, who had a fine bass voice, was invited to sing "Rocked in theCradle of the Deep," at the suggestion of Lord Tremlyn. His lordship sang"Oh that I had Wings!" and Mrs. Belgrave, who was the pianist of theoccasion, gave a solo, while Sir Modava sang the "Missionary Hymn," whichis still a favorite in England and America, translated into the Hindulanguage. The party who could not understand him followed in thehymn-books.
"I wonder who wrote that beautiful hymn," said Mrs. Blossom, when there wasa pause as the singer finished. "It says Heber in my book, but I don't knowwho he was."
"Reginald Heber was an English clergyman and poet, born in 1783. He was astudent in an Oxford college; I forget which," replied Sir Modava.
"Brasenose," prompted the viscount.
"As a student in this college he wrote 'Palestine,' for which he obtainedthe prize; and it still holds a place in the literature of England. He soonobtained a living, and occupied a prominent position among the clergy ofhis native island. In 1823 he was made Bishop of Calcutta.
"Three years later, in the midst of his zealous labors in the service ofhis Master, he died at Trichinopoly of apoplexy, greatly lamented. Perhaps
'From Greenland's icy mountains,
From India's coral strand,'
which you have sung this afternoon, is the widest-known of Bishop Heber'shymns; but will you indulge me if I ask you to sing another of them, whichI find in the book I hold in my hand?--
'Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid.'"
The hymn was sung to Mozart's music by about twenty voices, and the effectwas exceedingly agreeable. Sir Modava seemed to be in a rapture, as thepiece was his favorite, and came from one who was connected with his nativeland.
He was a rather tall and slender man, and all the ladies declared that hewas very handsome; and his slightly dusky hue added to, rather than tookfrom, the beauty of his countenance. He wore a small mustache, but no otherbeard. He was a nervous and highly sensitive person, and there was always asmile on his face. He had already become a favorite among the gentlemen aswell as the ladies.
Another meeting was held in the evening, which was varied by some speakingon the part of the gentlemen, including the guests, Uncle Moses, Dr.Hawkes, and the commander. At the conclusion of the exercises, Sir Modavabegged the company to close by singing another of Bishop Heber's verses,which he repeated from memory, though it was in one of the books:--
"God that madest earth and heaven,
Darkness and light;
Who the day for toil hast given,
For rest the night,--
May thine angel guards defend us,
Slumber sweet thy mercy send us,
This livelong night!"
With this musical prayer on their lips, the company retired. Most of themwent to their staterooms; for the guests were very tired, and the regularinmates of the cabin had left their berths at an unusually early hour inthe morning. All of them, whether technically religious or not, had beengreatly impressed by the music and the speaking of the evening. Dr.Ferrolan was a more inveterate smoker than his companions in misfortune,and he went with the commander to the deck, and was invited to thecaptain's cabin, where he was provided with cigars.
"As you have already learned, Doctor, I am greatly interested in theeducational feature of my ship," said Captain Ringgold, after they hadconversed a while. "I desire to make it as attractive as possible, and Ihave studied to vary it all I could."
"You have turned your ship into a noble and useful institution," repliedthe guest. "Lord Tremlyn and Sir Modava have both spoken in the highestterms of this feature. And these lectures are mainly for the benefit of Mr.Belgrave, your owner?"
"The plan was introduced principally on his account; but it has grown intoan exercise for all the cabin party, and most of them are speakers as wellas listeners; for it makes all of them feel a greater interest in theconferences," replied the commander. "To-morrow we are to begin upon India,dwelling upon its geography, civilization, government, and history. Now, Iwish to ask you, Doctor, if there would be any impropriety in my asking themembers of your party berthed in the cabin to take part in theseexercises?"
"Not the slightest, Captain Ringgold."
"Probably you are all better informed in regard to the affairs of thepeninsula than any three other men I could find if I were to search forthem here and in England," added the commander.
"You are not far from right, sir, as far as my associates are concerned;for officially or unofficially they have visited every part of India, andstudied up in detail everything relating to the people, the country, thearmy, and the institutions, both native and British."
"As you have been with Lord Tremlyn in his travels, you must be veryfamiliar with the affairs of India, Doctor."
"Reasonably familiar; but not so well acquainted with them as mycompanions," answered the physician. "Perhaps I do not violate anyconfidence in saying that his lordship and his Hindu friend had aconversation just before dinner to-day, in which they were discussing inwhat manner they could best assist you in seeing India. As you suggest,they are the two men who know more of India than any others I think of, notexcepting the governor-general and his subordinates."
"I came to this conclusion when I learned the nature of their mission."
"Sir Modava is personally acquainted with all the native princes; and heand his lordship are regarded by them as second only to the viceroy, as heis often unofficially designated. Every door in India, except those of afew mosques and Parsee temples, open to them, and procure for them andtheir friends all the privileges that can reasonably be expected. Werespect the religious exclusiveness of the sects, and do not ask them toexempt our people from the operation of their rules and customs. TheBritish government rules India in the spirit of kindness and toleration,and interferes with the religious, or even political, institutions only sofar as humanity and progressive civilization require. Both of them proposeto volunteer to attend you in your travels in the peninsula, if agreeableto you."
"We should be delighted to have such conductors, and I shall gladly pay allthe expenses incurred," the commander declared, with an earnestness thatattested his sincerity.
"The expense is a matter of no consequence to the two gentlemen; for bothof them would be multimillionaires in America, though pounds don't count sonumerously as dollars. I am not at all sure they wouldn't gladly pay theexpenses of your party as well as their own; but I am not authorized tospeak on this point. I advise you not to mention expense to either of myassociates. But you can form no idea of the depths of gratitude in thehearts of the three quartered in your cabin for the timely and skilfulservice you rendered in saving us from certain death. I base my views onwhat I have heard them say, and what I feel myself," said the doctor withenthusiasm. "I am certain that any suggestion in regard to expense wouldhurt the feelings of my friends and companions."
"I thank you, Dr. Ferrolan, for the frankness with which you have spoken,and I shall assuredly profit by what you have said," added the commander.
"In what I said about expense I have been moved by what I should do myselfif I had the control of the matter, and were as able as Sir Modava and hislordship to incur a heavy outlay; though I have a sufficient income tosupport a bachelor, I am a poor man compared with them."
The interview closed, and the doctor retired at the end of his cigar. Thenext morning Captain Ringgold obtained the ready assent of the twogentlemen to take part in the conference appointed for half-past nine, andlater that of Dr. Ferrolan.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it affords me very great pleasure to present to youSir Modava Rao, who has kindly consented to give you a lesson on thegeography of India," said Captain Ringgold when the company were seated inConference Hall.
This announcement was greeted with unusually stormy applause, in which theladies joined, and then flourished their handkerchiefs as an additionalwelcome to the handsome Hindu.
"I have also the pleasure to inform you that Lord Tremlyn and Dr. Ferrolanhave indulgently permitted me to call upon them for the instruction inregard to India which they are so abundantly competent to give us,"continued the commander with a very pleasant smile upon his dignifiedcountenance. "Their subjects have been arranged, and I congratulate you andmyself upon the satisfaction with which we shall all listen to these ableexponents of the present condition of this interesting country. Sir ModavaRao, ladies and gentlemen."
The Hindu gentleman was again received with vigorous and long-continuedapplause. His handsome face, the expression of which was intensified by thefascinating smile that played upon his black eyes and around his finelymoulded mouth, was not wasted upon the ladies, or even upon the gentlemen;and it was a considerable time before the plaudits of the company permittedhim to speak; and he stood upon the rostrum bowing so sweetly that he wasirresistible to the assembly.
"Mr. Commander, ladies and gentlemen," he began, "I have no claim upon youfor the exceeding warmth of the reception you have given me, and I thankyou with all my heart for all your kindness to me, a shipwrecked strangeron board of your ship. I shall give you as briefly and clearly as I canwhat I know about the geography of India. I understand that this was thesubject to be treated by Captain Ringgold; and I am confident that he couldhave done it quite as well as I can, though I am 'to the manner born.' ButI will proceed with the subject, without wasting any more of your valuabletime.
"India is a vast territory, forming the southern peninsula of Asia, with apopulation, including the native states, of very nearly two hundred andfifty-four million people," continued the speaker, taking a paper from hispocket. "I have received a hint from your worthy commander that I ought togive a comparison of my figures with those of the United States, and ourpopulation is about four times as great as that of your country.
"The area in square miles is more than a million and a half, enough largerthan your country to cover the State of Georgia;" and the speaker indulgedin a cheerful smile. "I did not know what I am saying now till thismorning; for I have been studying the 'Statesman's Year-Book,' in order tocomply with the commander's request.
"The name of India came originally from the Persians, and was first appliedto the territory about the Sindhu River, its Sanscrit name, the earlyliterary language of India. A slight change, and the river was called theHind, which is still the language of the natives, while the country aroundit is Hind, from which comes Hindu, and Hindustan; but these designationsreally belong to a province, though they are now given very generally tothe whole peninsula," continued Sir Modava, turning to the enormous mapwhich had been painted by Mr. Gaskette and his assistants.
"Hind, or Hindustan, is the territory near the Jumna and Ganges Rivers, ofwhich more will be said later," as he pointed out these great watercourses,and then drew his pointer around Sind, now called Sinde, on the border ofBeloochistan.
"How do you spell Hindustan, Sir Modava?" inquired Mrs. Belgrave." "We usedto write it Hindoostan when I went to school."
"I think the orthography of the word is a matter of fashion, for the letteru in most European and Asiatic languages is pronounced like theEnglishoo; but it is now almost universally spelled with au. It is now almost generally absorbed in the name of India, and theapplication of the term to the whole of the peninsula is entirelyerroneous; and English authorities usually pronounce it so.
"The name India is now given to the peninsula lying to the eastward of theBay of Bengal. Siam and Tongking are in native possession, or under theprotection of France, while Burma is a part of the British Indian Empire.It was only last year that the French had a brush with Siam, and materiallystrengthened their position there; and it will not be a calamity when allthese half-civilized nations are subjected to the progressive influenceswhich prevail in India proper, in spite of all that is said about the greedfor power on the part of the great nations of the world.
"But I am wandering from my subject. India is about 1,900 miles in extentfrom north to south, and 1,600 in breadth in latitude 25° north. Theboundaries of this vast country, established by nature for the most part,are the Bay of Bengal (now called a sea in the southern portion) on thesouth-east, and the Arabian Sea on the south-west. On the north theHimalaya Mountains separate it from China, Thibet, and Turkestan; but someof these countries are called by various names, as Chinese Tartary,Mongolia, Eastern Turkestan, and so on. On the west are Beloochistan andAfghanistan, and on the east Siam and China, though the boundaries weresomewhat disturbed last summer in the former."
"We used to pronounce the name of your great northern range of mountainsHi-ma-lay'-a; you do not call it so, Sir Modava," said the commander.
"I have always called it Hi-mal'-a-ya, thea after the accentedsyllable being very slightly sounded; this is the pronunciation of all theIndian officials," replied the speaker, with his pleasant smile. "Thesemountains consist of a number of ranges; they extend 1,500 miles east andwest, and are the sources of the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra. Thehighest is Mount Everest, the loftiest mountain in the world, 29,002 feet;and I could mention several other peaks which overtop any of the Andes.Himalaya means 'the abode of snow,' and the foot-hills are the resorts ofthe wealthy to obtain a cool climate in the summer.
"India is remarkable for its fertility, and its luxuriant growth of plantsof all sorts, from the productions of the torrid zone to those of thetemperate in the hilly regions of the north. It is abundantly watered bythe Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Jumna, the Indus, the Godavari, and othergreat streams. The Ganges, though it does not vie with the great rivers ofAmerica, is 1,557 miles in length. To the natives it is a sacred river, andthe land through which it flows is holy ground. To bathe in its waterswashes away sin; to die and be buried on its shores procures a freeadmission to the eternal paradise of heaven.
"The Ganges Canal, constructed in 1854, is 445 miles long, and is used forboth navigation and irrigation. Doubtless you will sail upon it, and learnmore about it. Near the Indus are two deserts, one 500 miles long, and theother 400, though the grains may be cultivated in the valleys and other lowplaces; and perhaps these regions will be reclaimed by artificialirrigation. In ancient times gold-mines were worked in the south-west, andthe currency consisted of this metal instead of silver, as at the presenttime; but the veins were exhausted, and the Mysore mines are all that isleft of them.
"I suppose you Americans have been accustomed to regard India as anexceedingly hot country; and this is quite true of a considerable portionof it. In a region extending from the almost tropical island of Ceylon,nearly 2,000 miles to the snow-capped summits of the highest mountains inthe world, there must necessarily be a great variety of climate. India hasthree well-defined seasons,--the cool, the hot, and the rainy. The coolmonths are November, December, January, and a part of February.
"The rainy season comes in the middle of the summer, earlier or later, andends in September. Winter is the pleasantest season of the year; butautumn, unlike England, is hot, moist, and unhealthy. Monsoon comes from anArabian or Persian word, meaning a season; and you have learned somethingabout it by this time. It is applied to the south-west winds of the IndianOcean, changing to the north or north-east in the winter. This windproduces rain, and when they infrequently fail, portions of the country aresubjected to famines.
"At an elevation of 7,200 feet the temperature is an average of 58°Fahrenheit, as I shall give all readings of the thermometer. At Madras, onthe south-east coast, it is 83°; at Bombay, 84°; Calcutta, 79°; and inDelhi, in latitude 29° (about the same as the northern part of Florida), itis 72°. These annual average temperatures will not seem high to you; but Ibeg you not to form a wrong impression, for the heat of summer is generallyoppressive, and the average temperature is considerably reduced by thecoolness of the winter months. In Delhi, quoted at 72°, the glass oftenindicates over 100°.
"The rain varies greatly in different regions. In the north-east it exceeds75 inches, and in one remarkable year 600 inches fell at an observatory innorth-east Bengal. In some of the western parts it is only 30 inches, whileit is hardly 15 on the southern shores of the Indus. I think I must havesufficiently wearied you, ladies and gentlemen."
"No! No! No!" almost shouted the company with one voice; and perhaps therewas something so fascinating in the manner of the distinguished Hindu whichexorcised all weariness from their minds and bodies.
"Thank you with all my heart; but really you must permit me to retire, forI am somewhat fatigued, if you are not, and I shall be happy to contributeto your entertainment at another time," replied the speaker; and he retiredfrom the platform.
"I shall next call upon Mr. Woolridge, who will speak to you of the faunaof India," said the commander.
The magnate of the Fifth Avenue, not much accustomed to speaking in public,was somewhat diffident about addressing the company in the presence ofthose who were so well versed in Indian lore; but he conquered his modesty,and took his place on the stand. In expressing his appreciation of the lastspeaker, he mentioned that he occupied a difficult position in the presenceof those who knew India as they knew their alphabet, and begged them toconsider his talk as addressed only to the Americans of the party. Theguests declared that they should be very glad to hear him; and he bowed,smiled, and proceeded with his remarks:--
"Fortunately I have not much to say, for it will consist mainly of themention of the names of the principal animals in the fauna of India," hebegan.
"Are all the animals fawns?" asked Mrs. Blossom, who evidently mistook themeaning of the term used.
"No, madam; some of them are snakes. But I shall refer the serpents to SirModava; for I am very anxious to hear the views of a native on thatsubject. The cattle are cows, buffaloes, and oxen, the two latter used asdraft animals, and as agricultural workers. Bulls and cows are sacredbeasts, and the Hindus never kill them for food."
"Except Christianized natives, like myself," interpolated Sir Modava.
"Thank you. The native breeds of horses have been greatly improved underthe direction of the horse-fancying Briton; but they are never used on thefarm. Ponies, donkeys, and mules are in use for various purposes. There areplenty of sheep and goats--so there are of hogs; but the higher of themiddle class, like the Jews, regard them as unclean beasts, and would assoon take poison as eat the flesh of a pig. I don't sympathize with them,for I like roast pork when it is well brought up and kept clean.
"Monkeys are as tame as they are mischievous; and doubtless they are tamebecause they are held to be sacred, and have a better time than they do inAfrica and elsewhere. But all the fun of the fauna is concentrated in thewild animals, such as the tiger (about the gamiest 'critter' that exists),the panther, cheetah, boar, bear, elephant, and rhinoceros. Two kinds ofcrocodiles (not alligators) live in the mud and water of the rivers; and Isuppose they snap up a man or woman when they get a chance, as they do inthe Philippine Islands and other countries. I advise you all to give them awide berth; for their bite is worse than their bark, like that of some menwe know of.
"There are plenty of deer to furnish a dainty and healthy diet for themeat-eating wild animals, including the lion, which is not much of a kingof beasts here, the hyena, the lynx, and the wolf. All of these last take aback seat compared with the tiger. Game and other birds would make ahunter's paradise if it were not for the snakes and tigers, which areunpleasant to an American when his piece is loaded with only birdshot.
"In the towns on the sea the fish are excellent, and an important industryis curing and smoking them for the markets. In the mountain streams thefishing is very good; but in the warm waters of the streams on the plains,as in Egypt, the fish are soft, and neither palatable nor healthy. Leavingthe snakes to the tender mercies of the gentleman from Travancore, I willmake my bow," which he did, and stepped down.
He was politely applauded, and the strangers seemed to enjoy his discoursemore than the rest of the party.
The middle of the day was devoted to recreation. It was a very pleasant dayafter the storm, and the ship had again struck into the north-east monsoon.While most of the company were planking the promenade deck, it was observedthat Lord Tremlyn and Dr. Ferrolan had retired to the library; for thoughthey were very familiar with India and its people, they desired to freshentheir memory among the books.
Miss Blanche was walking the deck with Louis on one side of her, and SirModava on the other. All the ladies had declared over and over again thatthe latter was a very fascinating man; but he was a person of discernment,and he could not very well help seeing that the young millionaire had aspecial interest in the beautiful young lady.
Like a small boy, the young couple ate sugar because they liked it, and notto swell the saccharine importance of the article, and probably never gavea thought to the natural results of their daily intimacy. It is absolutelycertain that they had never indulged in any actual "spooning;" for Louishad never proceeded far enough to call the fair maiden by her given name,without "Miss" before it, precisely as everybody else in the cabin did.They were entirely respectful to each other, and she invariably addressedhim as Mr. Belgrave.
They were not as familiar as brother and sister, and doubtless neither ofthem reasoned over the situation, or considered to what it might lead.Though Miss Blanche was with Louis most of the time when they were on deck,and walked and rode with him when they were on shore, she was just as kindand pleasant with all the members of the "Big Four;" and when Louis wasengaged in a special study, as when he was preparing his "talk for theconference," Scott or Felix found a chance for a promenade with her. Buteverybody else on board understood the situation better than those the mostintimately concerned. But no one had any objection, not even Mrs. Belgraveor the parents of Miss Blanche.
At half-past three in the afternoon the signal was given for the meeting inConference Hall. The ladies would have been glad to hear Sir Modava again;but the commander invited the speakers, and kept his own counsels, so thatthe party did not know whom they were to hear first.
"There is still a great deal to be said about India, and I am trying todispose of some of the dryest subjects first. Dr. Ferrolan has veryunselfishly consented to make a martyr of himself in the treatment of oneof these topics, though I hope another time to assign him something more tohis mind. Dr. Ferrolan."
This gentleman was received almost as enthusiastically as the handsomeHindu; for the Americans were disposed to treat all their guests withuniform courtesy, though it was hardly possible not to make an exception infavor of Sir Modava.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have to admit that, with the limitations theexcellent commander has put upon me, there is force in what he said aboutthe dryness of the subject. I delight in botany; and it will not be myfault that I fail to interest you, especially the ladies, who are alwaysand everywhere fond of flowers. But I bow to the mandate of the supremeauthority here, and will do the best I can with the broad topic with whichI am to struggle. But I will do you the justice to believe that you allwant to know something more about the fauna of India.
"I have to observe in the first place that almost one-half of this greatregion is tropical, though not a square foot of it is within three hundredand fifty miles of the equator. In the Himalaya Mountains we have regionsof perpetual snow; and in the country south of them it is more thantemperate; it is cold in its season. You can see for yourselves that in aterritory extending from the island paradise of Ceylon to the frozenregions of the highest mountain in the world, we have every variety ofclimate, and consequently about every production that grows on the surfaceof the earth.
"Our tropical productions are not quite equal to those that grow on theequator. The coffee, sugar, tobacco, and spices are somewhat inferior tothose of Java, Sumatra, and Celebes. Rice is the staple food of the commonpeople, and has been raised from prehistoric periods. Maize, which Ibelieve you Americans call Indian corn"--
"Simply corn, if you please," interposed the commander.
"But corn covers grain of all kinds," suggested the doctor.
"Not with us; we call each grain by its own name, and never include themunder the name of corn. It is simply the fashion of the country; and if youspoke of corn in Chicago, it would mean maize to the people who heard you."
"I shall know how to speak to an American audience on this subjecthereafter; butcorn and millet are raised for the food of some ofthe animals. Oilseeds, as flax for linseed, are largely exported. Thecultivation of wheat has been greatly improved, and all the grains areraised. In the Himalayas, on the borders of China, teas are grown underEuropean direction; and you will excuse me if I suggest that they arebetter than those of 'the central flowery nation.' Dye-stuffs, indigo, andlac are noted for their quality and their quantity.
"The native flowers are not so rich as you would expect to find; but thewhite lilies of the water are as pretty as anywhere, and the floweringshrubs are beautiful. Of course, if you went out to walk in the jungle youwould find wild-flowers enough to make a bouquet."
"But who would do it?" asked Mr. Woolridge.
"I would for one," replied the doctor. "Why not?"
"The cobra-de-capello!" exclaimed the magnate.
"They are not agreeable companions; but we don't make half so much of themas you do, sir. I will not meddle with this subject, as it is assigned toanother, and I have no desire to steal his thunder-box. We have all theflowers of Europe, and probably of America; but they are not indigenous tothe soil, though they thrive very well.
"Especially on the coast, but of course not in the north, you will findstately palms of all varieties. The banian tree (the English write itbanyan) grows here, and I might talk an hour about it. Something like it isthe peepul, or pipal, though its branches do not take root in the groundlike the other. Its scientific name is theFicus religiosa; for itis the sacred fig of India, and it is called the bo-tree in Ceylon.
"The peepul is considered sacred by the Hindus, because Vishnu, thePreserver, and the second person in the Brahminical trinity, was born underit. This tree is extensively planted around the temples of the Hindus, andmany religious devotees pass their lives under its shade for itssanctifying influence. It is useful for other purposes; for the lac-insectfeeds upon its leaves, and the women get a kind of caoutchouc from its sap,which they use as bandoline."
"What in the world is bandoline, Mister?" asked Mrs. Blossom, who hadlistened with half-open mouth after the doctor called the tree sacred.
"It is quite English, I dare say," laughed the speaker, while Mrs. Belgravewas tugging at the sleeve of her friend in order to suppress her. "Iventure to say you have used something of the kind, madame. Our women makeit of Irish moss, and use it to stiffen the hair, so as to make it lie inthe right place.
"I must not forget the bamboo, which is found all over India, and even12,000 feet up the mountains. Of course you know all about it, for theslender stem is carried to all Europe and America. As you look at it youobserve that it has the same structure as some of the grasses, the samejoints and cells. It is not sugar-cane, but at some seasons a sweet juiceflows from the joints, which is here called Indian honey. I have no doubtmy young friends have used the bamboo when they went fishing; and the mostexpensive fly-rods are made from its material, as well as canes, and scoresof other useful articles.
"The original forests which once covered hills and plains have beenrecklessly cut away; and long ago this source of wealth was driven backinto the mountains, to the vast injury of the climate and the water supplyfor the nourishment of the arable lands of the Country. But the Britishgovernment has taken hold of this matter since the middle of the presentcentury, and has made considerable progress towards the restoration of theforests. Not less than 100,000 square miles of land are now undersupervision to this end.
"India is a vast territory; but it is estimated that not more thanone-third of it is under cultivation, or used for pasturage. Doubtlessthere is much more of it available; but a considerable of it consists ofsteep mountain-sides, of deserts, and the beds and overflow of the rivers.With your permission, Mr. Commander, I will retreat from this prominentposition, after doing the best I could with a meagre subject;" and thedoctor bowed to the audience, while they were applauding him warmly.
"I think you had better make no apology for your treatment of your subject.I can always tell by the expression of the company whether or not thespeaker is interesting the party; and I am sure you have succeededadmirably. The next feature to which I call your attention is Sir ModavaRao, on snakes."
The gentleman was received quite as warmly as before; but Mrs. Belgrave wassorry that such a fine-looking gentleman should have to talk about snakes.
"I fully believe that the Good Father of us all distributed poisonoussnakes over India for a good and wise purpose, though I do not know what itwas; and if I had the power to do so, I should not dare to kill or banishthem all, for I know not what injury I might do my country by removingthem. Many thousand natives die every year from snakebites. Statistics saythat 20,000 perish in this manner. But that is only one in 14,361; and asingle malignant disease has destroyed more than that in the same time.
"The old woman who was accused of cruelty in skinning live eels, repliedthat she had been doing so all her life, and the eels must be used to it bythis time. We are used to snakes in India, and we don't mind them half asmuch as you think you would if you lived here. The government offersrewards for killing harmful animals, and thousands of snakes are destroyedevery year."
"Do you think it is right to kill them if God put them here for a goodpurpose, Sir Modava?" asked Mrs. Belgrave.
"Certainly I do. God gave us fire: is it right, therefore, to let the cityburn up when the fire is kindled? God suffers sin and evil to remain in theworld, though he could banish them by a wave of his mighty arm! Shall wenot protect ourselves from the tempest he sends? Shall we permit the plagueor the cholera to decimate our land because God punishes us in that way forviolating the laws he has set up in our bodies?
"This subject is too large for me to pursue it in detail. I need notdescribe the cobra, for you will see no end of them about the streets ofthe cities in the hands of the snake-charmers. He is five feet or more inlength. His fangs are in his upper jaw. They are not tubed or hollow; buthe has a sort of groove on the outside of the tooth, down which the deadlypoison flows. In his natural state, his bite is sure death unless aspecific or antidote is soon applied. Thanks to modern science, thesufferer from the bite of a cobra is generally cured if the right remedy isapplied soon enough. I have been twice bitten by cobras. The medicine usedin my case was theAristolochia Indica.
"There is such a thing as a snake-stone, which is applied to the wound, andis said to absorb the blood, and with it the poison; but medical men ofcharacter regard it as not entitled to the credit claimed for it. Achemical expert pronounced it to be nothing but a charred bone, which hadprobably been filled with blood, and again subjected to the action of fire.It is possible that the bone absorbs the blood; but that is not a settledfact, and I leave it to Dr. Ferrolan."
"I believe it is a fraud," replied the doctor.
"The color of the cobra varies from pale yellow to dark olive. One kind hassomething like a pair of spectacles on the back of his hood, or it lookssomething like the eyes with which ladies fasten their dress. This hood orbonnet is spread out by the action of the ribs of the creature, and heopens it when he is angry.
"I had a tame mongoose, a sort of ichneumon. This animal, not much biggerthan a weasel, is a great cobra-killer, and he understands his business.This snake is given to hiding himself in the gardens around the bungalowfor the purpose of preying on the domestic fowls. I found one once, andbrought out the mongoose. He tackled him at once, and killed him about asquick as a rifle would have done it. I think you will learn all you want toknow about snakes as you travel through India."
Sir Modava retired with the usual applause. As the company returned fromthe platform, a gun from the Blanche attracted their attention.
The Blanche was on the starboard beam of the Guardian-Mother, or, in shoreparlance, she was on the right-hand side of her as both ships sailed to theeastward. She chose her own position, and it varied considerably atdifferent times, though it was generally about half a mile from herconsort. At the present time she had come within less than a quarter of amile, as the sea was quite smooth.
"Why, the Blanche is all dressed up as though she were going to a ball!"exclaimed Mrs. Belgrave, as the booming gun attracted the attention of theentire party.
"So she is," added the commander, as he observed her altered appearance forthe first time; for he had been giving his whole attention to the lecture."Captain Sharp is evidently getting up some sort of a frolic."
The first gun was followed by a second, and then by a third; and theycontinued till thirty-one of them had been discharged. Four pieces wereevidently used, and they were fired with considerable rapidity, provingthat the British tars who formed her ship's company had seen service in thenavy.
"What does all that mean?" queried Captain Ringgold, as the party gatheredabout him for an explanation, though he was as much puzzled as any of them."It is not a national salute, so far as I know, and I am utterly unable tosay what it means."
But as soon as the firing ceased a signal number went up to the fore-peak.Bangs was the signal officer, and he had his book open as soon as he sawthat it was needed.
"What is it, Bangs?" asked the commander at the window of the pilot-house.
"'Stop; I have something to communicate,'" replied the quartermaster.
"All right; give her one bell," added the commander.
Bangs gave the proper signal for the affirmative, after he had struck thegong. The letting off of the steam was enough to inform the captain of theBlanche that his request was complied with, and it was seen that he had aboat all ready to drop into the water. The screw of the ship ceased torevolve; and then, to save time, the commander of the Guardian-Motherordered the quartermaster to ring to back her, and the Blanche followed herexample. As soon as the headway was nearly killed, the quarter-boat wentinto the water, with an officer in uniform in the stern-sheets. The cutterpulled to the American's side, and a ladder was dropped.
The officer was a very trim-looking man of forty, and was promptlyconducted to the commander on the promenade deck. He was as polite as aFrench dancing-master.
"I have not the honor to be acquainted with Captain Ringgold, but I beg tointroduce myself as Mr. Bland, first officer of the Blanche," said thevisitor, with all necessary nourishes.
"I am glad to make your acquaintance, Mr. Bland. My friend Captain Sharpappears to be engaged in a frolic this afternoon," replied the commander,shaking hands with the officer.
"This is General Noury's birthday, sir, and Captain Sharp is taking propernotice of it," replied Mr. Bland, as he took from his pocket a note, anddelivered it to Captain Ringgold.
"The general's birthday!" exclaimed the commander. "I wish him many happyreturns of it;" and he opened the note.
It took him but a minute to read it, and then he looked extremelygood-natured, as though he was more than ordinarily pleased; for he knewthat its contents would afford a great deal of satisfaction to hispassengers.
"By particular request of General Noury, in whose honor the guns were firedand the Blanche is dressed as you see her, Captain Sharp invites all thecabin party of the Guardian-Mother, including the guests, to dine on boardof the Blanche on this happy occasion. Shall the invitation be accepted?Those in favor of accepting it will please raise the right hand, and keepit up till counted," continued the commander, who was in a merry mood forhim. "Our honored guests are expected and requested to vote; for we couldnot think of leaving them alone on board of the ship. That would be neitherdecent nor hospitable, and the invitation specially includes them. Pleaseto vote, all."
The hands all went up; and the party seemed to be greatly amused at theoperation of voting. The presiding officer declared that it was a unanimousvote, and the invitation was accepted.
"Not quite unanimous, Mr. Commander," interposed Louis Belgrave. "Mr. Scottdid not vote."
"You wish to vote in the negative, Mr. Scott?" inquired the captain.
"I do not intend to vote at all, Captain," replied the third officer. "Itwould be a little cheeky for me to vote to leave the ship without thepermission of the captain or of the first officer."
"'In colleges and halls in ancient times there dwelt a sage calledDiscipline;' and a very good old fellow he was to have about, and quite asgood on board ship as in institutions of learning. Do you wish to acceptthe invitation, Mr. Scott?" asked the commander.
"I should be exceedingly happy to do so."
"Then ask Mr. Boulong's permission."
"Granted!" shouted the first officer, who stood within hearing.
"Mr. Bland, give my compliments to Captain Sharp, and inform him that hisinvitation is unanimously accepted by both passengers and guests, and wewill be on board at five o'clock," said Captain Ringgold, addressing theofficer from the Blanche; and he went over the side into his boat.
"You don't give us much time to get ready, Mr. Commander," said Mrs.Belgrave, as all the ladies hurried away to the cabin to prepare for thegrand occasion that had so suddenly dawned upon them.
"Elaborate toilets are hardly expected at sea, out of sight of land.Claw-hammer coats are not imperative, gentlemen," said the captain.
Though the two steamers were not in a hurry, both of them resumed theircourse as soon as the Blanche's boat was hoisted up to the davits; for itis part of the shipmaster's gospel to "keep moving" under all possiblecircumstances, and to lose no time in arriving at his destined port. Allthe passengers went below to prepare for the dinner. The Blanche had comewithin fifty yards of her consort, as the sea was quite smooth.
"Where is that music, Mr. Boulong?" asked the captain, opening the doorfrom his cabin to the pilothouse.
"From the Blanche, Captain."
"But it seems to be a band. Is it an orchestrion?"
"Not at all; there are eight pieces of music on the promenade deck. Itseems that His Highness has a small band on board, though I have not heardit before," added the first officer.
The commander thought the music was very fine, and he concluded thatCaptain Sharp was running near the Guardian-Mother for the purpose ofgiving the band an introduction to the consort. Besides the ship's company,there was no one on board of the Blanche but the general and Mrs. Sharp;and the Pacha, accustomed as he was to merriment and revelry, must havebeen rather lonesome. But it was already proved that he was a reformed man,and had entirely changed his manner of life.
The barge, which was a large eight-oar boat, had been made ready to lowerinto the water, and the gangway had been rigged out. Though it was winter,the ship was in 18° north latitude, and the weather was as mild andpleasant as in midsummer. There was no spray, and the ladies could go tothe Blanche as comfortably as in a carriage on shore.
At quarter before five the gong was sounded in the cabin and on deck tocall the party together in the boudoir, where they were to assemble. Theship stopped at the mandate of the captain, and the barge was lowered, andbrought to the gangway. The boat was as handsome as anything that everfloated, and the stern-sheets were luxurious enough for a fairy craft. Thecrew of nine were all dressed in their white uniforms, and sat with theiroars tossed, except the cockswain, who stood bolt upright abaft theback-board.
There were sixteen in the party, and the "Big Four" made their way to thefore-sheets; the ladies were handed into the stern by the three guests, andthe barge shoved off. The Blanche had taken a position on the beam of theGuardian-Mother, her band playing for all they were worth. Captain Sharpwas on the platform of the gangway, and took every lady by the hand as heassisted her to disembark. At the head of the gangway on deck stood GeneralNoury, who received the ladies, all of whom he had met before; and thedistinguished guests were presented to him, after which he shook hands withevery other member of the party. He was especially respectful, and evenreverential, to the commander of the Guardian-Mother, who had forgiven somuch in his past conduct.
Mrs. Sharp came in for a large share of the consideration of the visitors.An hour was spent in the drawing-room, as they called the deck cabin, whichwas as large as the boudoir and music-room of the Guardian-Mother. The bandhad laid aside their brass instruments, and organized as an orchestra,stationed in a sort of recess in the forward part of the cabin. The generalconversed with every person in the party; and when Scott addressed him as"Your Highness," he protested that he did not wish to hear the expressionagain.
He talked French with Louis, Italian with Sir Modava, and Spanish with LordTremlyn; for it was understood that he spoke at least half a dozenlanguages besides his own, and the guests found he was equally fluent inall they knew. To Miss Blanche he was very polite; but he did not give amoment more to her than to the other ladies, much to the satisfaction ofher parents.
The dinner was fully equal to Mr. Sage's best efforts, and the occasion wasas hilarious and as pleasant as it could be. Possibly the English guestsmissed their wine on such an occasion. Lord Tremlyn declared that he seldomdrank it at all, and Dr. Ferrolan said the same; and Sir Modava was thestrictest sort of a teetotaler, having been engaged in preaching thisdoctrine among the Sepoys as opportunity offered. The captain of theBlanche informed the commander of the Guardian-Mother that the general hadnever touched wine since he came on board.
After dinner several of the gentlemen sang songs, and the general gave onein Moroccan, which amused the party, though they could not understand aword of it. Later in the evening Captain Ringgold made a speechcomplimentary to General Noury, and wished him many happy returns of theoccasion they celebrated. He was followed by Dr. Hawkes, Uncle Moses,Professor Giroud, and then by the three distinguished guests from theTravancore.
The general replied to all of them at the close of the entertainment. Hewas a pleasant speaker, and his handsome face added a great deal to hiswords. The affair was declared to be a great success for a dinner-party atsea, and the commander of the Guardian-Mother invited all their hosts toassist him in a similar one on board his ship, the signal for which was tobe the American Union Jack when the weather was suitable.
The party returned to their ocean home; and the commander spent the rest ofthe evening in telling his guests the story of General Noury, andespecially of his wonderful reformation.
"Then Captain Sharp really saved his life?" added Lord Tremlyn.
"No doubt of it. The two ruffians in a street of Messina had disabled thegeneral, and would certainly have finished him if the captain had notwounded one with his revolver, and tackled the other. He owes his life toSharp without a doubt. Mrs. Sharp took care of him for quite a time whilehe was recovering from his wound, and she made a deep impression upon him.He is a Mohammedan, and he sticks to his religion; but even that is capableof making a better man of him than he was before."
"I was much pleased with Mrs. Sharp, not because she is an English woman,but because she is a very worthy person," added his lordship.
"You are quite right, my lord, and she has had a romantic history;" andbefore they retired he had told the whole of it.
At the usual time the next day the company were assembled in ConferenceHall; and when the commander announced that Lord Tremlyn would address themon the general subject, "The People of India," they manifested theirinterest by a liberal salvo of applause.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to appear before you, and to look you allin the face," his lordship began as the applause subsided. "The task befawme is to put a gallon of fluid into a pint pot. It cawn't be done. I shallnot attempt to do what is quite impossible. I can only put in what thevessel will hold. I cawn't say all there is to be said about the people ofIndia in an hour, or even two or three hours."
The noble gentleman was an easy, pleasant, and fluent speaker, evidentlyquite accustomed to addressing public assemblies; but he had certainpeculiarities of speech, a very few of them, which sounded just a littleodd to the Americans, as doubtless some of their pronunciation did to theBritons. But there is hardly a perceptible difference in the pronunciationof highly trained speakers of one nation and the other. It is not necessaryto indicate any farther the slightly peculiar speech of the accomplishedgentleman.
"I can only select from the mass of material before me what I think will bemost interesting and useful to you; for I have been warned that I must nottalk all day," continued the viscount.
"We leave that to your lordship's own judgment," added Captain Ringgold.
"I will be merciful, Mr. Commander: as merciful as possible. Next to China,India is the most populous country on the globe; and without Nepaul, itnumbered, in 1891, 287,223,917, or more than one-seventh of the people onthe face of the earth; and the increase in the last decade was almost28,000,000,--enough to populate about a dozen of your larger States.
"In spite of its vast population, India cannot be said to be a very denselypeopled region; 184 to the square mile for the whole country. The mountainterritory is quite thinly settled. All the native states have but 108 tothe square mile, though the plains of the Ganges show about 400. AboutBenares and Patna the average is about double these figures. I was lookingat the 'Year-Book' in your library, and I saw that the average in theStates, including Alaska, is about 18 to the square mile; but the nineStates in the north-east have 107.
"The little bit of a State of Rhode Island leads in the density of itspopulation, with 318, while Massachusetts comes next with 278. New Jerseyhas 193, Connecticut, 154; the big States of New York and Pennsylvania haverespectively 126 and 117. In the United Kingdom the average in England is541; in Scotland, 135; in Wales, 206; and in Ireland, 144. The density ofIndia, therefore, is quite respectable by comparison.
"By the census of 1891, India has seventy-five towns with over 50,000inhabitants, and twenty-eight with over 100,000; but unlike three cities ofthe States, it has not one with over a million, though Calcutta and Bombayare likely to reach that distinction in another decade. You have not amonopoly of the fast-growing cities in the States."
"We have found out that Berlin has increased faster than Chicago," saidUncle Moses with a chuckle; "and Glasgow has got ahead of Liverpool."
"Quite true, Mr. Scarburn; but the States have not all the fast-growingcities of the world, wonderful as the increase has been in some of them.Europe, Asia, and Australia are alive. The nearest approaches to a millionin India are Calcutta, 861,764, and Bombay, 821,764; but I dare say you areall quite tired of statistics by this time."
"Not at all, Lord Tremlyn; as you present them they are quite interesting."said Mrs. Belgrave.
"Thank you, madam," replied the speaker, bowing low, with his hand on hisheart. "Now I am going to speak of the people as other than mere numbers;and if I wished to entangle you inextricably, I should go back about 4,000years, and tell you about the people down to the present time. I spare youthe infliction in full. Four groups of languages are spoken among thenatives, and from these the original races that spoke them are traced out.
"I mention one as a specimen, the Kolarian language, spoken by those whofirst settled in the hilly regions of the central part. The others are theAryan, Dravidian, and Tibeto-Burman, all of which you will find in'Chambers's' in your library.
"The word Hindu is generally used in a very broad sense to cover all thenative population of Hindustan or India; but it is really applicable to areligion, and belongs only to those of the Hindu, or the faith of theBrahmins; but, like most others, it consists of a great number of sects. Ofthis belief there are about 200,000,000 people. They are divided into fourgrand classes, called castes. The Portuguese called themcasta intheir own language, from which the present name comes. I call them grandclasses, or castes, because they are divided into many sub-classes.
"When the Aryans, who came from Europe, and Asia farther north than India,obtained a foothold here, and established themselves, they looked down uponother people in the land, and called themselves the twice-born, or bornagain, as some modern sects have it. They claimed to have experienced asecond, or religious, birth, indicated by a certain cord with which theywere invested at a particular age. The natives of the soil and all otheroutsiders were the once-born.
"In the lapse of time the twice-born were divided into three classes, theBrahmins being the priestly class, the Kshatriyas the ruling military, andthe Vaisyas the agricultural classes. These were of the upper grade; andall the once-born were called Sudras. These four classes are the origin ofcaste, though the divisions have been greatly changed. The Vedas are thefour oldest sacred books of the Hindus, otherwise the Hindu Scriptures.
"Derived from their holy books is the allegorical idea that the Brahmin, orpriest, was the mouth of the original man; the warrior his arms; theagriculturist his thighs; while the Sudra, or common people, sprang out ofhis feet. The duties and relations of the four castes are defined andstated in the laws of Manu."
"We have not been introduced to him," suggested Mrs. Woolridge.
"He is regarded as the author of the most noted law-book among the Hindus;but there is so much that is mythical and contradictory said of him, that Iwill say nothing more about him; but he is authority among the Brahmins. Inmodern caste the Brahmin is the minister of religion; he alone mediatesbetween God and man, makes sacrifices, and teaches the sacred Veda. Hislife is portioned off into periods of special duty. As a student he learnsthe Veda; then he gets married, becomes a householder, and must every dayperform the appointed sacrifice. Some of them live in the woods, ashermits, or live like monks, till they are said to be absorbed into Brahma.
"The soldier's sphere is in connection with the State, to support theBrahmin, and execute the laws he makes or interprets. The third classcultivate the soil as proprietors, and engage in trade and commerce. TheSudra is the servant of all the others. Resulting from the intermarriage ofmembers of different castes there are various mixed classes. The lowest isthe child of a Brahmin mother and a Sudra father, though in Southern Indiathe Pariah is still lower.
"Of the vast population of India, three-fourths are Hindus in religion. TheBuddhists are mostly in Burma, and there are over 57,000,000 Mohammedans.The number of Christians by the last census was 2,284,380; and I am sorrythere are no more of them. The Sikhs and the Jains are Indian sects whichflourish in certain localities; as there are nearly two millions of theformer in the Punjab, and over half a million of the latter in Bombay, andapproaching that number in Rajputana, with comparatively few elsewhere. TheParsees, or Parsis, who were driven from Persia by the Mohammedans, number76,774 in Bombay,--not the city, but the presidency.
"In the small state of Travancore, where my friend Sir Modava was born,there are said to be four hundred and twenty different castes. Thedistinction is sometimes the result of occupation, branch of trade, or someaccidental circumstance. Let me read a short extract from a book from yourlibrary:--
"'Among the lowest classes caste has degenerated intoa fastidious tenacity of the rights and privileges of station.For example, the man who sweeps will not take an emptycup from your hand; your groom will not mow a little grass;a coolie will carry any load, however offensive, on his head,but even in a matter of life and death would refuse to carrya man, for that is the business of another caste.
"'When an English servant pleads that such a thingis not his place, his excuse is analogous to that of theHindu servant when he pleads his caste. When an Englishmanof birth or profession, which is held to confergentility, refuses to associate with a tradesman or mechanic;or when members of a secret society exclude allothers from their meetings; or when any other social distinctionarises, it would present itself to the mind of theHindu as a regulation of caste.'
"It is a barrier to the progress of Christianity in many ways. It isgenerally thought that a Christian convert cannot be restored to his casteif he should backslide; and the superstition of the low-class natives is arhinoceros shield, which it is still difficult to penetrate; but in the endthe Cross will come off conqueror, as it always has and always will.
"Caste does not now compel a native to pursue his father's calling, except,perhaps, in the case of Brahmins. For that matter, Brahmins serve in thearmy, and even act as cooks and in similar occupations. Men of all casteshave risen to exalted positions, just as poor men, with none of theadvantages of high birth, have in England. The loss of caste has beenregarded by the ignorant native here as the most terrible thing that couldpossibly happen to him; but it is not so in practice, for it has beenaccomplished by giving a very indifferent supper.
"When an outcast enters another caste, he is well and heartily received as aconvert. As you proceed through India you will learn more about thisstumbling-block of superstition and ignorance.
"The 57,000,000 Mohammedans, of whom 23,658,000 are in Bengal, and over6,000,000 in Bombay, are either descendants of emigrating Asiatics, orHindus converted to that faith. Their religion is a mixture of thedoctrines of the Prophet and local idolatry; for they have been somewhatinfected by the prevailing worship of the natives. The Parsees are aneducated mercantile class, the great body of them being found in Bombay.They are fire-worshippers; and their creed is that of Zoroaster, whoflourished not less than 800 years before Christ. The Zend-Avesta is thesacred book of the sect, containing their religion and their philosophy.The Caliph Omar conquered the Persians, and established Mohammedanismthere, persecuting all who would not believe. The obstinate Parsees fled toIndia."
"The Parsees of the present day are their descendants, and still cling totheir ancient faith. Like all sects, they are fully tolerated by theBritish government, and are considered one of the most respectable andthriving classes of the community. They are largely merchants andland-owners, and bear the highest reputation for honesty, industry, and aspeaceful citizens. They are quite prepossessing, and many of their ladiesare remarkably beautiful, though I have seen a fairer American than any oneof them.
"Some of them have studied law in England, and all are forward to availthemselves of the advantages of education. A merchant-prince of this sectwas noted as a philanthropist; and for the vast sums of money he gave forbenevolent institutions, the Queen knighted him, as she did Sir Modava forhis public service. This gentleman is Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy He died in1859."
"Parsees do not eat anything cooked by a person of another religion, andreject beef and pork, especially hams. They are not permitted to marryoutside of their own sect. Their dead are not buried or cremated, but arecommitted to what is called the Tower of Silence. The bodies are exposed onan iron grating, where the carniverous birds of the air can get to themuntil the flesh has all disappeared. Then the sun-dried bones fall throughinto a receptacle, from which they are removed to a cavern in the earth."
"How horrid!" exclaimed the ladies with one voice.
"The Parsee does not think so; and perhaps he has the same view you have ofour manner of disposing of the dead. In spite of the awe and respect withwhich the Parsees regard fire, they are about the only eastern people whodo not smoke. But I think you need a rest by this time, and I will retirefor a little while."
The company applauded as usual, and then began to pace the promenade deck.
The delightful weather of the forenoon charmed the party as they walked thedeck. It was mid-summer in the middle of the winter, as they looked at it;for the almanac of home lingered in their minds, though the days werelonger. The sun was rather warm on both sides of noon, though it was notoppressive, and the abundant awnings protected the passengers from its moresearching rays.
Statistical as the lecture had been, the viscount had made it interestingby softening the figures with his comparisons; and some of his points, evenin regard to the States, were new to them, and especially in regard to theUnited Kingdom. In about half an hour they were summoned to Conference Hallagain for a continuation of the lecture.
"From the vast emigration to your country, ladies and gentlemen, I supposethere must be a great variety of people on your territory. The Germans, theEnglish, the Irish, the Scandinavians, the Italians, and othernationalities, in the process of assimilation, although very many of themhave become as American as Americans themselves, take the manners andcustoms, the national peculiarities, of the fatherland with them.
"The Irish drink whiskey, the Germans beer, and the Italians are apt tohave a stilletto about them. Then the antecedents, climate, politics, andother influences, have made the East differ from the West, and the Southfrom both of them. Lynch law prevails to a considerable extent in thelatter, never in the Eastern and Middle States, and very rarely in theWest. But all Americans speak the same language; and foreigners arecompelled to learn English in order to get on at all, and it has become oneof the bonds of your union."
"In India there are not less than twenty-seven languages and dialects inuse; and they indicate so many different kinds of people, for we can hardlycall them nations, though in many respects they are such. This excellentmap behind me, which is worthy of the highest praise as a home-madeproduction, will enable me to give you a better idea of my subject."
"The ingenious artist has colored the different divisions so that you canmake them out. The three presidencies are the most notable divisions, andthey include all the inferior ones. The Bengal Presidency includes thenorth-eastern part, from Afghanistan to Burma. The Madras, the southeasternpart, with most of the peninsula. The Bombay covers the greater part of thewest coast. The Deccan is a portion of the peninsula."
"It would take me three weeks to describe all the divisions of India, and Ishall not attempt to do it. It would be better done as you travel over thecountry. Eighteen of them are Directly governed by the English, andthirteen of them are still under the nominal control of the native princes;but all the latter have a British resident as the adviser of the reigningrajah.
"The English-speaking people of India are a mere bagatelle compared withthe enormous population, being only 238,499; but with the army they havebeen able to hold the country in subjection. The British government takes afatherly interest in the native states, and they have been loyal withoutexception in later years, though the history of India will show that notall of them have always been so."
"Until the year 1858 the government was in the hands of the East IndiaCompany, of which you will learn more in the history of India. In 1877 hermajesty, the queen, assumed the title of Empress of India, and she is theruler of the country. The government of the highest resort in the affairsof India is a secretary of state, residing in London. He is a member of thecabinet, and has an under-secretary. He is assisted by a council of ten orfifteen members."
"The executive government, administered in India, is the governor-generalin council. He is the viceroy of the crown, and is assisted by six membersof the executive council, each of whom has his function in the affairs ofthe state; and the commander-in-chief of the army isex-officio aseventh member. This body is really the cabinet of the viceroy. The lawsare made by this council, with from six to a dozen members appointed by theviceroy. This is the way the machine is operated.
"The civil service of the government is rendered mainly by Europeans,though the natives are eligible to office as employees. The English systemin the appointment of its officials prevails, and all candidates areregularly examined. Those of you who have looked over Bradshaw's 'Guide toIndia' will find descriptions of the several examinations for variousemployments."
"I wish the English system could be transferred to the United States," saidUncle Moses with great unction.
"You have made a beginning, and perhaps you will come to it in time. Thecivil service prevails in the provinces and states of India as well as inthe general government, though the competition is open to the natives.
"The soldiers of the East India Company became the military force of theBritish crown when the government was assumed. The English army in Indianow consists of 74,033 men of all arms, and the native army of 144,735, atotal standing army of 218,786, which is its strength at the present time.It is a curious fact that, as the native troops are recruited by voluntaryenlistment, all castes and races, including Brahmins, are drawn in by thegood pay and the pension promised.
"The navy of the East India Company was superseded by the royal navy in1863; and a dozen or fifteen ships of war are stationed in these waters,with an admiral as commander-in-chief, whose headquarters are at Bombay.The Indian treasury contributes annually to the expense of this force. Thegreat steam navigation companies are available to recruit this branch ofthe defence of the country.
"The laws are made, and the institutions of India are regulated, byParliament; and the administration of law and justice is substantially thesame as in the United Kingdom. The regular police consists of 160,000officers and men; and a portion of the expense of this force is defrayed bythe towns, the large cities mainly. Besides the city police, there are560,000 in charge of the villages. The constabulary are natives, withEuropean officers, one to every seven square miles and 1,300 inhabitants,indicating peaceful communities. About 12,000 of the 82,000 persons undersentence are in the convict colonies at the Andaman Islands.
"The educational institutions are progressive, and 400 newspapers arepublished in various languages, most of them with small circulations,20,000 being the largest in India. The post and telegraph systems are wellcared for; and 17,564 miles of railway are in operation, with others inprocess of construction. The manufactures, both in metal and fibre, havealways been remarkably fine, and the quality is still kept up. Cottonfactories have been established, with native labor, which promise greatresults to the industry of the country.
"The loss of life on account of famine, caused by the failure of themonsoon rains, has been terrific in some years. Canals and reservoirs forirrigation as well as navigation have been built in order to remove thisevil. In 1874 £16,000,000 was expended in the relief of sufferers by thegovernment. Since that time a famine fund has been established; and inyears of plenty a million and a half sterling has been set aside for thisobject.
"The excessive density of the population has induced the government tofavor emigration; and over a hundred thousand have gone to British Guianaand the West Indies, and other countries. The currency of India will belikely to bother you a little. The silverrupee is the unit; thoughwhen you see 'R.x.' over or at the left of a column of figures, it meanstens ofrupees. The nominal value of arupee is twoshillings, about half a dollar of your money; but it is never worth that ingold, the standard of England in recent years. It was some years ago at apremium of twopence, but for the last three years it has averaged only1s. 5-1/8d. Its value varies with the gold price of silver inLondon.
"There is also a government paper currency in circulation, amounting to£16,000,000 sterling. The smallest copper coin is thepie, worthhalf a farthing, equal to a quarter of a cent of your money. Three of themmake apice, a farthing and a half, three-quarters of a cent. Fourpice make ananna, a penny and a half, three cents. Sixteenannas make arupee. Sixteenrupees make a goldmohur."
"Those small pieces are about as insignificant as those of Egypt,"suggested Mr. Woolridge.
"There are not many millionaires among the natives, and these smaller coinsare mostly used among them. They are convenient also to the stingyEnglishman when the plate is passed around in church," added his lordshipwith a chuckle, which pleased Uncle Moses more than the remark. India has apublic debt of about £200,000,000, contracted for railways, canals, war,and other purposes. The revenue last year was £84,932,100, and theexpenditures were £84,661,700. Not a large margin; but you must multiplythe pounds by five, or nearly that, to reduce them to dollars.
"The poppy is extensively cultivated in India; and the export tax inCalcutta amounts to six and a quarter millions, in Bombay, to three and ahalf millions, on the manufactured opium. The producer sends his crop tothe government factory, whence it is sold to the exporter; all this toprevent frauds on the revenue.
"Wages and prices have gone up under British rule. The best class oflaborers get fourannas a day, and others not more than two,--six totwelve cents a day. Grain for food is a penny for two pounds,--a cent apound. Women and children earn small wages. The clothing of the poor isscanty and cheap; fuel costs nothing; and rent for dwellings is hardlyknown. The masses in the country, not laborers, live on the land as ownersor lessees. There has never been anything like a poor-law, and ordinarilythere is no need of such.
"It would be quite impossible for me to give the history of India in detailin the limited time at my command, especially as we are now approaching theland. Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese navigator, was the first to reach theEast Indies, in 1498; but his countrymen never did much trading here, beingmore intent upon securing the rich treasures of the Indies. As early as1600 the English turned their attention in this direction. Companies wereformed; but being driven by the Dutch from the islands which they stillhold, they began to make settlements on the coast of this peninsula. Madrasdates from 1639, Bombay from 1686, Calcutta from 1686. The Company said,'Let us make a nation in India;' and they went to work at once to do it.They accomplished their purpose, fostered by the government, raised andborrowed money, and in the course of time had an army and a navy, and ruledthe country. They defeated the Grand Mogul, drove the French out of thepeninsula, and were generally very prosperous.
"In 1833 Parliament revoked all the trading privileges of the company; andtheir dividends to stockholders were then paid out of the taxes assessed onthe people of India. They could not trade and could not govern except underthe control of Parliament. All the wars of India have been fought by theBritish nation. After the mutiny, of which more hereafter, the company wascompelled to cede its powers to the crown in 1858.
"The native soldiers of Bengal were called Sepoys, and the name has beenapplied to all native troops. Some small mutinies occurred in this arm ofthe service in the presidency. Early in 1857 the garrison of Meerut, nearDelhi, revolted, and the British troops failed to suppress it. The Sepoysmarched to Delhi, where they were joined by the native troops and the mob.The descendant of the Great Mogul, who lived in the palace of his ancestorsunder British protection, was proclaimed emperor, and his empirere-established.
"Probably 90,000 soldiers, infantry and cavalry, were in a state ofrebellion. In many instances they had murdered their officers and theirfamilies. They were spread over a broad country, and held forts, arsenals,and treasuries. They were disciplined troops armed with European artilleryand muskets, and supplied with ammunition. In portions of the country theBritish were isolated, as in the camp before Delhi, and in the works atAgra, Allahabad, and Lucknow. The mutiny extended over an area of 100,000square miles, with a population of 40,000,000. It came at the worst seasonof the year; and if it had not been speedily suppressed, it would havespread over the whole country. Many believed that the knell of the empirehad sounded.
"At that time there were 40,000 European troops "--
"Land, ho!" shouted the lookout man; and the cry was repeated by thesailors and the officers.
"We will attend to the land now, and I will resume latter," said LordTremlyn, as he descended from the rostrum.
The announcement that land was in sight produced some excitement, and thespeaker good-naturedly paused to enable the company to see whatever was tobe seen. They looked to the eastward, but they could see nothing. Theystood upon the promenade, and strained their eyes to the utmost; but itrequired a nautical eye to make land out of the dim haze in the distance,for that was all there was of it.
"I can readily understand your desire to obtain the first view of India,"said Lord Tremlyn.
"But they will not obtain it yet a while," added the commander.
Louis and Felix had ascended the fore-rigging, and discovered what mighthave been the land or a bank of clouds. There were a great number of boatsand small craft in sight, but none of them were near enough to be seendistinctly. They observed that the Guardian-Mother had reduced her speed.
"We shall not be where you can see anything for an hour or more," continuedCaptain Ringgold. "We have to pass some rather dangerous rocks in thisvicinity, and we shall proceed cautiously till we take a pilot."
"A number of large vessels have been wrecked in this locality," said theviscount; "and in a little while you will get in among the multitude offishing-craft that swarm off the islands."
When the company were satisfied that there was nothing to be seen, theyresumed their seats, and the "live boys" in the fore-rigging returned totheir places. All were greatly interested in the viscount's account of themutiny; and he had suspended his narrative just where cunning writers ofexciting stories place the "To be continued."
"I had hardly finished what I had to say, or at least what I intended tosay; for there are still a great many points upon which I have not touched,leaving them to be brought up as you proceed on your travels through thisinteresting country," said Lord Tremlyn.
"Go on! Go on!" said quite a majority of the party.
"I have been here before, and perhaps you will excuse me if I have occasionto leave before your lordship has finished; and with this understanding, Ithink you had better proceed," added the commander.
"I will do so with the greatest pleasure," replied the speaker, as he tookhis place on the rostrum again." I have described the terrible situation towhich the English in India had been reduced, with nearly a hundred thousandSepoys in rebellion, and the troops outnumbered a hundred to one, shut upin camps and forts. The fanatical and blood-thirsty mob, far greater thanthe body of native soldiers, were eager to fall upon and slaughter allEuropeans.
"At this time there were 40,000 British troops scattered over the country;several thousand men on their way from England to China were diverted tothis country. Forty thousand from home were on their voyage of 12,000 milesaround the Cape of Good Hope to relieve the besieged garrisons. But in themidst of the gloom of this miserable summer there was a gleam of sunshine,and the sad disasters at Cawnpore and elsewhere were partially retrieved.This came on the appearance of Henry Havelock, whose noble example of atrue life I commend to my young friends here who are just entering upontheir careers.
"Havelock was born in 1795. His father was a merchant, and he was welleducated. He was at first intended for the law; but he followed the exampleof his brother, and entered the army a month after the battle of Waterloo.In 1823 he was sent to India; and on the voyage he became a Christian inthe truest sense of the word, and this event influenced his life. He wasemployed in the Afghan and Sikh wars; but he had learned 'to labor and towait,' and he was still a lieutenant after twenty-three years' service.
"He was in command of a division of the army that invaded Persia in 1856.The news of the Indian mutiny called him hastily to Calcutta. Following theGanges to Allahabad," continued the speaker, pointing out the river and thecity on the map, "he organized, at this point, a force of two thousand men,and pushed on for Cawnpore, driving the enemy before him. At Fatehpur therebels made a stand; but they broke before his little band, and he hastenedon to his destination.
"Nana Sahib, the native leader of the mutiny, was the adopted son of theformer peshwa, or ruler, of the Mahrattas, as certain states in the westand middle of India are called. His foster-father had been deprived of hisdominion, and lived on a pension paid by the British. The son had beenbrought up as a nobleman, with expensive habits. When the father died in1851, the pension was not continued to the son. He was bitterlydisappointed that his income was cut off, and it stirred up all the badblood in his nature, and there was a good deal of it. He did his best tofoment discontent, and succeeded too well; for the mutiny was his work.
"As Havelock and his puny force approached Cawnpore, this miscreant incitedthe cold-blooded massacre of all the women and children the rebels hadcaptured on the day before the place was taken. The intrepid general foundthe Sepoys strongly intrenched at a village; but he turned their left, andcarried the works by a splendid charge of the 78th Highlanders. EnteringCawnpore, he saw the results of the atrocious massacre in the mutilatedbodies of the women and children with his own eyes.
"The sight inspired the little band of heroes with renewed courage, andHavelock began his march upon Lucknow.
"After fighting eight victorious battles, his little force was so reducedby sickness and fatigue that he was forced to retire to Cawnpore. InSeptember General Outram arrived there with additional troops, andoperations against Lucknow were renewed. The general in command of thisforce outranked Havelock, and the command belonged to him; but with a noblegenerosity he waived his claim, and served in the expedition under hisvictorious subordinate as a volunteer.
"Havelock's army now numbered 2,500 men, with seventeen guns. Heencountered the enemy, and scattered them several times. They reached thethickly settled town where each house was a fortress, and with valor equalto anything on record, fought their way to the Residency, where they wererapturously received by the beleaguered garrison.
"But with all that could be mustered they were only a handful of mencompared with the hosts that surrounded them, and in turn they were at oncebesieged by the rebels. They were not the men to yield to any odds; andthey held their own till November, when Sir Colin Campbell, with 4,700regulars, forced his way through the enemy, and relieved the place. He wasone of the bravest and most distinguished generals of modern times. Hefought in the United States in 1814, and in many other parts of the world.He was in the Crimea, and Alma and Balaklava are called his battles; for hedid the most to win them.
"In India he completed the work which Havelock had begun, and the followingyear announced to the viceroy that the rebellion was ended. Just before hehad been created Lord Clyde. On his return to England he was made afield-marshal, and received a pension of £2,000.
"To return to Havelock, great honors were bestowed upon him. He was made abaronet, created a Knight Commander of the Bath, and a pension of £1,000was awarded to him. But he did not live to enjoy his rewards and honors, oreven to see the end of the mutiny at which he struck the first heavy blows.In that very month of November when Sir Colin came to the rescue, Havelockwas taken with dysentery, died on the twenty-second, and was buried in theAlum-Bagh, the fort containing a palace and a fortress, which he hadcarried in his last battle.
"Havelock was very strict in his religious principles, and a rigiddisciplinarian in the army. He was like the grave and fearless Puritansoldier, somewhat after the type of 'Stonewall Jackson' of your Civil War,though not as fanatical. In his last moments he said: 'For more than fortyyears I have so ruled my life that when death came I might face it withoutfear.' This he did; and England will never cease to remember the Christianhero, Sir Henry Havelock. In Trafalgar Square, in London, you may see thestatue erected to him by the people of his native country.
"Aside from the mischief done by Nana Sahib, which seems to have had only alimited effect, what were the causes of this mutiny, Lord Tremlyn?" askedDr. Hawkes.
"There were many causes that produced independent rebellions, such as thegreased cartridges served out to the Sepoys, though this was onlyinsignificant. There were too many Bramins in the ranks, and they werefanatics; and biting off the cartridge brought their lips in contact withthe grease, which was religious pollution to them. A score of provocativesmight be mentioned, but all of them would not explain it. The natives hadbeen transformed into trained soldiers, and they felt the power that was inthem.
"Before the mutiny, one British soldier to six Sepoys was about theproportion between them in numbers. The small discontents clustered aroundthis grand error, and broke out in the mutiny. After its suppression, oneof the first reforms of the government was to change the proportion of thesoldiers; and now they are as one European to two natives. The governmentis liberal in the introduction of improvements. Now all the strategeticpoints are under the control of our own soldiers; and at present theyconstitute nearly the whole of the artillery force of the country. Peaceand order have reigned since 1858, and it is not now believed that arebellion is possible. I expect and hope to be with you for some time tocome, and my companions and myself will do our best to inform you in regardto everything in which you may feel an interest."
The viscount bowed very politely to his audience, and was hailed with allthe enthusiasm which could be gathered up by a baker's dozen Americans. Allof them testified that they had been exceedingly interested in his address,especially that part relating to the mutiny.
"We shall be exceedingly happy in your company, my Lord, as long as you arepleased to remain with us," added the commander. "I have done somethingtowards preparing a route through India; and I should be glad to have theadvice of such counsellors as we were so fortunate as to pick up in themidst of the rage of the stormy ocean."
"The time of our party is at your disposal for as long a period as we canbe of service to you. We do not wish to force ourselves upon you. We oweour lives to you, and we believe we may contribute to your pleasure andinstruction; for we are at home here."
"We did only our duty when we found you on the wreck; and anything in thenature of a recompense for the service which every sailor owes to hisfellow-men, or to those who sail on the seas, would be repugnant to me, asit would be to my officers," replied Captain Ringgold.
"I beg you will not regard my proposition as anything in the shape of arecompense; for all our fortunes and all our time for years to come wouldnot be an adequate return for the immeasurable service you have rendered tous," protested the viscount." We have all been delighted with the manner inwhich we have been entertained on board of the Guardian-Mother; and withoutregard to our rescue from the very jaws of death, I declare, upon my honoras a gentleman, that you have won our hearts,--you, Mr. Commander, and allconnected with you on board."
"Amen!" shouted Dr. Ferrolan in a burst of enthusiasm.
"So say we all of us!" cried Sir Modava.
"Now permit me to say in all sincerity, that if our acquaintance had begunwhen we set foot on the deck of your ship, and the noble conduct of theship's company were entirely obliterated from our memories, we should feelas we do now," said Lord Tremlyn.
"So say we all of us," sang the doctor with Sir Modava.
"I may say that if I had gone on board of the Guardian-Mother for the firsttime in the harbor of Bombay, I should have felt the same, and had just asstrong a desire to assist you in seeing India. When gentlemen of educationand character come here from England, the officials give them a warmwelcome, and do their best to enable them to see the country, its mannersand customs, and its institutions, to the best advantage. We should do thesame with Americans; and I account myself fortunate in being the first togreet you, and welcome you to India."
The other two heartily responded to the sentiments of the speaker, and thecommander could say no more. By this time the steamer was in the midst ofthe fishing-boats and other craft. Louis called for three cheers for theguests, and they were given with vigor and sincerity. The party separated,and its members gave themselves up to an examination of the surroundings.
The coast of Bombay was in plain sight, the province, or state, whosecapital has the same name. Groves of cocoanut, date, and other palm-treesbordered it; and far back of it was a range of mountains, the WesternGhats, a chain extending for hundreds of miles along the shore, though fromtwenty to fifty miles from it.
The fishing-boats were Oriental, and nothing new to the tourists; but themen in them were swarthy-looking fellows, not abundantly provided withclothing. The greater portion of India has a warm climate, and the dress ofthe people is adapted to it. For the most part, the natives are bundled upin loose white cotton cloth, or what was originally white, which they twistabout their bodies with a skill acquired by practice. But these boatmenwere almost in a primitive condition.
The distinguished guests on board of the Guardian-Mother were perfectlyfamiliar with Bombay and its surroundings, as they were with all of thecountry, and their services were just now in demand. The Woolridges hadattached themselves to Lord Tremlyn; Louis Belgrave was very likely to bein their company most of the time, and the viscount had manifested nolittle interest in the young millionaire. He was pointing out the country,and describing it, to this group of four.
Dr. Ferrolan was not so much of a ladies' man as his two youngercompanions, and was rendering similar service to his professional brother,Uncle Moses, and Professor Giroud. They formed a quartet of educated men,and were more in touch with each other than they might otherwise have been.Sir Modava Rao had attracted to his side Mrs. Belgrave; Mrs. Blossom wasusually her shadow; and of course Captain Ringgold, when not employed inhis duties in the navigation of the steamer, gravitated, not materially butsentimentally, to this group; for wherever Mrs. Belgrave was, the commanderwas not far off.
Felix divided himself up among the three parties; and, as he was a livelyboy, he afforded no little amusement to all of them. The entire company,including the captain and the third officer, who were to take part in thebusiness of sight-seeing, consisted of sixteen persons, which was just thecomplement for four carriages, if they were large enough to seat four.
The pilot came on board, and was inducted into the pilot-house. He spokeEnglish, and seemed to be a bright fellow so far as his occupation wasconcerned. The pilots are said to "pool their issues," and divide theirfees. They take their own time, therefore, and are very independent. Butthis one, when informed that the Guardian-Mother was a yacht conveying ayoung millionaire all-over-the-world, was very respectful and deferential.
"I have heard of this vessel before, and they say here that the young rajahis worth millions of pounds," said he, when he had laid the course of thesteamer.
"I suppose he is as well off as some of your Grand Moguls; but I think youhad better call it dollars instead of pounds," replied Mr. Boulong,laughing at the absurdity of the story; but the pilot knew nothing aboutdollars, and perhaps the reports had been swelled by changing the unit ofAmerican currency into that of the British Empire.
"Now you can see the islands more distinctly," said Lord Tremlyn to hisgroup.
"I don't see any islands," replied Miss Blanche.
"They are too near together to be distinguished separately. The Bombay towhich we are going is an island eleven and a half miles long. The town hasan abundant territory; but large as it is, portions of it are very denselypeopled, averaging twenty-one inmates to a house," continued the viscount."Next to Calcutta it is the largest city in India, and comes within 40,000of that.
"Bombay has had its vicissitudes. Of course you know that your Civil Warproduced a cotton famine in Europe; but it raised this city to the pinnacleof prosperity. A reign of speculation came here, and it was believed thatBombay would be the leading cotton mart of the world. Companies wereorganized to develop the resources of the country in the textile plant; andthe fever raged as high as it did when the South Sea Bubble was blown up,or as it has sometimes in New York and other cities of your country.
"New banks were started; merchants plunged recklessly into the vortex ofspeculation. Then came the news of the surrender of General Lee, and theend of the war in America. The bubble burst, even before it was fullyinflated, and the business prosperity of Bombay collapsed. The certificatesof shares in companies and banks were not worth the paper on which theywere written. Even the Bank of Bombay, believed to be as solid as the 'OldLady' of Threadneedle Street, had to suspend, and the commercial distresswas frightful.
"But it left its lesson behind it; and since that time Bombay has patientlyand painfully regained its former solid prosperity. It has recovered whatit lost, and is now steadily increasing in population and wealth."
"I never heard of the South Sea Bubble of which you speak," said Louis.
"That is not strange, as it was an affair of one hundred and eighty-oneyears ago," replied Lord Tremlyn. "I have not time now to describe it infull. The floating debt of England at that time was £10,000,000; and theEarl of Oxford concocted a scheme to pay it off, and formed a company ofmerchants for that purpose. The riches of the South Sea Islands, includingSouth America, were most extravagantly estimated at that time, and themonopoly of the trade was secured by the company formed. The 'South SeaCompany' was bolstered up by the pledge of the duties on the imports fromthese far-off regions, and the shares sold like wild-fire, increasing inprice in the most extraordinary manner. Shares at a par of £100 were quotedat £550 in May, and £890 in June.
"The failure of the Mississippi Scheme, projected in France by John Law todevelop the resources of the American State of Louisiana, alarmed theshareholders; but the managers declared that they had avoided the errors ofLaw in their finances, and the enterprise still prospered. A mania forstock-gambling spread over England, and the people seemed to have losttheir wits. The most tremendous excitement prevailed. The crisis came, andit was realized that the scheme was a fraudulent one. Some of the biggestoperators sold out their stock, and a panic ensued. Consternation came uponthe bubble capitalists, and financial ruin stared them and their dupes fullin the face.
"The country was stirred to its very foundations. Parliament was calledtogether, and the books of the company were examined. The 'Bubble' hadburst, as it did in Bombay. The private property of the directors wasconfiscated. The ruin brought about by this enterprise, rightly called a'Bubble,' was beyond calculation; but it taught its lesson, as such affairsalways do."
"We are approaching the harbor," said Mrs. Woolridge, who was not muchinterested in the South Sea Scheme, though her husband and Louis listenedto the explanation very attentively.
"We are, madam. You see to the northward of us two peninsulas. The one themore distant has two hills on it. The first is Malabar Hill, and the otherCumballa Hill. This is the aristocratic quarter of Bombay. The hugebungalows of the rich merchants and higher government officials are here.The scenery, natural and artificial, is very fine, and Asiatic magnificenceprevails there. That will be one of our first rides. You observe near thepoint of the peninsula some towers, like pagodas, which will give you yourfirst impression of the temples of India."
Opera-glasses were then in demand, and were brought to bear on the towers.
"They are in the village of Walkeshwar. The peninsula now quite near isColaba. Indian names are very much mixed in regard to their spelling. Thec and thek are about interchangeable, and you can use eitherone of them. Hence this point is often written Kolaba, and the hill yonderKumballa. The southern part of this neck of land is the native quarter. Youwill visit all these localities, and it is not worth while to describe themminutely."
"That looks like a cemetery," said Mr. Woolridge, as the steamer approachedthe point. "There is the lighthouse."
The commander had left his party as the steamer approached the entrance tothe harbor, and had gone forward. The ship had slowed down, and the captainspoke to the pilot about a convenient anchorage. The harbor was largeenough to accommodate all the navies of the world, and there was nodifficulty on this account. Lord Tremlyn had left his party to look at whatwas to be seen by themselves, and came forward to the pilot-house. Theanchorage was settled.
"Captain Ringgold, if you please, we will now exchange places," said theviscount. "Up to the present time we have been your guests; now I willbecome the host, and you and your party will be my guests. I beg you willraise no objections, my dear sir, and I shall feel very much wounded if youdo not accept the hospitality I tender to you. You are at home on the seaas I am in Bombay."
"You have put it in such a way that I cannot refuse to accept," replied thecommander, laughing at the corner in which he was placed. "For the presentwe are your guests, and we place ourselves entirely under your direction."
"I am extremely happy to take you all under my protection; but I cannotsubmit to the proviso which you have added to my offer, though I will besatisfied to have you 'for the present' as my guests, and we will leave thefuture to take care of itself. But in whatever capacity we travel overIndia, or such portion of it as you may elect, it is rather necessary thatwe fix upon a plan for our operations."
"I am quite agreed that we had better draw up a programme, and I shalldepend upon your counsel in the matter," replied the captain. "For thepresent, will you excuse me until the ship comes to anchor?"
"Certainly, Captain."
"Here is the custom-house boat, and I suppose I must attend to that."
"Leave that to me, if you please."
In another half-hour the Guardian-Mother was at anchor off the ApolloBunder, the wharf, or landing-place. The custom-house officers came onboard; and, as the ship was not one of any regular line, a high officialcame off with them. As soon as he reached the deck he discovered hislordship, and rushed to him, bowed profusely, and addressed him in the mostdeferential manner.
"This is a very unexpected visit, my Lord, and in a steamer flying theAmerican flag," said he, as the viscount gave him his hand, a piece ofcondescension he appeared to appreciate very highly. "What has become ofthe Travancore?"
"She was wrecked in the Arabian Sea in a collision, and went to the bottomafter holding us up for a few hours. We were rescued from certain death bythis steamer, and we have been treated with the utmost kindness andconsideration," said his lordship quite hurriedly. "Sir Modava Rao and Dr.Ferrolan are on board. I am entirely devoted to those to whom we owe ourlives, and I am in their service as long as they will stay in India. Whatis your business on board, Mr. Windham?"
"It is in connection with the customs, my Lord."
"You will dispense with everything in that connection, for this is a yacht;and you will oblige me by not subjecting any person on board to anyannoyance, Mr. Windham."
"Certainly not, my Lord; and not a trunk shall be opened. But thenewspapers will want the account of your shipwreck, and a reporter came offwith me," replied the official.
"Refer him to my secretary."
The under-official obtained particulars from the first officer in regard tothe steamer for the custom-house, and Dr. Ferrolan gave the reporter anaccount of the disaster to the Travancore which he had written.
"I propose to land and proceed to our hotel as soon as the ladies areready," said Lord Tremlyn, when he had retired to the captain's cabin withthe commander. "While they are preparing, we will consider the programme ofthe tour."
"Very well, your Lordship; I will have the party notified. Mr. Scott," saidthe captain, opening the door into the pilot-house, "inform all the companythat we go on shore in half an hour; and you will go with them. Mr.Boulong, lower the gangway, and have the barge ready."
"Perhaps you have arranged a programme yourself already," suggested the newhost of the party.
"I have considered the matter. I proposed to see Bombay, and perhaps rundown to Poona. Then go to Surat in the steamer, and visit Baroda, andproceed by the ship to Kurrachee. From there I thought I should send theGuardian-Mother round to Calcutta in charge of Mr. Boulong, while wetravelled to Lahore, Delhi, Cawnpore, Lucknow, Allahabad, Benares, andCalcutta by railway. From there we will go to Madras and Ceylon by thesteamer," said the commander, who seemed to have arranged the whole trip.
"Excellent, Captain Ringgold!" exclaimed the viscount. "I can hardly betterthat."
He made some suggestions; but this route was substantially adopted.
The barge was ready as soon as it was needed, and lay at the platform ofthe gangway, with the crew in their white uniforms, quite as smart asman-of-war's-men. The coolie boatmen who were seeking a job to put thepassengers on shore were disappointed. The clothing of the guests had beentaken in hand by Sparks and Sordy, the cabin stewards, dried, cleaned, andpressed. They wore them now, and had returned the borrowed garments.
The party were impatient to see the strange sights on shore; and they wereready at the gangway when the viscount, to whom the commander had abandonedthe direction of the company, gave the word. The ladies were assisted totheir places, and the "Big Four" went into the fore-sheets. Bargate, theold man-of-war's-man, was the cockswain, and his lordship gave the word tohim to give way.
"Pull to the Apollo Bunder, if you please, my man," said he.
"Which, your honor?" asked Bargate blankly.
"I mean the bit of a basin you see nearly abreast of the ship," the newleader explained, pointing out the locality.
The cockswain shoved off the stern of the boat, the oars dropped into thewater, and the men gave way. It was a pull of but a few minutes, and thebarge shot into the basin, and came to a convenient landing-place. On theshore they found Mr. Windham, one of the chief officials of thecustom-house, who had been on board of the ship. He was surrounded by asmall mob of young Hindus, neatly dressed in the native garments of whitecotton. The ladies were assisted to the shore first. All of the partycarried small valises or satchels containing the needed articles for a fewdays' stay at a hotel; and these natives took possession of them as theylanded.
"What is this man, Sir Modava?" asked Mrs. Belgrave, as one of themrelieved her of the bag she carried.
"He is yourKhidmutgar, madam," replied the Hindu knight, with asmile on his handsome face.
"My what?" demanded the lady. "And must I pronounce that word?"
"Not unless you wish to do so. This man is your servant, your waiter."
"But what are we to do with such a lot of them?" inquired Mrs. Belgrave, asshe looked upon the group of Hindus.
"There is only one for each person of the company; for every one must havehis servant. We are going to the Victoria Hotel, and thisKhidmutgarwill attend upon you at the table, and do anything you require."
"I don't think I shall need him all the time," added the lady, who thoughthe would be a nuisance to her.
The young Hindus presented themselves to all the passengers as they landed,taking their small baggage, canes, and umbrellas. Some of them had heardSir Modava's explanation, and Lord Tremlyn repeated it to others. Most ofthem had decided to take things as they came, and accepted the custom ofthe country without any friction. Mrs. Blossom looked rather wildly at thesatellite who was to attend to her wants; but her good friend told her tosay nothing, and she submitted without a word.
"Captain Ringgold," said the viscount, as he brought forward a rather stoutman, with spectacles on his nose, and an odd-looking cap or turban on hishead, "this is Pallonjee Pestonjee, the proprietor of the Victoria Hotel."
"I am happy to know you, sir," replied the commander, as he took the handof the gentleman, who was a Parsee, though he did not attempt to pronouncethe name.
"We have half a dozenshigrams here," continued his lordship.
"What are we to do with them, my Lord?" asked the captain.
"They are two-horse carriages; and, if you please, we will ride to thehotel in them," laughed the distinguished guide.
The party seated themselves in the vehicles, which were of English pattern;and they saw cabs and omnibuses in the vicinity. Taking Rampart Row, theypassed the university, the court-house, and other public buildings, intoEsplanade Road, leading to their destination, about a mile from thelanding.
"On our right is Byculla, one of the divisions of the city, and a businessquarter, where you will find the retail shops, though they are not allhere," said the viscount. "This locality is generally called the Fort; forthough its walls have been removed, it retains the old name. Just below theApollo Bunder, where we landed, are the Grant buildings, or warehouses.Perhaps you saw them from the deck of the ship. Below these, at theextremity of the point, is Colaba, the native town, which is largelyoccupied by commercial buildings. But we shall ride over this ground again,and you will have the opportunity to see the various structures in detail."
But the tourists were not very much interested in the buildings; for theywanted to see India, its manners and customs, and for the last year theyhad been seeing edifices as noted as any in the world, though they had yetto be introduced to the temples and palaces of this country, which weredifferent from anything they had seen before.
They soon arrived at the Victoria Hotel; and thekhidmutgars,carrying the light baggage, were not behind them, though they had run allthe way from the bunder. The landlord had come in a carriage. FelixMcGavonty, who was the captain's clerk, had made out several lists of thepassengers, at the request of Lord Tremlyn; and one of them had been sentto the hotel, so that their rooms were already assigned to them. Theirservants appeared to be familiar with the Victoria, and they were taken totheir apartments at once.
"What the dickens do we want of all these fellows?" asked Scott when theyhad been conducted to a room with four beds in it. "They will be a nuisanceto us."
"We don't need all you fellows," added Louis Belgrave, turning to hisservant. "We are accustomed to wait on ourselves. One of you is enough forall of us."
"No, Sahib; nokhidmutgar waits on more than one gentleman," repliedLouis's man, with a cheerful smile, displaying a wealth of white teethwhich would have been creditable to an Alabama negro.
"That's what's the matter, is it?" added Scott. "I have learned that noHindu will do more than one kind of work, take care of more than oneperson; and no groom will take care of more than one horse. If you have sixhorses, you must have six hostlers. That is what Sir Modava told me."
"Custom is law here, and we must follow the fashions," replied Louis. "Whatis your name, my boy?" he continued, turning to his servant.
"Sayad, sahib," answered he.
Scott's was Moro, Morris's was Mobarak, and Felix's was Balaya; but thelast two were speedily abbreviated into "Mobby" and "Bally," to which theyoung Hindus offered no objection. They were all under twenty years of age,and spoke English passably well.
"Here, Sayad! black my shoes," said Louis, determined to make use of hisservant.
"I don't clean the shoes," replied the fellow, shaking his head. "I callthe porter;" and he did so.
"That is just what Sir Modava told me," added Scott.
But Sayad had opened his master's valise, placed his toilet articles on thebureau, and brushed his coat, which he had taken off. He arrangedeverything with good taste, and smiled expansively every time Louis lookedat him. The shoes of all four were polished in time; and they were ready tobegin their explorations of the city, though it was rather late in the day.
"What time is dinner, Moro?" asked Scott.
"Seven o'clock, sahib," replied the boy; and he was more of a boy than aman.
"What time are the other meals?"
"Meals?" queried Moro.
"What time is breakfast?"
"Bring sahib coffee at six in the morning; breakfast at nine; tiffin atone."
"What's that last one, Moro?"
"We had tiffin at Suez, and it means luncheon," interposed Morris.
"I didn't hear the word; but it is all right, and tiffin it is after thistime. Come; are you going down-stairs, fellows?"
"There is a public sitting-room down-stairs, and we will find that first."
The four servants followed them when they went down-stairs. None of theparty had yet gone to the public room except Sir Modava, though LordTremlyn soon joined him. Their attendants stopped outside the doors.
"We are going to the tailor's now," said the Hindu gentleman. "As you areaware, we lost all our clothes except what we had on, and we must order anew supply."
"May we go with you?" asked Louis.
"Certainly; if you desire to do so. You may find something to amuse you onthe way, as we shall walk; for we want to get our sea-legs off," repliedSir Modava. "It is only five o'clock here, and we have two hours beforedinner-time. Ah, here is Miss Blanche."
She was followed by her servant, who was decidedly a nuisance to her,though he retreated from her room as soon as he had put things in order,and remained within call outside the door. Louis invited her to take a walkwith them, and she went up-stairs to consult her mother. She returned in afew minutes, ready to go out; and she was as radiant as a fairy in herlight costume.
They passed out of the hotel; and the first thing that attracted Louis'sattention was a palanquin. It was not a new thing to the travellers, forthey had seen such conveyances in Constantinople and elsewhere.
"You must ride in that palanquin, Miss Blanche," said Louis; and he toldSayad to have it brought up to the door.
It was a compartment like a box, about seven feet long, with a pair ofsliding doors at the side. It was balanced on a pole, with braces above andbelow it. It appeared to be so poised, with the pole above the centre ofgravity, that it could not be turned over. The four bearers were coolies,with bare legs, cotton turbans on their heads, and not otherwise overloadedwith clothing; but they were dressed like all the coolies about the streetsand in the boats of the harbor.
The fair young lady had never been in a palanquin, though she had seenthem, and she was pleased with the idea of the ride. It was dropped downupon its four legs, or feet, and Louis assisted her to the interior. It wasprovided with cushions, and Sir Modava instructed her to recline so thatshe could see out of the open doors. The young millionaire walked by theside of the vehicle, while the others all followed, with their servants ata respectful distance.
"How do you like the motion, Miss Blanche?" asked Louis, after they hadgone a short distance.
"It is not as uneasy as the gait of a camel, though I can feel every stepof the bearers. But I should prefer ashigram, if it only had abetter name," replied she.
"You can call it a brougham, or simply a carriage, if you prefer. We arenot here to learn the Indian languages, and we can take our choice; and wecan talk 'good old United States,' in speaking of things," suggested Louis."There! what will you call that vehicle, Miss Blanche?"
"That is called agharri" interposed Sir Modava, who was withinhearing.
The vehicle was such as none of the Americans had ever seen. It was a sortof two-wheeled cart, with a top like an old-fashioned chaise, in which aman was seated, while a rough-looking fellow rode in front.
"I should say it was an ox-cart, so far as the team is concerned," saidScott.
"Those are not oxen; they are called bullocks in this country. As you see,they have humps like a camel, though much smaller, in front of which is theyoke," the Hindu knight explained.
"But they don't drive oxen in the United States with a pair of rope reins,as this fellow does," said Scott.
"I have seen them do so in North Carolina," added Morris, who had travelledin the South with his parents.
"I give it up, and it's all right. But what is that man in the cart? Is hea Grand Mogul?"
"Hardly," replied Sir Modava, laughing. "The driver is the lowest caste oflaborers, who works for fivepence a day, and supports his family on it. Theman inside is the cook of a Parsee merchant I happen to know, and probablyhe is going to market to buy supplies for the family. But here we are atthe tailor's. You can continue your ramble, and your servants can tell youthe way, and what the buildings are."
The two gentlemen entered the tailor's shop; for there are no stores hereany more than in London.
The live boys did not care much for the buildings, though most of those ofa public character were architecturally very fine. Around a large openspace they found the Town Hall, the Mint, and all the great mercantileestablishments. At the time of the young people's visit, it was almostentirely abandoned by those who had held possession of it during the day.Business hours are from ten in the forenoon till four in the afternoon.
Before and after these hours the Fort, as the business section of the cityis called, is deserted. This quarter was formerly surrounded by walls orramparts, which have now been removed; but in its limits is concentratedthe great wealth of Bombay. There are no dwellings within this territory,which is consecrated to trade and commerce; and both Europeans and nativeshasten at the early closing hour to their homes at Colaba, the Esplanade,Mazagon, Malabar Hill, and Breach Candy, the latter on the seashore.
In front of the Grant buildings they found the Cotton-Green, deserted now,though the stacks of bales were still there, with a few sheds and shanties.A few half-naked coolies and policemen were loitering about the place; butit is not convenient for a thief to carry off a bale of cotton on his back,and a bullock cart in this locality would excite suspicion. In businesshours this is a busy place; and the Parsee and native merchants, robed inloose white garments, not all of them indulging in the luxury of trousers,reclining on the bales, or busy with customers, form a picturesque scene.
"I don't think this is the right time to explore this region," suggestedScott. "We had better come down here when there is something going on."
"You are right, Scott," replied Louis; "and I dare say Miss Blanche has hadenough of the palanquin, or will have by the time we get back to the hotel,for we are more than a mile from it."
"I don't think I like a palanquin as well as a carriage," replied the younglady. "If you please, I should like to walk back."
She was promptly assisted to alight, and the palanquin bearers were paid soliberally that they did not complain at being discharged so far from thehotel. Sayad and Moro were sent ahead to lead the way, while the other twowalked behind. On their arrival at the Victoria, they found all the rest ofthe tourists assembled in the parlor, to whom they gave an account of whatthey had seen.
They went to the saloon in which dinner was served, closely followedby their servants; and the scene there was decidedly unique to theAmericans, for there were as many servants as guests. The hotel furnishesno attendants, and each visitor brings his own. But as soon as all wereseated, order came out of confusion, and the service proceeded. The disheswere somewhat peculiar; but Sir Modava explained them to the commander andMrs. Belgrave, while Lord Tremlyn rendered a similar service to theWoolridges and Louis, and Dr. Ferrolan to the professional gentlemen of thecompany.
"I think you will find this fish very good," said his lordship, as thesecond course came on. "It is thebummaloti, sometimes called theBombay duck, something like both the salmon and the trout. It is asalt-water fish, abundant off this coast, where it is extensively taken,salted, and dried, to be sent to all parts of India."
"It is elegant," said Mr. Woolridge, who was an epicure.
The roast beef and chickens were very good, and the fruit was highlyappreciated. The dinner finished, the party returned to the sitting-room,and found themselves very nearly alone. At the suggestion of CaptainRinggold, Lord Tremlyn consented to give the travellers some information inregard to the city of Bombay.
"When I consider what a vast extent of territory you are to explore inIndia," the speaker began, "I realize that not much of your time must betaken up in long discourses, and especially not in lengthy introductions.Bombay, the western province of the peninsula, includes twenty-four Britishdistricts and nineteen native states, the latter governed wholly or in partby Hindu rulers. This word Hindu, I repeat, properly applies to only aportion of this country, but has come into use as a name for the entireregion.
"This is the Bombay Presidency, with a governor appointed by the crown, aLegislative Council, a mixed garrison of English and native soldiers, undera local commander-in-chief. That is all I shall say of the presidency,which is one of three in India.
"The city of Bombay occupies the south end of the island of the same name,and is one of a group of several, of which Salsette is the largest, withwhich Bombay Island, eleven miles in length, is connected by causeways,over which the railway passes. The business part is at the Fort, where welanded, and the bazaars extend from that in the direction of Mazagon, whichlies to the north and east of it.
"You will find here many public buildings and commercial structures whichcompare favorably with similar edifices in any city of the world; and weshall see them to-morrow forenoon. The Princess Dock, where the greatsteamship lines land their merchandise, cost a million sterling. Three orfour miles off this dock, to the eastward, you saw a couple of islands, thefarther one of which is Elephanta, with its wonderful cave, which you willvisit.
"The western terminus of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway is here, andwith its connections it extends all over India. This is the first portusually reached by vessels from Europe, though Kurrachee is nearer. It isthe great mail port; and I have seen landed at Dover thirty tons ofpost-bags, sent from here by Suez and through Europe by the Orient Express.
"Bombay now exceeds Calcutta in the extent of its commerce. The principalexports are cotton, wheat, shawls, opium, coffee, pepper, ivory, and gums;and the chief imports are the manufactured goods of England, metals, wine,beer, tea, and silks. The prominent industries of the city and its vicinityare dyeing, tanning, and metal working. It has sixty large steam-mills. Ofthe vast population, now approaching a million, not more than 13,000 areBritish-born. The water here is excellent, for it is brought from a lakefifteen miles north of us.
"Goa is still a Portuguese possession, nearly three hundred miles down thecoast; and a year before they captured it they took possession of thisisland, in 1509. They held it till 1661, when it was ceded to England as apart of the dowry of the Infanta Catharine, who became queen of Charles II.That is all I need say at present."
The next morning after breakfast the carriages bespoken were at the door.The party seated themselves in the vehicles, which were English, and quitecommodious, according to their own fancies; and it need only be said thatthe commander was in the one with Mrs. Belgrave, and Louis with MissBlanche. The viscount directed the driver of his carriage to pass throughCruikshank Road to the Parsees' Bazaar, which is just north of the Fort.Most of the Parsees and Bhorahs who do business here reside in the samesection; and there were many fine houses there, though they are abundantlyable to live at Breach Candy and Malabar Hill, the abode of theélite. The vehicles stopped at an attractive point, and the partyalighted. They went into several shops, and were treated with the utmostpoliteness and attention.
In one of them they were invited into a small rear saloon, magnificentlyfurnished, where they were presented by Lord Tremlyn to a Parsee gentleman.He was dignity and grace united. He was dressed in white throughout, excepthis cap, or turban, which was of darker material. He wore trousers, withwhite socks and slippers. His shirt appeared to be outside of his trousers,like the Russians, with a sort of vest over it. He wore a long coat, shapedlike a dressing-gown, reaching nearly to the floor.
He was kind enough to call in his wife and little daughter. Both of themhad pleasing faces. The lady wore a rich dress and a magnificent shawl,with a head-dress of gold and diamonds. The little girl had on baggingtrousers like the Turkish women, and a heavily embroidered tunic, and bothof them wore Indian slippers, with the toes turned up.
The ladies of the party were presented to the lady. She spoke Englishcorrectly and fluently, and the interview between them was exceedinglyinteresting to both sides. The Americans did not meddle with forbiddentopics, as they had been cautioned not to do, such as their religion andburial rites; but they could not help thinking of this elegant lady'scomely form being torn to pieces by the crows and vultures in the Tower ofSilence with absolute horror.
From the Bazaar the carriages proceeded through the Fort, and the publicbuildings were pointed out to them. At the Cotton-Green they got out; forthe place was now alive with Parsees and other merchants, with plenty ofcoolies, some of whom were moving bales, and others sorting cotton. Fromthis locality they rode through Colaba, and saw some native dwellings, aswell as some fine European residences, with beautiful gardens around them.They alighted near the most southern point, and inspected a "bungalow,"which they were politely invited to enter. It was fitted up with a view tocomfort rather than elegance, and the interior appeared as though it mightbe delightfully cool in the heat of summer.
"What do you call that house?" asked Mrs. Belgrave, as they returned to theroad, which they call them all over the city, and not streets.
"A bungalow," replied Sir Modava.
"Why do you call it so?"
"That reminds me of the German," interposed Captain Ringgold, laughingheartily. "'Do you know vot vas der reason vy ve calls our boy Hans?'"
"Well, what was the reason, Captain?" inquired the lady seriously.
"'Der reason vy ve calls our boy Hans is, dot is his name.'"
"Well, that is precisely why we call that house a bungalow," added SirModava. "It is the house usually occupied by Europeans here. They are onestory high, with a broad veranda, like the one we have just visited. Almostalways they have a pyramidal roof, generally thatched, but rarely slated ortiled. When the body is of brick or stone, they call thempuckahouses. Doubtless you wished to know the origin of the word, Mrs.Belgrave."
"That was just what I wished to know."
"They were probably first called Bengalese houses, and the present name wascorrupted out of the adjective."
The party collected together on the seashore, for the viscount appeared tohave something to say. The captain of the Guardian-Mother called theattention of the company to the shape of the small bay before them, whichlooked exactly like a lobster's big claw.
"The point where we are is Cape Colaba, and the small point is CapeMalabar," said Lord Tremlyn. "I think we have seen all our time permits,and now we will drive back through the town and the Esplanade. Perhaps youhave not yet heard of the Jains. They are a religious sect, and are moreinfluential and intelligent than most of the Hindus. More than any othersect they hold the lower animals in the highest regard, amounting to astrange sort of tenderness.
"They believe that man should not injure any animal; and more than this,that human beings are bound to protect the lives and minister to the illsof all creatures, even those the most despised. When, therefore, the piousJain comes upon a wounded creature of the lower order, he stops to attendto its needs, and even takes it into his house to be healed. To forwardthis charity, the wealthy of this sect have contributed money for thefoundation and endowment of hospitals for the care of sick and woundedanimals, and even of those permanently disabled."
"What a beautiful idea, if it is heathen!" exclaimed Mrs. Belgrave.
"We will now drive to one of these hospitals. We have to pass through theEsplanade again to reach the Black Town, as it is called, where most of thenatives reside; but we will go by a different road."
In about half an hour the carriages passed through the densely populatedregion of the Hindus, and stopped at the hospital. The party alighted in alarge court, surrounded by sheds, in which are a number of bullocks, someof them with their eyes bandaged, others lame, or otherwise in a helplesscondition. They were all stretched out on clean straw. Some of theattendants were rubbing them; others were bringing food and drink to them.
Passing into a smaller court, they found it contained dogs and cats in thesame unfortunate and suffering condition.
"It would be a mercy to kill them, and thus put them out of misery," saidDr. Hawkes to the native officer with him.
"Do you serve your sick and disabled in that way?" asked the official.
He could not answer this appeal for the want of time, and they passed intoa place for birds. Venerable crows, vultures, buzzards, and other bipeds,most of them with their plumage gone, pass the remainder of their lives inpeace in this curious retreat. At the end of the enclosure a heron proudlystrutted about with a wooden leg, among lame hens and blind geese andducks. Rats, mice, sparrows, and jackals have an asylum in the Jainhospital.
"I should like to have some of our people take a lesson from thisinstitution," said Mrs. Woolridge as they left the place.
The carriages then conveyed them to a Hindu temple.
On the way to the temple the carriages stopped at a horse bazaar, in whichMr. Woolridge was especially interested, for some very fine animals were tobe seen, including some choice Arabians. They were looked over and admiredby the party. The best of them were valued at from six hundred to twelvehundred dollars; and the cheapest were hardly less than two hundreddollars. None but the wealthiest people of the city could afford to rideafter these animals.
Around these stables were numerous cafés, and a collection of people ofvarious nationalities were gathered in front and within them. Arabs,negroes, Bedouins, and others were consuming spicy drinks; a group ofPersians in picturesque costumes were regaling themselves with greatdough-balls, made of flour, sugar, and milk; and dirty visitors from Cabulwere feeding themselves on dates.
Still in the Black Town, the carriages stopped at the Chinese Bazaar,though the tourists did not alight. It extended to the shore of the bay,and was crowded with all sorts of people. On the quays were no end ofAsiatic goods, mostly of the coarser kind,--the horns of cattle, tortoiseshells, elephants' tusks, and bags of pepper, spices, and coffee.
"This looks like Constantinople," said Miss Blanche, as four big coolies,bearing a large box of goods suspended from a pole resting on theirshoulders, passed them, struggling under the burden they bore.
"Oriental customs are much the same wherever you find them," replied SirModava.
"But if they had a hand-truck, such as they use in the stores of ourcountry, they could do their work with far less labor," suggested Scott.
"Those coolies would not use them," added the Hindu gentleman. "I have seenthem in London, and these laborers would regard them as an invention of theEvil One to lead them away from their religion."
Parsees and other merchants were circulating in the crowd, making notes ofthe prices; and the great variety of representatives of different countrieswas surprising to the visitors. Not far from this bazaar is the greatmosque of the Mohammedans. After all the magnificent buildings of this kindthe party had visited in Turkey, Egypt, and Algeria, it was not a greatattraction. It was not to be compared with many mosques they had seen. Asusual, the party were invited to remove their shoes, though the sighthardly paid for the trouble. The scene was the same as in others of thekind. A venerable Moollah was expounding the Koran to a group of truebelievers.
His audience were all seated on the pavement, and they seemed to be givingexcellent attention to the discourse. Sir Modava explained that theMohammedans of Bombay were more orthodox, or strict, in the observance ofthe requirements of their religion than in Bengal; for a considerableproportion are direct descendants from the original stock who had emigratedto India from Persia. They are bitterly opposed to the Hindus, and aserious riot had occurred not long before.
There are many Hindu temples in Bombay, though not many of them areaccessible to strangers; but the party drove to one in the Black Town. Ithad a low dome and a pyramidal spire. Both of them were of the Indian styleof architecture, very elaborate in ornamentation. It looked like a hugemass of filigree work.
The visitors next found themselves at Girgaum, which is a forest ofcocoanut-trees extending from the Bazaars to Chowpatti, at the head of theBack Bay. Among the trees, as the carriages proceeded along the Queen'sRoad, they found a great number of Hindu huts, half hidden in the densefoliage. They paused to look at one of them.
The walls were of bamboo and other tropical woods, and the roof wasthatched with cocoanut leaves, which required poles to keep them in place.It had several doors, and cross-latticed windows. There was no particularshape to the structure, and certainly nothing of neatness or comelinessabout it. A large banana tree grew near it; a woman stood at one of thedoors, staring with wonder at the strangers, and a couple of half-nakedcoolies were at work farther away. The morality of the residents of thissection could not be commended.
"In the evening this grove is lighted up with colored lamps," said theviscount. "Taverns and small cafés are in full blast, the sounds of musicare heard, and a grand revel is in progress. Europeans, Malays, Arabs,Chinese, and Hindus frequent the grove. Far into the night this debaucherycontinues, and I trust the authorities will soon clean it out."
The carriages continued on their way to Malabar Hill, and made a thoroughsurvey of the locality. At the southerly point they came to the village ofWalkeshwar, whose pagoda-like towers they had seen from the ship, filledwith residences, though not of the magnates of the city. Most of thebuildings here were very plain. The hill is not a high one, but along itssides the elaborate bungalows of the merchants and others were erected, allof them with fine gardens surrounding them.
Breach Candy, on the seashore, in front of Cumballa Hill, is the mostaristocratic neighborhood, and contains the finest mansions. Tramways,which is the English name for horse-cars, extend to this locality, as wellas to most other important parts of the city; and there is a station on thesteam railroad near it, though most of the wealthy residents ride back andforth in their own carriages.
The Tower of Silence, in which the Parsees expose their dead to be devouredby birds of prey, was pointed out to them. No one but the priests areallowed to enter it; and the relatives leave the body at the door, fromwhich they take it into the building. It is placed between two grates,which allow the vultures to tear off the flesh, but not to carry off thelimbs. It made the Americans shudder when their guides told them about itmore in detail than when it was described in the lecture.
Passing by the cemeteries of the English and the Mussulmans on their returnto the city, they halted at the Hindu Burning-Ground, on the shore of theBack Bay. Here the natives are burned to ashes. For some distance they hadnoticed funeral processions on their way to this place. The remains areborne on open litters. A granite platform is the base of the funeral pyre,and the bodies wait their turn to be reduced to ashes; and the cremation isfar more repulsive than that in our own country.
Dealers in wood for the combustion sell the article to the relatives. Someof them are cutting up fuel and arranging the pyre, while others seated onthe walls play a lugubrious strain on the native instruments. The disposalof the body of an old man was in process while the tourists looked on; andthe corpse was placed on the pile, the friends covering it with bits ofwood till it was no longer in sight.
Then the eldest son came to the scene, howling his grief and beating hisbreast. Grasping a torch prepared for him, he set fire to the corners ofthe pile that covered the remains. The flames rose high in the air, and theattendants fed the fire by throwing on oil. Soon the body reappears, ablazing mass, which is soon reduced to ashes. Water is then thrown on thepyre, and a portion of the ashes cast into the sea.
There is nothing very repulsive in the rite of burning the dead; though thevisitors had some difficulty in keeping out of the reach of the foul smoke,which brought with it a disagreeable odor. The carriages continued on theirway to the city; and when they entered a street, Lord Tremlyn called theattention of those with him to a couple of native women who had stopped tolook at them, for the party excited no little curiosity wherever they went.It had become known by this time that a dozen American ladies and gentlemenwere circulating through the place, engaged in sight-seeing.
They had comely features of a brownish hue, and were dressed in the looserobes of the country, reaching to the ground; one of the garments extendedto cover the head, though not the face. Both of them wore heavy goldbangles on their arms, but both were barefoot.
"They are not Mohammedans," suggested Mrs. Woolridge.
"They may be for aught I know," replied his lordship. "The women of thissect here do not veil their faces as a rule."
"They are quite good-looking," added the New York magnate. "What caste orclass do they belong to?"
"I should say they were in the Vaisya caste, agriculture and trade. Theyare well dressed, and therefore not Sudra. Probably they are the wife anddaughter of a shopkeeper.
"What is this crowd in the square?" asked Morris, who had been lookingabout him.
"We will drive over there and see," replied the viscount as he directed thecoachman.
"Festival of Serpents," said the driver through the window.
"You have an opportunity to see one of the sights of Bombay; but we shallbe obliged to leave the carriages, for it is a great performance, and therewill be a large crowd." They alighted at a convenient place, and movedtowards the square. The ladies were in doubt as to whether or not theycared to see such an exhibition; but the three gentlemen who wereaccustomed to them declared that there was no danger.
"This affair is in the nature of a religious festival," said Sir Modava."There are scores of snakes brought before you; but they have had theirpoison fangs extracted, and they could not harm you much more than aplayful kitten. This is a day appointed to make prayers and offerings tothe snakes, in order to conciliate them and to insure immunity from theirbites. Though these occasions occur all over India, I don't believe thereis a single bite the less for them."
"It is the anniversary of the killing of the great serpent Bindrabund,which was creating terrible havoc on the shores of the river Jumna, anevent in Hindu mythology, which is as true as any mythology," added LordTremlyn. "You observe that it calls together a great crowd of people of allclasses, and you see fat Brahmin ladies here in palanquins, very richlydressed, and looking as sweet as sugar. You notice the rich standards andthe torches, the trumpeters, and the girls playing on tom-toms and cymbals.But we must get nearer to the centre of the show."
"Not too near," pleaded Mrs. Woolridge.
The crowd opened for the sahibs and the ladies, treating them with theutmost deference, as though they were superior beings; and they obtained aposition where they could see the entire performance. A group ofsapwallahs, or serpent-charmers, each bearing a basket about fifteeninches in diameter at the bottom, but not more than ten at the top, eachcontaining several cobras, marched into the centre of the crowd. PiousHindus brought forward bowls of the milk of buffaloes, of which theserpents are very fond, and placed them on the ground. The snakes werereleased from their confinement, and they made for the bowls of milkwithout any delay.
Some of the tourists had never seen a cobra, though they are found inEgypt. The ladies shrank back when they appeared, and some of themshuddered at the sight of the reptiles. The body was somewhat enlarged nearthe head, and the spectacles could be distinctly seen in this part. Theinstruments played, the standards and the torches were waved; but thesnakes continued their milk feast undisturbed.
The principalsapwallah had a wand in his hand, which he flourishedwhile he repeated a volume of gibberish which none of the party but SirModava could understand. When Mrs. Belgrave asked what he said; he repliedthat he was uttering invocations to the serpents, and entreating the wholetribe of snakes not to bite the people.
One of thesapwallahs, who wore nothing but a turban on his head anda fringed cloth about his loins, went to one of the bowls from which half adozen cobras were feeding, and taking hold of one of them, pulled him awayfrom the milk. The serpent thus treated was furious with anger, andinstantly opened out his hood, showing the spectacles in full. Anothercobra was put in his place at the bowl, and his persecutor sat down on theground with him, fooling with him as though he had been a kitten or a petdog.
In turn the snakes remaining in the baskets were released, and allowed tofeast on the milk as others were removed. There was a great crowd ofsapwallahs in charge of them, and none of them were permitted toescape. The reptiles showed their temper as they were taken from the milkby spreading their hoods; but they were so skilfully manipulated that theyhad no chance to bite.
"I think I have had enough of this thing," said Mr. Woolridge, with a lookof disgust on his face. "There is no fun at all in it, and I should like tomake them a target for my revolver."
"It is about time for tiffin, and we had better return to the hotel," addedLord Tremlyn. "I shall keep you busy this afternoon; and while you areresting you shall take in a Nautch dance, which is one of the institutionsof this country. After that we shall go to the island of Elephanta."
The live boys of the party were rather pleased with the spectacle, thoughthey had had enough of it; while the ladies, whose flesh had been"crawling" at the uncanny sight, were glad to escape. They all reached thehotel, and were hungry enough after the long jaunt of the forenoon toappreciate the "tiffin."
The influence of Lord Tremlyn and Sir Modava was enough to procure anythingin Bombay, and an apartment that served as a special banquet hall had beenprepared at their command, and their guests were introduced to itimmediately after tiffin. As the viscount had suggested, they wereconsiderably fatigued after the long jaunt of the forenoon, though theywere refreshed by the luncheon they had taken. The hall was furnished withsofas and easy-chairs for the occasion, and they were made verycomfortable.
The performers were seated on the floor of the room when the company tooktheir places. A man with a slouched turban and something like a sheet woundaround his body, reaching nearly to his ankles, the only clothing he wore,entered the hall. At the entrance of the party the girls rose from thefloor and saluted them deferentially.
There were six of them, very modestly dressed, only their arms and feetbeing bare. Their black hair was parted in the middle, and combed backbehind the ears, after the fashion of many years ago in the United States.They all wore ornaments in their ears, and around their ankles. Thematerial of their dresses was various, some of it quite rich, with pearlsand gold in places. They looked quite serious, as though they were about toengage in a religious ceremony, though it had no such connection. Some ofthem were decidedly pretty, though their style of beauty was not entirelyto the taste of the Americans. They had black eyes, and they looked thevisitors full in the face, and with entire self-possession.
"Now what are these girls, Sir Modava?" asked Mrs. Belgrave.
"They are professional dancers, and that is their sole occupation," repliedhe. "They are engaged by rich people when they give parties, and forweddings and other festive occasions."
"Is that man the only musician?"
"He is the only one for this entertainment, and he plays the tom-tom withhis fingers. I am afraid you do not appreciate our native music, and we didnot engage any more of it. They are about to begin."
The musician beat the tom-tom, and the girls rose from the floor, shook outtheir dresses as any lady would, and then it appeared that the ornaments ontheir ankles were bells, which rattled as though it were sleighing-time asthey moved about. They formed in a semicircle before the audience; one ofthem stepped forward, and turned herself around very slowly and gracefully,with a quivering of the body, like the gypsy girls of Spain, which causedher bells to jingle.
With eyes half-closed, and with a languishing expression on her dusky face,she made a variety of gestures, posturing frequently as she continued toturn. When this one seemed to have exhausted her material, another advancedto the front, and proceeded to exhibit her variety of gestures andpostures, which were but slightly different from those of the first one,though she went through the movements of a snake-charmer. In like mannerall the performers went through their several parts, imitating variousmusicians on different native instruments.
Two of them went through a very lively performance, leaping and whirlingvery rapidly. The exhibition concluded with a round dance, which wasthought to be very pretty, perhaps because it was exceedingly lively. Mrs.Belgrave and Mrs. Blossom had never been to a theatre in their lives, neversaw a ballet, and were not capable of appreciating the posturing, thoughthe animated dance pleased them. The Nautch girls retired, and the"Nautch," as such an occasion is called, was ended.
"Perhaps you have seen snakes enough for one day," said Lord Tremlyn; "butI thought you ought to see the performance of the snake-charmers. We willhave it here instead of in the open street; and it is quite different fromthe show you witnessed this forenoon."
As he spoke the door opened, and a couple of old and rather snaky-lookingHindus, folded up in a profusion of cloths, rather than garments, enteredthe apartment. Sir Modava conducted them to a proper distance from theaudience, who could not help distrusting the good intentions of thevicious-looking reptiles. Each of them carried such a basket as the partyhad seen in the square. The men seemed to be at least first cousins to theserpents the baskets contained, for their expression was subtle enough tostamp them as belonging to the same family.
The performers squatted on the floor, and each placed a basket before him,removing the cover; but the serpents did not come out. The charmers thenproduced a couple of instruments which Sir Modava called lutes, lookingmore like a dried-up summer crookneck squash, with a mouthpiece, and a tubewith keys below the bulb. Adjusting it to their lips, they began to play;and the music was not bad, and it appeared to be capable of charming thecobras, for they raised their heads out of the baskets.
The melody produced a strange effect upon the reptiles, for they began towriggle and twist as they uncoiled themselves. They hissed and outspreadtheir hoods, and instead of being charmed by the music, it seemed as thoughtheir wrath had been excited. They made an occasional dart at the humanperformers, who dodged them as though they had been in their nativejungles, with their business fangs in order for deadly work. But the Hindugentleman explained that they could bite, though they could not kill, aftertheir poison fangs had been removed.
Then one of the performers stood up, and seizing his snake by the neck, heswung him three times around his head, and dropped him on the floor. Therehe lay extended at his full length, as stiff as though he had taken a doseof his own poison.
"I have killed my serpent!" exclaimed the Hindu with a groan. "But I canmake him into a useful cane."
Sir Modava interpreted his remarks, and the fellow picked up his snake, andwalked before the audience, using it as a staff, and pretending to supporthimself upon it. Then he held out the reptile to the visitors, and offeredto sell his cane; but they recoiled, and the ladies were on the point ofrushing from the room when Sir Modava ordered him off. He retreated aproper distance, and then thrust the head of the creature beneath histurban, and continued to crowd him into it till nothing but his tail was insight. Then he took off his head covering, and showed the reptile coiled upwithin it.
Lord Tremlyn looked at his watch, and then carried a piece of money to thechief charmer, which he received with many salaams, in which his companionjoined him, for the fee was a very large one. He suggested that the partyhad had enough of this performance, to which all the ladies, with Mr.Woolridge, heartily agreed. The carriages were at the door of the hotel,and the company were hurriedly driven to the Apollo Bunder, where theyfound a steam-launch in waiting for them. Lord Tremlyn had arranged theexcursions so that everything proceeded like clockwork, and CaptainRinggold wondered what he should have done without his assistance.
The island of Elephanta was about five miles distant, and in half an hourthe party landed. Upon it were a couple of hills, and it was entirelycovered with woods. One of the first things to attract the attention was asingular tree, which seemed to be a family of a hundred of them; for thebranches reached down to the ground, and took root there, though the lowerends were spread out in numerous fibres, leaving most of the roots abovethe soil.
"This is a banyan-tree," said Sir Modava. "It is a sort of fig-tree, andyou see that the leaves are shaped like a heart. It bears a fruit of a richscarlet color, which grows in couples from the stems of the leaves. Theyare really figs, and they are an important article of food. In time thetrunk of the tree decays and disappears, and temples are made of the thickbranches. Some of these trees have three thousand stems rooted in theground, many of them as big as oaks: and these make a complete forest ofthemselves. One of them is said to have sheltered seven thousand people;but I never saw one as big as that."
The party proceeded towards the caves, but had not gone far before theywere arrested by the screams of some of the ladies, who were wandering insearch of flowers. Louis Belgrave was with his mother and Miss Blanche. SirModava, who was telling the rest of the company something more about thebanyan-tree, rushed to the spot from which the alarm came. There he foundLouis with his revolver in readiness to fire.
"Snakes!" screamed Mrs. Belgrave.
In front of them, asleep on a rock, were two large snakes. The Hindugentleman halted at the side of the lady, and burst out into a loud laugh.
"The snakes of India seem to be determined that you shall see them," saidhe. "But you need not fire, Mr. Belgrave; for those snakes are as harmlessas barnyard fowls, and they don't know enough to bite."
"I see that they are not cobras," added Louis, as he returned the revolverto his pocket. "But what are they?"
"Those are rock snakes."
"But I don't like the looks of them," said Mrs. Belgrave, as she continuedher retreat towards the path.
"I think they are horrid," added Miss Blanche.
"But they do no harm, and very likely they do some good in the world," saidSir Modava; "but there are snakes enough that ought to be killed withoutmeddling with them."
"You see that rock," said the viscount; "and it is a very large one. Canyou make anything of its shape? I suppose not; nobody can. But that rockgave a name to this island, applied by the Portuguese two or three hundredyears ago. It is said to have been in the form of an elephant. If it everhad that shape it has lost it."
After penetrating a dense thicket, the tourists discovered a comely flightof stairs, cut out of the solid rock of which the hill is composed,extending to a considerable distance, and finally leading into the greatpillared chamber forming a Hindu temple, though a level space planted withtrees must first be crossed.
They entered the cave. On the left were two full columns, not yet crumbledaway as others were, which gave the observers a complete view of what avast number of others there were. Next beyond them were three pilastersclinging to the ceiling. This part of the cavern was in the light from theentrance; but farther along, considerably obscured in the darkness of thesubterranean temple, were scores, and perhaps hundreds, of others. Thepillars were not the graceful forms of modern times, and many of them hadlost all shape.
This temple is said to have been excavated in the ninth century. The wallsare covered with gigantic figures in relief. The temple is in the form of across, the main hall being a hundred and forty-four feet in depth. Theceiling is supported by twenty-six columns and eighteen pilasters, sixteento eighteen feet high. They look clumsy, but they have to bear up theenormous weight of the hill of rock, and many of them have crumbled away.
At the end of the colonnade is a gigantic bust, representing a Hindudivinity with three heads. Some say that this is Brahma, as the threesymbols of the creator, preserver, and destroyer, forming what is sometimesnamed the Hindu trinity. But the best informed claim that the figurerepresents Siva, the destroyer of the triad of gods. All the reliefs on thewalls relate to the worship of this divinity, while there is not a knowntemple to Brahma.
The principal piece of sculpture is the marriage of Siva to the goddessParvati; and it is identified as such, wholly or in part, because the womanstands on the right of the man, as no female is permitted to do except atthe marriage ceremony. The party wandered through the caverns for twohours, and Sayad and Moro, the only servants brought with them, kindledfires in the darker places, to enable them to see the sculpture. Sir Modavaexplained what needed explanation. He conducted them to an opening, lightedby a hole in the hill, where they found a staircase guarded by two lions,leading into what is called the Lions' Cave.
The tourists at the end of the two hours were willing to vote that they hadseen enough of the caverns, and they returned to the hotel in season fordinner. On his arrival Lord Tremlyn found a letter at the office. Onopening it, the missive proved to be an invitation for that evening to awedding for the whole party. They considered it for some time, and as itafforded them an opportunity to see something of native life it was decidedto accept it.
The note to Lord Tremlyn enclosed sixteen cards printed in gold letters,one for each member of the company, and they were passed around to them.They were to the effect that Perbut Lalleejee would celebrate the marriageof his son that evening, and the favor of the recipient's attendance wasrequested to a Grand Nautch at nine o'clock. The gentleman who sent outthese cards was one of the wealthiest of the Parsee community, with whomthe viscount was intimately acquainted, and he strongly recommended theAmericans to attend.
The Parsees kept their religious affairs to themselves, and the party werenot to "assist" at the ceremony, which would have been an extra inducementto attend. Promptly at the hour named the carriages set the tourists andtheir volunteer guides down at the magnificent mansion of the father of theyoung man who was to enter the marriage state that evening.
The street in the vicinity of the house was brilliantly illuminated, and itwas covered over with an awning, from which no end of ornamental lamps weresuspended. Behind a mass of flowers--cartloads of them--a foreign orchestrawas placed. As the carriages stopped at the door, the band began a militarymarch, whose inspiring strains seemed to give an additional lustre to theelaborate decorations. It was easy for the guests to believe that they hadbeen introduced into the midst of a fairy scene. Sahib Perbut appeared atthe door as soon as the vehicles stopped, and took his lordship by thehand, and each of the guests were presented to him as they alighted. Thehost was not an old man, as the strangers expected to find him, since hehad a son who was old enough to get married.
He was very richly dressed, and he was a gentleman of unbounded suavity.Taking Mrs. Belgrave by the hand, he conducted her into the house, the restof the party forming a procession behind them. The Americans had beenobliged to make a trip to the Guardian-Mother, to obtain garments suitablefor such a "swell" occasion, and they were all dressed in their Sundayclothes.
If the exterior of the splendid mansion had challenged the admiration ofthe guests, the interior presented a scene of Oriental magnificence whichmight have astonished even the Count of Monte Cristo. The party wereconducted to the grand and lofty apartment where the Nautch was to begiven. Immense mirrors reflected the brilliancy of a thousand lights; thefloor was covered with the richest of carpets, the luxurious divans andsofas were overspread with the cloths of Cashmere; the elaborate richnessof the costumes of the Oriental guests, and the army of servantsmanipulatingpunkas, or fans, formed a scene not unlike, while itout-rivalled, the granddénoûment of a fairy spectacle on the stage.
The procession of foreign guests were all seated in the most conspicuousdivans; for if Lord Tremlyn had been the Prince of Wales, he and hisfriends could hardly have been treated with greater distinction, as he wasthe unofficial representative of the predominating influence in the affairsof India near the throne of the United Kingdom and the Empire. The partywere immediately beset with servants offering them fruit and sherbets, andthey were sprinkled with rose-water from silver flagons.
The Nautch girls were not the same the tourists had seen earlier in theday. There were more of them, and they were of a finer grain; in fact, thegentlemen, who were judges, declared that most of them were really pretty.They were seated on the floor in native fashion. They had great black eyes;their complexion was only the least tawny, and was paler than it would havebeen if they had lived on a more invigorating diet than rice and fruits.
There were half a dozen musicians, who played upon tom-toms, instrumentslike a fiddle, and one that was very nearly a hurdy-gurdy, with lutes andflutes. They gave the preliminary strains, and the dancers formed thesemicircle. The performance was similar to that the party had seen at thehotel, though it was more finished, and the attitudes and posturingappeared to belong to a higher school of art than the other. But the wholewas so nearly like what the strangers had seen before, that they were notabsorbed by it, and gave more attention to the people attending the feast;for they were an exceedingly interesting study to them.
After the performance had continued about a quarter of an hour there was apause, and the dancers retreated to a corner of the room, seatingthemselves again on the floor. At this moment Sahib Perbut came into thegrand saloon leading a boy, who did not appear to be more than ten yearsold, by the hand. He was dressed in the most richly ornamented garments,and he was an exceedingly pretty little fellow. He was conducted to theviscount.
"Will your Lordship permit me to present to you and your friends my sonDinshaw, in whose honor I am making this feast? This is Lord Tremlyn, myson," said the father, who was evidently very proud of the boy.
"Sahib Dinshaw, I am very happy to make your acquaintance," replied hislordship, as he rose and took the hand of the young gentleman, whom heintroduced to every member of his party.
They all followed the example of the viscount, and addressed him as "SahibDinshaw," the title being equivalent to "Lord," or "Master," applied by thenatives to their employers, and to the English generally. All of them gazedat him with intense interest, not unmingled with admiration. The hero ofthe occasion spoke English as fluently as his father.
"How old are you, Sahib Dinshaw?" asked Mrs. Belgrave, who was stronglytempted to kiss the little fellow; but she was afraid it would not be inorder, and she refrained.
"I am ten years old, madam," replied Dinshaw, with the sweetest of smiles.
"And you have been married this evening, sahib?" continued the lady.
"I should not ask him any questions in that direction," interposed SirModava, afraid she would meddle with an interdicted subject; and the younggentleman's father seemed to have a similar fear, for he gently led himaway.
He was introduced to the members of the "Big Four," who could hardly keeptheir faces at the proper length after hearing what passed between theyouthful sahib and Mrs. Belgrave, at the idea of a ten-year-old bridegroom.
"Is it possible that this little fellow is married, Sir Modava?" exclaimedthe principal lady from Von Blonk Park.
"There can be no doubt of it," replied the Hindu gentleman. "But it ishardly in the same sense that marriage takes place in England and America.The bride will be received into this Parsee family, and the groom willremain here; but everything in the domestic circle will continue verynearly as it was before, and husband and wife will pursue their studies."
"It looks very strange to us," added the lady.
"It is the custom of the country. The British government does not interfereunnecessarily with matters interwoven into the religion and habits of thepeople, though it has greatly modified the manners of the natives, andabolished some barbarous customs. The 'suttee,' as the English called theSanscrit wordsati meaning 'a virtuous wife,' was a Hinduinstitution which required that a faithful wife should burn herself on thefuneral pyre with the body of her deceased husband; or if he died at adistance from his home, that she should sacrifice herself on one of herown."
"How horrible! I have read of it, but hardly believed it," added the lady;and others who were listening expressed the same feeling.
"It was a custom in India before the time of Christ. Some of your AmericanIndians bury the weapons of the dead chief, food, and other articles withhim, as has been the custom of other nations, in the belief that they willneed these provisions in the 'happy hunting-ground.' The Hindus believedthat the dead husband would need his wife on the other shore; and this isthe meaning of the custom."
"It is not wholly a senseless custom," said Mrs. Woolridge, "barbarous asit seems."
"In 1828, or a little later, Lord William Cavendish, then Governor-Generalof Bengal, determined to abolish the custom, though he encountered thefiercest opposition from the natives, and even from many Europeans, whodreaded the effect of his action. He carried a law through the council,making it punishable homicide, or manslaughter, to burn a widow. In 1823there were five hundred and seventy-five of them burned in the BengalPresidency; but after the enactment of the law, the number began todecrease. The treaties with the Indian princes contained a clauseforbidding it. The custom is really discontinued, though an occasionalinstance of it comes to light."
The dancing had been renewed, and this conversation continued till later.At this wedding Lord Tremlyn met a gentleman whom he introduced to some ofhis party as Sahib Govind. This gentleman had just invited him to visit atheatrical performance at a private house, such as a European can veryrarely witness.
"I never went to a theatre in my life!" protested Mrs. Belgrave.
"But this is a representation in connection with the religious traditionsof the Hindus," argued his lordship.
It was decided to go, the scruples of the Methodists being overcome by thefact that it was a religious occasion, and not at all like the stageperformances of New York. The carriages conveyed them to the houseindicated by Sahib Govind, and they were conducted to a hall, at one end ofwhich was a stage, with a thin calico curtain in front of it. Theperformance was just beginning.
A Brahmin came out in front of the curtain, with some musicians, and set upan image of Ganesa, the god of wisdom; then he prayed this idol toenlighten the minds of the actors, and enable them to perform their partswell, which was certainly very untheatrical, the Americans thought, whenSir Modava had translated the substance of the invocation. The Brahmin thenannounced that the subject of the play was the loves of the god Krishna.
"Who is the hero of the piece, Sir Modava?" asked Mr. Woolridge, who was atheatre-goer at home.
"He is really Vishnu, one of the Hindu trinity, known as the preserver.Vishnu has a considerable number of forms, or incarnations, one of which isKrishna, the most human of them all."
The curtain rose, and cut short the explanation. The scene, painted oncanvas, was an Indian temple. A figure with an enormous wig, his half-nakedbody daubed all over with yellow paint, was seated before it, abstracted inthe deepest meditation. The interpreter told them it was Rishi, asupernatural power, a genius who is a protector to those who need hisservices. Then a crowd of gods and goddesses rushed on the stage, and eachof them made a long speech to the devotee-god, which Sir Modava had nottime to render into English, even with the aid of Sahib Govind.
The actors were fantastically dressed. One had an elephant's head, and allof them wore high gilt mitres. Krishna enters, and the other divinitiesmake their exit. He is a nice-looking young man, painted blue, and dressedlike a king. His wife enters, and throws herself at his feet. Then shereproaches him for forsaking her, in a soft and musical voice, her eyesraining tears all the time. She embraces his knees.
Then appears the rival in her affections with Krishna, Rukmini, animperious woman, and tells by what artifices she has conquered the weakhusband. Then follows a spirited dialogue between the two women. The rivalboasts of her descent from Vishnu, and of her beauty and animation, andreproaches Krishna with his unworthy love. Sir Modava wrote this down inhis memorandum book, and handed it to the Americans.
Satyavama, the wife, insists that her only crime was her love for herdivine husband. She narrates her early history, when she was a peasant girlon the banks of the Jumna, with her companions, and drew upon herself theattention of the god. Her life had been simple, and she had always been afaithful wife. Yet Rukmini triumphs over her. Her pride is aroused; sherushes off, and returns with her little son.
"Kill us both, since we cannot live without your love!" the interpretersrendered her piteous cry. The rival ridicules her, and, urged on by her,Krishna hands her a cup of poison, which she drinks, and sinks to theground.
"It is not the poison that rends me; it is that my heart is broken by theingratitude of one I have so dearly loved." She forgives him, and dies.
But not thus does the Indian love-story end; for the genie enters, and inthundering tones calls Krishna to an account for his deeds. The festive godis tortured with remorse, but has no excuse to offer. He drives Rukminifrom him, and implores the yellow-painted god for forgiveness; and, as heis the preserver, it is granted. Satyavama is brought back to life. Shepresents her son to her husband, who holds out his arms to embrace him; andthe curtain drops in a blaze of Bengal lights, and the "Wah! Wahs!" of theHindu audience.
The interpreters finished their explanations, and the company retired withthe salaams of the crowd. It was very late when they retired to rest thatnight.
The next day was Sunday, and none of the party appeared in the parlor tillquite late; not because it was the Sabbath, but because they were all verytired, even the four lively boys, who had done more sightseeing than therest of the tourists. They were always on the wing, and while the olderones rested, they always found some novelty which drew them away from thehotel. Of the four servants only two attended upon them. They hadpractically retired two of them with some difficulty when they were awayfrom the party, for they were a nuisance to them, so many of them.
Sayad and Moro were retained, however; for they were more intelligent thanthe others, spoke English better, and were more enterprising, frequentlysuggesting some means of amusement to them. They were interested in theboys and girls, and Sayad told Louis and Felix all about them,--about theirhomes, their schools, their sports; and Moro did the same for Scott andMorris. On this Sunday they were conducted to a Sunday-school of twohundred scholars, under the direction of the missionaries, though theteachers are mostly natives.
It was a strange sight to them, the variety of races, the strange costumes,and the absence of any considerable portion of costume at all. There wereMohammedans, Chinamen, negroes, Jews, and a few Europeans. They fell inwith the missionary from England, who told them a good deal about theirwork, and how interested they were in it, declaring that they could see thefruits of their labors, detailing a number of instances of conversions.They had a day-school also, and they hired a strict Hindu because he taughtEnglish so well. He hated the Christians, and did his work only because hewas paid for it; but he had to listen to the prayers and exhortations, andfinally he yielded in spite of himself, and became a very useful Christianminister.
This gentleman said that the number of Christians in India had doubledwithin ten years. He invited the party to come to the church, and the boyshastened back to the hotel to tell their friends about it. They all went tothis meeting, including their three distinguished guides. The service wasabout the same as at home, the clergyman was a native of the Brahmin caste,and he preached a very earnest and sensible sermon. The funds of themission were increased at least a thousand dollars by this visit.
In the evening the entire company attended the Church of England at theinvitation of Lord Tremlyn; and the sermon was preached by the Bishop ofBombay. The Methodists were as much pleased with it as though it had beendelivered by one of their own fold. A portion of the day was passed inwriting letters to their friends at home, and quite a bundle of them wascollected for the post by Louis. They were all sealed, with stamps affixed,and Morris's servant Mobarak was directed to put them in the mail-box. Butthe fellow shook his head, and declined to obey.
His sahib was proceeding to give him a lecture in rather energetic terms,when Sir Modava interposed, and explained that the servant had religiousscruples, knowing that the stamp had been wet on the tongues of thesenders, which made it unclean to him, and he could not touch it.
"I have heard of a young man not older than Mobarak who lost his liferather than come in contact with the saliva of a foreigner; but I doubt ifmany would carry their fanaticism to that extent," he added.
The next morning the party were up at six o'clock, and after they had takentheir coffee, carried up to them by their servants, went out to walk by twoand threes; but they returned by seven o'clock, and were assembled in theparlor. The sights in the streets had become rather an old story by thistime, and there was not much to be said about them.
"Have you recovered from the fatigues of Saturday, Mrs. Belgrave?" askedLord Tremlyn.
"Entirely, my Lord. I am quite ready for the next item in your programme,"replied the lady.
"How did you enjoy the play, madam?" inquired Sir Modava.
"As a religious exhibition, from my point of view, it was a failure."
"It does not convey much of an idea of even the mythology of the Hindus,"added Professor Giroud. "If Krishna was a divinity, or even an incarnationof one, he is a very bad representation of the piety and morality of thegods. The affair was well enough as a love-story, but the conclusion lookedlike a pleasant satire on those authors who insist that their tales andnovels shall have an agreeable ending;" and the professor indulged in ahearty laugh as he recalled the manner in which Satyavama had been broughtback to life by the divinity in yellow paint.
"I like that kind of a winding up of a story, and I don't like the otherkind," added the magnate of the Fifth Avenue. "We read novels, if we readthem at all, for the fun of it, with some incidental information in theright direction. When I was a young man I had a taste for the sea, as mostboys have, and I read Marryat's novels with immense pleasure. In 'TheKing's Own,' after following the young fellow in his adventures all overthe world, his life terminated just as he was reaching home, and I wasdisgusted. I have read most of this author's books again, but I neverlooked into 'The King's Own' a second time."
"I think we all like to have a story 'end well,' though it was a ratherviolent bringing up Saturday night," said Dr. Hawkes. "But the actresses inthat play were all exceedingly pretty girls, and I did not suppose so manyof them could be found in all India."
"That was just what I was saying to Govind after the performance, and helaughed as though he would choke himself to death," interposed LordTremlyn, laughing rather earnestly himself. "There was not a single femaleon the stage; for the custom of the theatre here does not permit women toappear, any more than it did in the time of Shakespeare."
"But I saw them!" exclaimed the surgeon. "I think I know a woman when I seeone, though I am an old bachelor, and rather a tough one at that."
"Not always, Doctor; for not one of those you call girls was a female. Awoman on the Hindu stage is a thing unknown," rallied the viscount.
"I suppose I must give it up, though I would not do so on any lessauthority than that of your lordship," replied the surgeon good-naturedly.
All the rest of the party expressed their astonishment in terms hardly lessstrong; and the ladies were even more incredulous than the gentlemen.
"As Govind told me, all the female parts were taken by boys remarkable fortheir beauty and the sweetness of their voices," added his lordship. "Butthis is understood to be our last day in Bombay, though the limitation oftime does not come from any suggestion of mine; and we must make the bestuse of what remains. You have not half seen Bombay yet."
"We should need ten years for our trip if we were to exhaust every place wevisit," replied Captain Ringgold. "All we expect is to get a fair idea of acity; and I think we have done that here, especially as we shall see thesame things, as far as manners and customs are concerned, many times beforewe finally take our leave of the country at Colombo in Ceylon."
"While we are quietly seated here, I should like to ask for someinformation in regard to Juggernaut," said Uncle Moses. "I used to read themost horrible stories in my Sabbath-school books about that idol."
"Those stories, as I have been informed by elderly Englishmen, werepublished in the United Kingdom, and all of them are inventions or grossexaggerations," replied Sir Modava, with his pleasant smile. "Puri, orJuggernaut, is in the district of Orissa, on the western shore of the Bayof Bengal. It is one of the holiest places in India among the Hindus. Itcontains a temple of Juggernaut, in honor of Vishnu, in which is an idol ofthis Hindu god, called Jagannath, which is mentioned in history as far backas A.D. 318. Vishnu is the Preserver of the Hindu trinity, and therefore inan especial sense the god of the people; and sometimes 100,000 nativesgather at this shrine, bringing offerings to the value of nearly £40,000.
"The town has a population of twenty-two thousand, and it contains sixthousand lodging-houses for the pilgrims who visit it. The chief temple hasa hundred and twenty others in an enclosure, with a tower one hundred andninety-two feet high. Juggernaut's car, of which you have read, Mr.Scarburn, is a sort of temple, thirty-five feet square, and forty-five feethigh, with wheels seven feet high. The car-festival is the chief oftwenty-four held every year, when the idol is dragged to the country house.Though the distance is less than a mile, the sand is so deep in the roadwaythat it requires several days to complete the journey.
"The idols in the temple are hideous-looking objects, with enormous eyesand crescent-shaped mouths, the horns pointing upwards. But they are veryrichly ornamented; for the idol has an income of over £30,000 from landsand religious houses. It used to be currently reported and believed thatfanatical, crazy devotees cast themselves under the wheels of the car, andwere crushed to death, immolating themselves as an offering to the god. Butthese statements have been strictly investigated, and branded as thecalumnies of English writers. Two distinguished savants have declared thatself-immolation is utterly contrary to the worship of Juggernaut, the veryunusual deaths at the car-festival being almost invariably accidental."
"It is a great pity that these horrible stories were ever poured into theminds of children, and I am thankful that the libraries contain nothing ofthe kind now," added Uncle Moses.
The company breakfasted with excellent appetites after the exercises of themorning; and then Lord Tremlyn conducted them to the large saloon where theNautch had been given, and they were astonished to find that one end of itwas occupied by no less than fourteen men, not one of whom was more thanhalf clothed, though the tom-tom player had on a pair of short trousers.This fellow began to beat his instrument with frantic energy, moaning andhowling at the same time as though he was in great agony.
"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Mrs. Belgrave, putting her fingers into her ears."Can't you stop that hideous noise, Sir Modava?"
"No more howling!" protested he in Hindu.
The chief juggler declared that they could not go on, and Uncle Mosessuggested that they had to overwhelm the senses of the audience to enablethe jugglers to deceive them. Their Hindu guide talked with them, and thenordered them to leave the hotel. The performers were not willing to foregothe rich reward expected; and a compromise was effected by which thetom-tom was to be used, but the howling was to cease. Lord Tremlyn hadannounced the nature of the entertainment as they entered the apartment,and most of the tourists had heard of the wonderful skill of Indianjugglers.
A couple of the performers produced two swords twenty-six inches long, andpushed them down their throats to the hilt, and then asked Dr. Hawkes tofeel the point in their stomachs. Another put a stone in his mouth, andthen began to blow out smoke and a cloud of sparks from his nose as well ashis mouth. Turning a somerset, he cast the stone on the floor. One took aniron hoop from a pile of them, and set it to spinning on a pole in the air.He continued to add others, one at a time, till he had eighteen of themwhirling above his head.
Another set a lot of small swords circling in the air, till he had ten ofthem buzzing about his head. At the same time a sleight-of-hand man wasdoing a variety of tricks very skilfully, and acrobats were mounting oneach other's shoulders, and pitching themselves about very promiscuously.While the party were wondering at the skill of the performers, though manyof them had seen most of the tricks at home, a boy about eight years oldcame into the room with a good-sized basket in his hands, which he placedon the floor as the men spread out into a semicircle. The child steppedinto the basket, which did not seem to be big enough to hold him, even whenreduced to his smallest dimensions.
The drummer played a new tune, and sang in a low tone. The boy seemed tohave a fit, and writhed as though he were in convulsions, finally droppingdown into the basket very slowly. Mrs. Blossom was sure the basket was notbig enough to contain him, and wondered what had become of him. Then theperformers threw themselves on the basket, closed the lid, and began topunch it in every direction with long and wicked-looking knives. The ladieswere appalled at the sight; but they were assured that it was all right.
The Hindus finally crushed down the basket till it was almost flat, and itdid not look as though there was any space in it for a kitten, much less aneight-year-old boy. Then the men formed a circle around the basket, andbegan a sort of chant. Something like a voice seemed to be sounding in atthe open windows. It continued to come nearer, and at last appeared toproceed from the basket, which began to be distended, till it was restoredto its full size. Then the lid was removed, and the child sprang out, tothe great relief of Mrs. Blossom.
Then one of the jugglers set a top to whirling, placed the point on the endof a stick, and balanced it on his nose. So far it was no new thing; butone of the spectators was asked to say stop at any time he pleased. CaptainRinggold gave this command; and when he did so, the top ceased to whirl,though, upsetting the bicycle theory, it kept its place on the stick. "Go!"added the commander, prompted by Sir Modava; and the plaything began towhirl again, as though its gyrations had not been interrupted. It wasstopped and started again several times, till the spectators weresatisfied.
The stick and the top were critically examined by the whole party, but notone of them could suggest an explanation of the trick. The last two actswere the most surprising; and the rest of the performance, though skilfullydone, did not amount to much. His lordship gave the chief juggler a handfulof silver, and they left the hotel with a profusion of salaams; for theydid not often make in a month what they got for an hour, the Hindugentleman said.
"I looked into a Hindu temple this morning while I was walking about," saidLouis Belgrave, after the jugglers had been discussed a while. "I saw somevery ugly-looking idols; and I should like to ask if they really representindividuals, or are creatures of the imagination."
"Both," replied Sir Modava with a smile; "there are, as you have been toldbefore, a great many different sects, and a system of mythology. About allthe gods and goddesses known to the Greeks and Romans have an existence inthe Indian mythology more or less similar to them. Indra, the counterpartof Apollo in some of his functions, drives the chariot of fire that lightsthe day.
"Rhemba was born of the sea, and is the Indian Venus; Cama is Cupid;Parvati, whose image you saw at Elephanta, is Ceres; and so on to the endof the chapter. These divinities are represented in the temples, but theyare without form or comeliness."
"They are not much like the beautiful statues of the Greeks," added Louis.
"The most prominent Indian sects are the Saïvas, or worshippers of Siva;the Vaïshnavas, who bow down to Vishnu under his several incarnations, likeKrishna, whom you could not greatly respect; and the Jaïns, allied to theBuddhists, found mostly in the northern sections of India. They occupyimportant positions, and possess wealth and influence. There aresubdivisions into sects among them, and it would be quite impossible tofollow them through the mazes of belief to which they adhere. There is agreat deal of philosophy among many of the sects."
"But what are the Buddhists?" inquired Dr. Hawkes.
"Buddhism is quite as much a philosophy as a religion. It is not asprevalent in India proper as formerly; though it is still dominant inCeylon, Napaul, Burma, and in the more northern countries of Asia. Itshistory is somewhat indefinite. Gautama, of whom a great many prettystories are told, is sometimes regarded as the founder; though some whohave studied the history of the sect, or order, do not believe that theBuddha was a real person, but an allegorical figure.
"Those who give a personal origin to the system, now said to be thereligion of one-third of the human race, begin with Prince Siddhartha, ayoung man disposed to be an ascetic, and inclined to retire from the world.In order to wean him from his meditative tendency, his father, in order tocure him, and prevent him from forsaking his caste, married him to abeautiful princess, and introduced him to the splendid dissipation of aluxurious court. A dozen years of this life convinced him that 'all wasvanity and vexation of spirit,' and he became a sort of hermit, a religiousbeggar, and spent his time in dwelling upon the miseries of human life.
"He used up years in this manner, and after much reasoning, came to theconclusion that ignorance was misery. He gave himself up to study, and atlast came to believe that he had reached the perfection of wisdom. The treeunder which he sat when he reached this result was then calledBodhidruma, or the tree of intelligence; and the Buddhists believethe spot where it grew to be the centre of the earth. A tree that passesfor this one was discovered by a Chinese, still standing twelve hundredyears after the death of the Buddha; and the bo-tree of Ceylon is regardedas its legitimate descendant. You have been told something about it.
"In Benares, having ascertained the cause of human misery, and learned theremedy for it, the Buddha began to preach his peculiar salvation. In thephrase of his religion he 'turned the wheel of the law.' One of his titlesisChakravartin, which means 'the turner of a wheel.' The doctrinesof the Buddha are written out on a wheel, which is set in motion with acrank, though it is sometimes operated by horse-power; and such machinesare sometimes seen in front of religious houses in Thibet, and the monkshave portable ones."
"I thought the religion of Thibet was the worship of the Grand Lama,"suggested Louis.
"That is a form of Buddhism. The most important of the converts of theBuddha was the Rajah of Magadha, or Behar, on the Ganges, which gave him agood start, and it has since made almost incredible progress. It would taketoo long to state the doctrines in detail of this sect, and you get an ideaof what it must be from what I said of its founder. Its leading doctrine isthe transmigration of souls, also called by that tough word,metempsychosis, though other Hindu systems adopt this belief. It seems toinclude the recognition of the immortality of the soul, which at the deathof the body passes into another form of existence,--a man, a woman, a loweranimal, or even a tree or other plant. The Buddha claims to have been bornfive hundred and fifty times,--a hermit, a slave, a king, a monkey, anelephant, a fish, a frog, a tree, etc. When he reached his highestcondition of perfection, he could recall all these different states ofbeing; and he has written them out.
"Some of the negroes of Africa have this belief, and when a child is bornthey decide upon the ancestor whose soul has returned to the flesh in thisworld. There are one hundred and thirty-six Buddhist hells, regularlygraded in the degree of suffering experienced and the length of time itendures, the shortest term being ten million years. A good life secures anelevated and happy life on earth, or as a blessed spirit in one of the manyheavens, where existence is continued for a bagatelle of ten billion years.When thekarma is exhausted"--
"What in the world is that?" asked Mrs. Blossom, who was struggling tounderstand the subject.
"It is the allotted term of existence, including the manner of living,whether in bliss or misery. The person must be born again, and then becomea god, or the vilest creature that crawls the earth, according as he hasbehaved himself. The Buddhists do not appear to have any idea of a personalGod; and they are practically atheists, though there are many good thingsin their system. They recognize no omniscient, omnipresent, all-powerfulSupreme Being, who presides over the universe and all that is in it. Theyare pessimists, and believe that life, on the whole, is misery, a curserather than a blessing. I have given you only a faint outline of whatBuddhism is. It has points in which it resembles Christianity. Buddha isdead and gone; but his followers put up petitions to him, though there isno one to hear and answer their prayers. But I must stop for the want oftime rather than because there is nothing more to be said; and I have doneno more than touch the subject."
"But it is not very different from Brahminism," suggested Professor Giroud.
"You are quite right, Professor," replied Sir Modava. "Brahma means theuniversal spirit; but it is not a personal divinity to be worshipped. Ibelieve there is not an idol or sculpture in all India that representsBrahma. Something that passes for this mystic spirit is represented withfour heads."
"But is there not a new church or philosophy of recent date--I mean BrahmoSomaj?" inquired Dr. Hawkes.
"Rammohun Roy, or Rajah Ram Mohan Rai, was a Hindu ruler in the Presidencyof Bengal, born in 1772. His ancestors were Brahmins of high birth. Hestudied Sanskrit, Arabian, and Persian, and was a profound scholar andphilosopher. When he began to have some doubt about the faith of hisfathers, he went to Thibet to study Buddhism, where he was so outspokenthat he offended the priests and others, and his religious belief broughtupon him the enmity of his own family. In 1803 he lived in Benares, andheld a public office at one time. He published works in the languages withwhich he was familiar, directed against idolatry, which he labored touproot.
"He succeeded to abundant wealth at the death of his brother in 1811. Hisinfluence assisted in the abolition of the suttee, and in bringing aboutother reforms. He published 'The Precepts of Jesus,' accepting hismorality, but denying his divinity and the truth of the miracles. More thanfifty years ago he started an association which became the Brahmo Somaj,which is a living and working society still. He went to England in 1831,and was received with great respect and friendliness. I have greatreverence for the man, though I do not accept all his religious views."
"Lord Tremlyn informed this company in regard to the divisions of caste, sothat I think we have a tolerable idea of the matter," said CaptainRinggold, reading from a paper in his hand. "But all these sects and castesare divided again into tribes and trade societies. Then there is aconsiderable portion of the people who, though they are fully recognized asHindus, are outside of the pale of this multiform organization."
"I should say that all this would make endless complications in businessand society. Each of these societies, or whatever you may call them, isindependent, and has its own regulations. None of its members can marryinto another caste, or even eat with those of a lower rank. A man born intoone of these associations having a particular business cannot take upanother calling without being pinched by the social law in all that heholds dear in life. His wife deserts him, his children refuse toacknowledge him as their father, and his property is absorbed by hissociety or caste. All this for no crime, no immorality; and he may be anoble and true man. If he chooses to be a tinker, instead of a trader, allthe gods of Hindu antiquity light upon his head, and worry him to thefuneral pyre by the shore."
"That is quite true, Captain, and I join with you in condemning thisgrossly heathen institution," added Sir Modava. "But time and Christianitywill yet do their work, and my country will be saved. But I submit, my dearCaptain, that there is another side to the question."
"Quite true, and I was about to state it. The man who remains faithful tothe requirements of the society is protected and supported. Wherever hegoes, at whatever distance from his country he may be, he finds a roof anda hearthstone which he may make his own for the time. If gone for years, hewill find the house and the field of his fathers undisturbed, of which hemay take possession. This institution may remove care and anxiety from themind of the man, and make him, as we find here, calm and contented, butwithout the ambition of the business-man. I have taken most of this from abook I found in Bombay."
"The most influential caste here are mostly Jains and Buniahs; and thoughthey belong to different tribes, they are united in business matters. Theywear their own costumes; but they have done more than any others for theprosperity of the place," said Lord Tremlyn. "They are the speculators incottons and other goods, and many of them have immense wealth. The Buniahsare always intelligent, and somewhat aristocratic. You may know one of themby his tall turban, like a shako, though sometimes it is rolled like aconch-shell. Around his dress he wears a red band, which he twists abouthis limbs, and has a long calico tunic closely fitted to his chest. Hischosen calling is that of a commercial broker.
"These rich Hindus, while adhering to everything required by theirreligion, adopt English fashions, and revel in British luxuries. You willsee them late in the afternoon on the public roads, in elegant carriages,drawn by the finest horses, and attended by servants in rich liveries.Their houses are magnificent, furnished like the Parsee's we visited theother evening. The social intercourse between them and their Europeanneighbors is very limited.
"The Mohammedans here are an important class of people, and some of themare very wealthy, and are honest and upright merchants. They are verystrict in the observance of their religion, and not one of them would eatpork or drink wine or liquors. If it were the beginning of their year,which is different from ours, you might witness a celebration of the day.It is called the Mohurrum, and takes place on the shore of the Back Bay.They construct a great number of temples of gilt paper, and after marchingwith them in procession through the city, they cast them into the sea. I donot quite understand what it means; but the first month is usually a timeof mourning and fasting in commemoration of the sufferings of the twonephews of the Prophet. The ceremony at the water is very ancient."
"The wives of Mussulmans here have more liberty than in most Easterncountries. They go about the streets with their faces uncovered, and areclothed for the most part like the Hindu women. As they appear in thestreet they are not so neat as the other native females, who spend muchtime in bathing, and are always clean and tidy. I have nothing more to sayat present."
"I have an announcement to make," said Captain Ringgold. "To-morrowforenoon we shall return to the Guardian-Mother, and sail for Surat."
The party spent the rest of the day in excursions about Bombay in threeparties, each under the direction of one of the hosts.
The Blanche, the elegant white steam-yacht of General Noury, which hadsailed in company with the Guardian-Mother from Aden, and which hadassisted in the rescue of the crew of the Travancore, had come into theharbor of Bombay, and lay at anchor not half a mile from her consort. Theowner was a Moor of the highest rank, and a Mohammedan; and he had friendsin Bombay, though he had never been there before. He had written to them ofhis intended visit, and they had taken possession of him on his arrival.
The general had been invited, with Captain and Mrs. Sharp, to join theparty of her consort in the business of sight-seeing; and Lord Tremlyn andSir Modava had united with Captain Ringgold in the invitation. Thecommander of the Blanche had visited the party on shore; but he was engagedin making some changes on board of his ship which required his attention.The Mohammedan magnates had kept the general very busy, night and day, andfêted him like a king.
Lord Tremlyn had taken care of the engineers and other people of thewrecked steam-yacht, and had treated everybody in a subordinate capacitywith princely liberality. He and his Indian associate were bothmulti-millionaires, with fortunes inherited from their ancestors and otherrelatives; and unitedly they had placed a large sum of money in the handsof the captains of the two steamers, to be equitably distributed amongtheir ships' companies. Captain Ringgold remonstrated against this lavishgift to his own people.
"It is a sailor's duty, and a large part of his religion, to assist thosein peril and distress on the sea, the poor and the rich alike, and Idislike to have my men rewarded in money for a service of this kind," saidhe rather warmly.
"It was the good Father in heaven who sent your ship to our aid when wewere perishing; but he works through human agencies, and I feel it to be asolemn duty to recognize my obligations to those so providentially sent tosave us," replied his lordship, taking the hand of the commander with muchfeeling in his tone and manner. "I shall never cease to be grateful toHeaven for this interposition in my favor, and that of my companions; forall of us were in the very jaws of death."
"I can understand your feelings, my Lord; but all my people, as well asmyself, may soon require the same service we have rendered to others, and Idesire to let what we have done be placed to our credit against thepossible debt of the future," added the captain.
"I shall feel better and happier when I have done, in connection with SirModava, what I propose, and I beg you will withdraw your objections,"persisted the viscount.
They argued the question for some time; but at last the commander yieldedthe point. Every seaman, fireman, and waiter received five pounds, andevery officer a larger sum, in proportion to his rank, after the manner inwhich prize-money is distributed on board of ships of war. The sameapportionment was made on board of both steamers, and Lord Tremlyn and SirModava were most vigorously cheered by the two ships' companies.
Due notice had been given to Captain Sharp of the intention to sail forSurat on Tuesday; and on the day before the cabin party of the Blanche,which included Dr. Henderson, the surgeon of the ship, came to dine withtheir friends at the Victoria Hotel. General Noury, who had been takingleave of his Mussulman hosts, was attended by three of them, who were atonce invited by his lordship to join them at dinner, and the band of theBlanche had been sent on shore for the occasion.
The general had been taken about the city and its vicinity by his host, andthey were anxious to retain him longer in Bombay. He was on excellent termswith Lord Tremlyn, who, though a strict Churchman, was not a bigot; and hisconnection with the affairs of India had brought him into intimateassociation with men of all religions, and there were about thirteenmillion Mohammedans in the Punjab.
His lordship renewed his invitation to the general to join the party whowere going across India, and he seemed to be inclined to accept it. HisMussulman friends declared that he would be most cordially welcomed by allthe people of their faith, especially if attended by such excellentChristian people; and they appeared to have none of the bigotry so oftenfound among the followers of the Prophet.
"I don't quite understand your plan, Captain Ringgold," said Captain Sharp."You go to Surat, and from there across the country;" for the conductorshad decided not to go to Kurrachee. "But what becomes of the ships?"
"The Guardian-Mother will proceed to Calcutta, as soon as we land, incharge of Mr. Boulong," replied Captain Ringgold. "We shall join herthere."
The commander of the Blanche shook his head; and after some discussion hedeclined to join the tourists, and his wife would not go without him.Doubtless he had some strong reasons for his decision, though he did notstate them; but probably he had not as much confidence in his first officeras Captain Ringgold had in Mr. Boulong. The question was settled that thegeneral should go, and he insisted that Dr. Henderson should go with him;and with three physicians in the excursion they appeared to be provided forany emergency.
The dinner was a very merry affair. The band played to the delight of all;and one of the general's friends declared that they had no such music inBombay, to which he replied that he had engaged the best he could find inItaly. The company retired to the parlor, and the band played on theveranda for an hour longer. Some of the most distinguished of the civil andmilitary officers located in the city called at this hour by invitation ofthe viscount, to pay their respects to the visitors; and Mrs. Blossomdeclared that she was never so "frustrated" in all her life.
"I should like to take my band with me," said General Noury, when theofficials had all departed. "I am very fond of music, and I think it willafford us all a great deal of pleasure; of course I mean at my ownexpense."
"I beg your pardon, General Noury, but it must be at my expense,"interposed Lord Tremlyn. "I was thinking myself what an addition it wouldbe to have such excellent music on our way, and I am sure it will add agreat deal to the earnestness of the welcome we shall everywhere receive.As to the expense, I hope and beg that not another word will be said aboutit. The entire party are the guests of Sir Modava and myself."
"I protest"--Captain Ringgold began.
"Pardon me, my dear Captain; you are all our guests, and protests areentirely out of order," interposed Lord Tremlyn.
It was a very pleasant and friendly dispute that followed, and his lordshiphad carried his point at the close of it. The commander had been to thelandlord, and asked for his bill; but the worthy Parsee informed him thatit had already been paid. He had remonstrated with the hosts; but they hadbeen inflexible. It was finally decided that nothing more should be saidabout expense; for his lordship declared that it was a very disagreeablesubject to him. The captain believed that he was entirely sincere; andthough he had never encountered such extreme liberality before, he gave upthe point.
"You can tie your purse-strings with a hard knot, Uncle Moses, for you willnot have occasion to undo them again for a month," said Captain Ringgold."I don't quite like it."
"I don't know that I wonder at the generosity of our hosts," replied thetrustee, as he put his fat arm around the neck of Louis, who stood next tohim. "If this young man had been in the situation of Lord Tremlyn and SirModava when you picked them up, I am very sure I should not have grumbledif I had been called upon to disburse a sum equal to what this trip willcost them, if they, or any one, had picked him up. There are two sides tothis question, Captain."
"Then you fight on the other side, though you hold the purse-strings," saidthe commander.
"Would I give a hundred thousand dollars for saving Sir Louis's life? Hismother would give ten times that sum, and all the rest of the young man'sfortune. That is a matter about which we must not be mean; and the otherside take that view of it. I quite agree that not another word ought to besaid about expense," responded Uncle Moses, giving the young millionaireanother hug.
"Uncle Moses is not a bit like the miser that could not afford a candle athis death-bed in the night," added Louis. "If they had done as much for usas we have for them, I should be glad to take them all around the world,and pay for an Italian band of music all the way."
"That's right, Sir Louis! Do as you would be done by," chuckled thetrustee.
"It just occurs to me, Captain Sharp," said the commander of theGuardian-Mother, as the former was about to leave, "that there is no reasonfor your going to Surat, for we can take the general, Dr. Henderson, andthe band along with us. You have a voyage of two thousand miles beforeyou."
"Which I can make in seven or eight days without hurrying," replied thecaptain of the Blanche. "I could get to Calcutta before you do if I sailedtwo weeks hence."
"Just as you please."
But General Noury seemed to like the idea of getting on board of theGuardian-Mother even for a day, and adopted the suggestion of CaptainRinggold.
"There is next to nothing to be seen at Surat, and we shall go from thereimmediately to Baroda, on our way to Lahore," interposed Lord Tremlyn. "TheMaharajah of Gwalior is an old friend of Sir Modava, and I am wellacquainted with him. I have no doubt we shall be very hospitably treatedthere, and that you will be introduced to many things that will interestyou. If Captain Sharp desires to see some Indian sports, he can go with usto Baroda, stay a week, and then return to his ship here by railway."
"I like that idea, as my wife wishes to see a little more of India onshore, though she does not wish to take the long journey you are to make,"added Captain Sharp.
This plan was accepted, and the party separated. The next morning thecarriages conveyed them to the Apollo Bunder, and at seven o'clock theGuardian-Mother was under way. The band was playing on the promenade, andthe party were taking their last view of Bombay and its surroundings.Captain Sharp and his wife were on board. The three doctors formed a trioby themselves, and were discussing jungle fever, which existed in the lowlands beyond Byculla.
The sea outside was smooth; and at four o'clock in the afternoon thesteamer was among the Malacca shoals, in the Gulf of Cambay, with a piloton board. She soon entered the Tapti River, fifteen miles from its mouth.The band had scattered after the noonday concert, and the party took thechairs in Conference Hall.
"I suppose you wish to know something about the places you visit, ladiesand gentlemen," said Lord Tremlyn, rising before them, and bowing at theapplause with which he was heartily greeted. "This is Surat, a hundred andsixty miles north of Bombay, on the Tapti River, which you may spell with adoublee at the end if you prefer. It has a population of a hundredand ten thousand. It extends about a mile along this river, with thegovernment buildings in the centre.
"The streets are well paved, and the houses are packed very closelytogether. There are four very handsome Mohammedan mosques here, so ourfriend the general will have a place to go to on our Friday." The Mussulmanbowed, and gave the speaker one of his prettiest smiles. "The Parsees, ofwhom a few families own half the place, are prominent in business, as inBombay; and they supply the most skilful mechanics, the liveliest clerks,and the quickest boys in the schools. They have two fire-temples here. TheHindus, especially the Buniahs and the Jains, are as prominent as inBombay. The city was founded before 1512; for then it was burned by thePortuguese, who did it again eighteen years later.
"It had a very extensive commerce in its earlier years, and flourished onits cotton trade during the American war. In 1811 it had a population oftwo hundred and fifty thousand; but five and thirty years later it had lessthan one-third of that; but has gained somewhat up to the present time.Nearly a hundred years ago it was the most populous city of India. But I donot propose to exhaust the subject, and now you may see for yourselves."
His lordship and the Hindu gentleman, since their liberality had beenwhispered through the ship, were exceedingly popular, and both were warmlyapplauded whenever they opened their mouths. The party found enough tooccupy their attention till the ship came to anchor, with its brass band infull blast, off the public buildings. A steam-launch came off for thepassengers; for the hosts had written to every place they were to visit,and carriages were in readiness for them when they landed.
They rode over the town after a collation at a clubhouse, and saw all thatwas to be seen. They were quartered for the night at private residences,and there was almost a struggle to know who should receive them.
India has nearly twenty thousand miles of railroads open and in use, andthousands more in process of construction. As in England, they areinvariably called "railways." They do not have baggage, but it is"luggage;" a baggage-car is unknown, for they call it a "van;" and theconductor is the "guard." Our travellers had become accustomed to theseterms, and many others, in England, and now used them very familiarly.
Early rising is hardly a virtue in India; for he who sleeps after six inthe morning loses the best part of the day, especially in the hot season.The tourists were up before this hour, and had coffee wherever they were.They had been treated with the utmost kindness and consideration, and theirhosts could not do enough for them. They were conveyed to the railwaystation by them, and there found his lordship with a plan of a number ofcarriages--they are not cars there. On this plan he had placed, with theassistance of the commander, the names of the entire party.
They were to leave at seven; for it is pleasanter to travel early in themorning than later in the day, and the train was all ready. They were not alittle astonished when they were introduced to their quarters in thevehicles, to find them quite as luxurious as a Pullman, though they wereconstructed on a different plan, and were wanting in some of theconveniences of the American palace-car, though better adapted to theclimate of the country.
Each carriage contained but two compartments; but they were suites of roomson a small scale. The principal one was of good size, and on one side wascushioned to the ceiling, so that being "knocked about" did not imperil thetraveller's bones and flesh. Against this stuffed partition was a lowcouch, which could be made up as a bed at night, or used as a recliningsofa by day.
Over it was a swinging couch suspended by straps, which could be folded up,or be entirely removed, and formed a couch like the one below it. On theother side of the apartment was a toilet-room, with all conveniencesrequired for washing and other purposes, including a water-cooler. In thiscompartment the traveller takes his servant, and often a cook, for thevalet cannot meddle with culinary matters; and they sleep on the floorwherever they can find a place. A reasonable additional price is chargedfor accommodations in this luxurious style.
The journey to Baroda would occupy hardly more than three hours, and theseelaborate arrangements were scarcely necessary for the time they were to beused; but the members of the party looked upon them with especial interestin connection with the long travel to Lahore, and that which was to followto Calcutta, though they were to break the journey several times on theway.
The "Big Four" had a compartment to themselves, with the two servants,Sayad and Moro, who proved to be such good fellows that the boys liked themvery much. Sir Modava had managed to dismiss more than half of theattendants furnished at first, for all the party declared that such a mobof them was a nuisance; and the others had overcome their repugnance toserving more than one person in the face of dismissal, for theirperquisites had already been considerable as they valued money.
"This isn't bad for a haythen counthry," said Felix, as he stretchedhimself on the lower couch. "We'll git to Calcutty widout breakin' ahl thebones in our bodies."
"This is vastly better than anything I expected to find here," repliedLouis, as he pushed his crony over against the partition, and lay down athis side.
"But where do the elephants and the tigers come in?" asked Scott, as hecalled upon Moro to "shine" his shoes. "I haven't seen an elephant since Icame here."
"Elephants are not worked in this country," added Morris. "The Moguls usethem when they want to go in state, and sometimes when they go huntingtigers; and then the big beast gets most of the hard scratches."
"But the elephant can take care of himself when the mahout allows him to doso," argued Scott.
"Is the mahout his schnout?" asked Felix.
"You know better than that, Flix. The mahout is the fellow that sits on theelephant's neck and conducts him. He is the driver," replied Morris.
"Is he afeerd of schnakes?"
"He needn't be, perched on the top of the pachyderm," answered Scott.
"Who is he? Oi've not been introjuced to 'm."
"Are you going among elephants, Flix, and don't know what a pachyderm is?"demanded Scott.
"Oi see, it's the elephant, and ye's call him so bekase he carries his packon his bachk; and 'pon me worrud that's the roight place to carry it."
"I wonder if we are to have any hunting out here where we are going,"suggested Scott. "How is it, Louis? You are in the ring with the GrandMoguls."
"Sir Modava told me that the Maharajah whom we shall visit at Baroda is agreat sportsman, and always treats his guests to a hunt," answered Louis.
"Is it after schnakes?"
"No; but after tigers."
"But I want to hunt some schnakes; I'd loike to bring down a good-soizedcobry," said Felix, rising from his reclining posture.
"No, you wouldn't, Flix," sneered Scott. "If you saw a cobry, you would runtill you got back to Ireland."
"Is'ht me! Wud I roon from a cobry? Not mooch! Ain't I a lineal dayscindantof St. Patrick?--long life to him! And didn't he dhrive all the schnakesand toads out of the ould counthree! Jisht show me a cobry, and thin see meroon!"
Before the Milesian could tell how he intended to kill the cobra if he sawone, the train stopped; and a moment later Sir Modava, the commander, andMrs. Belgrade appeared at the door.
"We have come to make things a little more social," said the Hindugentleman as they entered the compartment; and the servants brought stoolsfrom the toilet-room, so that all were seated, making quite a family group.
"Are there any snakes where we are going, Sir Modava?" asked Felix, beforeany one else had a chance to speak. "I am spoiling for a fight with acobra;" and he came back to plain English, which he could use as well asany one.
"Plenty of them, Mr. McGavonty," replied the East Indian. "You will not getbadly spoiled before you fall in with all you will wish to see."
"Then I will bag some of them," added Felix.
"No, you won't, Flix; they will be more likely to bag you," rallied Scott.
"But I am in earnest," persisted the Milesian. "I have seen plenty of themin Bombay; and upon my word and honor, I don't feel at all afraid of them.One of them might hit me when I was not looking, for they don't play fair;but I shall be on the watch for them, and I'll take my chance."
"But, Sir Modava, do you really dare to go out where there are cobras?"asked Mrs. Belgrave, looking at her son.
"Certainly we do; we don't think anything at all about them."
"But you are in danger all the time."
"Of course it is possible that one may be bitten when a snake comes uponhim unawares. The deaths from snakes and wild animals in all India averagesannually twenty-two thousand. About a thousand are killed by tigers. Of ahundred and fifty kinds of snakes, only about twenty are poisonous. Thedeaths from snakes is one in 13,070; and the chance of being bitten is verysmall."
"I am afraid your figures lie, Sir Modava," said Captain Ringgold, with apleasant laugh. "Millions of the people live in cities and large townswhere there isn't a snake of any kind."
"Quite true, and, to some extent, the figures do lie; but there are plentyof cobras and other snakes in parts of Bombay, and the figures are not sofalse as you think, Captain," replied Sir Modava. "But I forget that I wassent here for a purpose by Lord Tremlyn. I am to tell you something aboutthe Mahrattas, which is the name of the people who inhabited the regionnorth of us. They have a long history which I have not time to review, butthey have been prominent in the earlier affairs of India. They have alwaysbeen a warlike people, and wrested the country from the Mogul emperor,sometimes called the Grand Mogul, and made themselves a powerful people.
"The present maharajah rules over the most extensive kingdom of any nativeprince. He is a Rajput, which is the aristocracy of the Mahrattas. He isthe most powerful of the Indian rulers, and one of the most hospitable. Iwas formerly in his service, and he considers himself under some slightobligations to me. He is an independent prince in the same sense that otherrulers are in this country. There is always a British representative at hiscourt, who advises him in some matters of government, and his realm iscalled a protected state.
"He is a great sportsman; and I have no doubt you will be invited to huntwith him, as well as to witness some exhibitions which may not be agreeableto the ladies."
"Don't we stop at any stations on the road?" asked Louis.
"There is no town of any great consequence between Surat and Baroda, andthis is a special express train," replied Sir Modava.
Some of the party looked out the windows, and the intelligent guideexplained what was to be seen along the way. Some handsome templesattracted their attention, but they were insignificant compared with whatthey had been taught to expect in the future. The train crossed a bridge,which brought them into the suburbs of Baroda.
"The outskirts of the town contain a hundred and fifty thousandinhabitants, far more than the city itself," said the Hindu gentleman. "Thestreets are very narrow here, and the houses are nearly all of wood; butthey are different from any you have seen before, for they are peculiar toGoojerat, the state of which Baroda is the capital. You see at about allthe crossings pagodas and idols, with banners flying over them. It is anunhealthy region, the ground is so low; and yonder you see a statelyhospital, built by the Guicowar, as the maharajah is called."
The tourists had all they could do to see the strange things that werepointed out to them, and while thus employed the train stopped at thestation. Looking out the windows again, they saw several elephants, allhandsomely caparisoned, and with howdahs on their backs. A band of nativemusicians was playing near them, and the party wondered what this displaycould mean; but Sir Modava was unable to inform them. They got out of thecarriages, and found themselves in a handsome square.
A company of cavalry was drawn up near the elephants, at the head of which,surrounded by a numerous staff of officers, sat on a prancing horse,caparisoned with exceeding richness, a person who could be no other thanthe maharajah. He was dressed in the most magnificent robes of India,covered with jewels in ornamental profusion.
"That is the Guicowar," said the Hindu guide.
"He is doing us great honor in coming out in this manner to welcome us."
As soon as he discovered the party, the ruler dismounted nimbly from hisnoble steed, and, attended by some high officers, advanced to meet them. Asort of procession was hastily formed with Lord Tremlyn at the head of it;for he was the most distinguished person, and in some sense therepresentative of the British home government. The Italian band of thegeneral, as soon as the native band ceased, struck up "Hail, to the chief!"
The party encountered the king, who rushed up to the viscount, and seizedhim by the hand, as not all kings are in the habit of doing. They talkedtogether for a few moments, when his Highness happened to see Sir Modava,and rushed to him, seizing him in a semi-embrace, clasping the Hindu withhis right hand while the left encircled his shoulder. The potentate wasprofuse in his congratulations to the two gentlemen on their escape fromdeath in the shipwreck, and this afforded Lord Tremlyn an opportunity topresent Captain Ringgold as the commander of the steamer that had savedthem.
"He is my friend, then," said the Maharajah, as he gave him no equivocalshake of the hand.
Then Louis and his mother were presented and described, and received anequally warm welcome. But the prince decided to receive the rest of theparty at the palace, and they were requested to mount the elephants. Theladies were timid about it; but Louis told his mother that she must get upinto the howdah as though she had been riding elephants all her life, andshe did so, the others following her example. Louis assisted his motherfirst, and then Miss Blanche.
They were all seated on the huge beasts, and the procession started, theItalian band following the native, and playing when they ceased to do so.
"Well, what do you think of this?" asked Captain Ringgold, turning to Mrs.Belgrave, as the elephant moved off.
"I don't feel quite at home up here," she replied, holding on with bothhands at the side of the howdah.
"I think it is nice," added Miss Blanche. "It seems very much like ridingon a camel, only there is more motion."
"It is a good place to see everything there is to be seen," suggestedLouis, as he looked about him. "The king is taking us to his palace in highstyle. If he meant to astonish us, he has hit the nail on the head."
"But where are Lord Tremlyn and Sir Modava?" asked Miss Blanche.
"They are mounted on a couple of as handsome horses as I ever saw in mylife," replied the commander. "One of them is on each side of the Guicowar,at the head of the cavalry troop. In England and America the escort goesahead of the persons thus honored; but here, as a rule, the king cannotride behind anybody. You remember that when we saw the Sultan going to themosque in Constantinople he rode at the head of the procession, and all thegreat officers of state went behind him; and that seems to be the fashionhere."
"But is he much of a king?" Mrs. Belgrave inquired.
"They all call him a king, and I suppose he is one. He is a Maharajah, aword written with a capital, and composed of two words,maha, whichmeans great, andrajah, a king. The definition is 'a Hindu sovereignprince,' and that makes a king of him. He rules over a large territory, andLord Tremlyn says he is the most powerful of all the native princes. He iscertainly treating us very handsomely."
"I think I could get along without quite so much style," said Mrs.Belgrave, laughing; and she seemed to feel as though she was taking a partin a farce.
"All the style is in honor of the distinguished gentlemen we picked up inthe Arabian Sea. But excuse me, Mrs. Belgrave, if I suggest that it is notwise and prudent to laugh in the midst of such a spectacle as this. TheHindus are very exclusive until you get acquainted with them, and have agreat many prejudices which we cannot comprehend. They are very sensitive,and are very likely to misinterpret the expression and the actions of astranger; your laugh might be offensive, leading them to believe you weresneering, or making fun of them, as we should call it."
"Then I will be very circumspect," replied the lady. "But is the Guicowarreally a king, when all this country belongs to the English? Victoria isthe Empress of India."
"He rules over a protected state; but his powers seem to be almostunlimited. A British officer is always at his court, and is called a'resident,' who is the representative of the government. But he does notmeddle with the affairs of the state unless occasion requires."
The houses the tourists passed were all of Indian style, and there werealways towers and pagodas in sight. The region as they passed out of thecity was rural; and finally they came to the great gates of the palace,which they entered. The grounds were covered with great trees and gardens,in the midst of which was a palace, where they found the cavalry drawn upand presenting arms. The elephants were made to kneel down as when theparty mounted them, and they descended by means of ladders.
A host of servants ushered them into the palace, which Lord Tremlyn saidhad been appropriated to their use. Their luggage had already been sent totheir apartments; and an hour later the company assembled in the grandsalon, dressed to receive the Guicowar. His Highness did not "put on anystyle this time," and was as sociable as any common person. He saluted thecommander and Mrs. Belgrave; and then all the rest of the party werepresented to him by the viscount, and Mrs. Blossom had nearly shakenherself to pieces during the ceremony.
A bountiful collation was then served in another apartment, at which theMaharajah presided. He spoke English as fluently as any person present, andwas very affable to all. The Italian band played during the repast, and theGuicowar declared that it was the finest music he had ever heard. GeneralNoury had been placed on his right as the one highest in rank of anypresent.
The king proved himself to be exceedingly well informed in regard to theUnited States, and was even able to talk intelligently with the gentlemenabout Morocco. Though he had a wife, a mother, and a young daughter, theywere never presented to the gentlemen of the party, though the ladies werepermitted to make their acquaintance, and learned more from them aboutHindu domestic life than they could have obtained from any others.
"To-morrow will be a great day in Baroda," said Sir Modava to thecommander. "It is the great Sowari, a procession such as none of yourpeople ever saw, I will venture to say; and his Highness has providedplaces for all of you where you can see the whole of it in detail."
The king announced this great state occasion himself before the lunch wasfinished, and gave the visitors a cordial invitation to witness theprocession. The "Big Four," a term of which the viscount and Sir Modava hadalready learned the meaning, were very impatient to do some hunting. Theyhad brought their guns with them, and Louis informed the Hindu gentleman oftheir desire.
"Is there any place near the palace where we could find any game?" heinquired.
"Not in the palace grounds, but within a few miles of it a very ruggedregion may be reached, and a road-wagon will be provided for you. I willspeak to the Guicowar about it," replied Sir Modava; and he broached thesubject at once.
In half an hour a vehicle was at the door; and the boys were ready, dressedfor the hunt, and with their guns in their hands. Two officers wereappointed to attend them, and both of them spoke English very well. Thevehicle provided was a kind of coach, the floor of which was cushioned, sothat several persons could sleep on it during a long journey. It was drawnby four high-spirited horses; and, though the road was bad, it was drivenat a high rate of speed; and in less than an hour they alighted in a wildregion, where there was not a building of any kind to be seen.
The two officers directed the servants to take some boards from the top ofthe carriage, with which they stated their purpose to make a platform in atree, where they could watch for game; but the boys objected to thisarrangement, and declared that each of them would hunt on his own hook.
"But suppose you should come across a tiger, for they have been found here,though I hardly think you will see one," said one of the officers. "Whatwould you do then?"
"Shoot him, of course," replied Scott. "What are our guns for?"
"But you may fire half a dozen balls into him without disabling the beast,"added Khayrat, the principal officer. "Tiger-hunting is dangerous sport,and you can't be too careful."
But the boys were very confident, and all of them were good shots; but theyhad never tried any hunting of this kind. Khayrat said there was plenty ofdeer in the vicinity, and they had better confine their attention to them.If they approached the foothill of the Vindya Mountains, which he pointedout to them, they might find tigers. With this warning, the "Big Four"separated, and struck into the jungle. Khayrat followed Louis, for he hadbeen informed that he was the most important person in the quartet. Adil,the other officer, kept near Scott, who appeared to be the most reckless ofthe four.
Felix was not attended by any one; but he had not gone more than a hundredyards before he saw a huge cobra directly in front of him, bestirringhimself as though he "meant business." The fellow stood up, and he lookedmad enough to chew up the hunter. But before he had time to discharge hispiece at the monster, for he looked as though he was six feet long, Felixheard a rustling in the bushes at his left, and a moment later adisturbance on his right.
He looked in the direction of the noises, and saw two more cobras liftingtheir vicious heads into the air. These were more than he had bargainedfor; and, believing that discretion was the better part of valor, heclimbed a tree in which he saw a convenient resting-place. Between him andthe three snakes there was a small pool of water, half concealed by thebushes, and the reptiles had probably come there to drink or to obtain forfood some of the amphibious creatures that lived there.
The enthusiastic sportsman had hardly begun to climb the tree before heheard a hissing behind him, and discovered another cobra. Two of the fourin sight were much smaller than the other two, and he could easily believehe had come upon a family of them. He got a position in the tree, and lostno time in attacking the enemy. He was a good shot, for he and Louis hadboth been thoroughly trained in a shooting-gallery in New York. He gave hisattention to the one nearest to him, and wondered he had not trodden uponhim as he came to the spot.
As this one stood up Felix could see the top of his head, and he decided touse his revolver first. He fired; and, as the reptile was not ten feet fromhim, so skilful a marksman could hardly help hitting him. He did hit him,and the ball passed through his head. He wriggled a moment, and thenstretched himself out at full length, dead.
One of the larger ones was within twenty-five feet of him, and he used hisrepeating rifle this time. He slipped a little in his perch as hedischarged the piece, and the ball went through the snake's body, which wasfuriously mad, hissed and shook himself. He held still a moment, and thenFelix fired again. The ball seemed to tear his head all to pieces, and hedropped down out of sight. He had to fire several times to kill the othertwo; for, as he expressed it, they "would not hold still."
But he had killed the four, and felt just as though he had settled thesnake question. Most of the natives, who are oftener the victims of thecobra than the white people, go about in the dark with naked feet, and itis not strange that they are bitten. He descended from the tree, and wentto examine the game he had brought down. Cutting some pliable sticks, hedragged the serpents together, and passed a withe around them behind thehood, and started back for the rendezvous where they were to take thecarriage. He was determined to convince Scott that he was not afraid ofsnakes.
He had already heard several shots, and realized that his companions hadfound game of some kind. He waited a full hour for them, when Louisreturned first, with a very handsome deer slung on a pole with Khayratcarrying the other end. Morris came in with a monkey, which the officerswould not have permitted him to kill if they had been near him. Scott camein last with only a couple of birds.
"Did ye's mate ony cobrys, Musther Scott?" asked Felix.
"Not a cobra; and I didn't want to meet any," replied Scott, disappointedat his luck.
"You's air afeered of the schnakes," rallied the Milesian.
"So are you, Flix. If you saw one you wouldn't stop running till you gotback to Baroda," returned the third officer of the ship.
"But I have seen four of them in my little walk, and I'm not doing anyrunning just now," said Felix triumphantly.
"Go 'way with you, Milesian, and don't tell any fish stories!" repliedScott, continuing to blackguard him while the servants were putting thedeer on the top of the wagon.
"Do you want to carry those snakes back to the palace?" asked Khayrat.
"What snakes?" asked Scott.
"I'll be most happy to introjuce you to four uv 'em I killed," added Felix;and Scott was convinced against his will, and the dead serpents were put onthe wagon.
In another hour they reached the palace, and the game was exhibited to awondering audience. The officers explained how so many of the cobrashappened to be together; but Felix had reached a correct conclusion before.Mrs. Blossom scolded him for not running away when he saw the first one;but he declared he had to prove that a boy with Kilkenny blood in his veinswas not afraid of snakes.
Felix had to repeat his story, and he was regarded as quite a hero by theAmericans, though Sir Modava and other natives thought but little of it.Mrs. Blossom continued to scold at him for not running away from theserpents.
"How could I run away when I was surrounded by the snakes?" demanded Felix,when the worthy lady's discipline became somewhat monotonous to him. "If Ihad done what you say I should certainly have been bitten. I did better: Iclimbed the tree, and bagged the whole four at my leisure."
"But snakes can climb trees," persisted the excellent woman.
"I suppose they can, but they don't always; and I knew the one nearest mewouldn't do much climbing with a hole through his head. Besides, they saythe cobra does not come at you unless you meddle with him, like therattlesnake. I suppose I disturbed them, and they hoisted the flags to letme know they were in town. I wanted to reduce the number of the varmints alittle."
"But why did Khayrat tell me I ought not to have shot a monkey?" askedMorris.
"Because monkeys are harmless, and the Hindus consider them sacred. Beforeyou get to Calcutta you will find them housed in temples. Besides, thenatives are very tender of all animals," replied Sir Modava.
"In the hospital for lame ducks and superannuated bullfrogs we visited inBombay, do they take in sick cobras?" asked Felix. "Do they nurse lametigers?"
"They do not; it would not be quite safe to do so. Morris, the monkey youshot will be decently buried," said the Hindu gentleman.
"I am willing; for, though they eat them in some countries, I don't hankerafter any monkey-flesh," replied the young hunter. "I met a man at myfather's house who had lived for years in Africa, and he said they ate theboa-constrictor there,--the natives did, not the white people."
"So I have heard; but many Hindus never eat meat at all," added Sir Modava,as the party retired to dress for dinner.
The party were to dine at the palace with the Guicowar, and it was to be astate dinner. Though contrary to Hindu etiquette, the ladies were allinvited, and they were treated with "distinguished consideration." It was avery elaborate occasion, and a few speeches were made at the last of it.The principal one was by the king himself, who enlarged upon his relationswith Lord Tremlyn and Sir Modava, whom he regarded as two of his bestfriends.
From this point, he dwelt upon his esteem for the commander of theGuardian-Mother, who had rendered a service to India in saving them fromcertain death, which they, better than he, could understand and appreciate.
Captain Ringgold and General Noury made fitting replies; and the partyreturned, escorted by a score of torch-bearers, to the "Garden of Pearls"as the summer palace in which they were lodged was called. They appearedearly in the morning, and after they had taken their coffee Louis and Felixtook a long walk outside the palace walls. At the gate they saw a littleanimal which seemed disposed to make friends with them. They had broughttheir guns with them, and Felix was on the point of firing at him whenLouis interposed.
"That's a mongoose," said the latter. "Haven't you heard of him?"
"Never did."
"The creature is a sort of ichneumon, with a long body, extending back ofhis hind legs, which gradually decreases in size till it becomes his tail.His body is long, even without the portion of it which belongs to hiscaudal appendage. He has a small head and a sharp nose, and is somethinglike a weasel. He has the reputation of being the great serpent-killer ofIndia, and many wonderful stories are told of him. He is very useful abouta house in destroying rats and other small nuisances."
The mongoose ran along ahead of the boys while Louis told what he knewabout him. Felix protested that a little fellow like that couldn't doanything with such a cobra as he had shot the day before, for the snake wasa trifle more than five feet long. They had gone but a short distancefarther before Khayrat stepped out from a tree which had concealed him.
"There's a cobra in here somewhere," said the officer, who was one of theking's huntsmen. "I brought out my mongoose, but the little rascal has leftme."
"There he is, just ahead of us," replied Louis. "He seems like a kitten, heis so tame."
"He is my pet, and I am very fond of him, for I think he saved my lifeonce. I was just on the point of stepping on a cobra when Dinky attackedthe snake and killed him after a fight," added Khayrat. "I think he is onthe track of the enemy, for the serpent killed two chickens last night."
"There he is!" exclaimed Felix, as he brought his gun to his shoulder.
"Don't fire! Let Dinky take care of him; for my pet is spoiling for afight, as one of the Americans said yesterday," interposed Khayrat.
The serpent was a large one, though not equal in size to the one Felix hadshot the day before. He had erected his head, and spread out his hood, andhe looked as ugly as sin itself. He knows all about the mongoose, and seemsto have an instinctive hatred of his little but mighty enemy.
The little snake-killer made a spring at him, and then skilfully whirledhimself around so that the snake could not bite him. Dinky knew what he wasabout all the time; and though his foe struck at him several times, hedodged him and put in several bites. After considerable manoeuvring, thesnake appeared to have had enough of it, and deemed it prudent to beat aretreat. He dropped on the ground, and headed for a thicket; but this wasjust what Dinky wanted. He sprang upon the neck of the cobra, placing hisfore-paws on him, and then crushed his spine with his sharp teeth. Theserpent was dead, after writhing an instant.
The fight was ended, and Khayrat caressed the victor. Louis declared thatthe mongoose was a friend worth having, and immediately made a bargain withthe huntsman to procure him a couple of them, and send them to Calcutta.They returned to the palace; and at the breakfast-table Louis told thestory of the battle, in which all the Americans were much interested. Butthe business of the forenoon was the great Sowari, or public procession;and the party were conveyed in carriages to the pavilion, from the verandaof which they were to see the spectacle. An abundance of easy-chairs wasprovided for them, and they were made very comfortable.
It required more than an hour for the procession to pass the point ofobservation; and when the last of it had disappeared in the distance allthe Americans declared that they had never seen anything, even in Europe,which could be compared with it in variety and magnificence. It was anOriental spectacle, and the tourists could easily believe they hadwitnessed a pageant that had stepped out of the pages of the "ArabianNights."
First came the regular soldiers of the Maharajah, who were sepoys, allunder the command of English officers; and they marched like veterans whohad been drilling half their lives. They were followed by a company ofArabs, who seemed to have been imported for the occasion. Sir Modavaexplained what the troops were as they passed. Next came a whole squadronof Mahratta cavalry, which looked as though they were serviceable soldiersof that arm, for they were good riders, well mounted, and were all lustyfellows.
After the cavalry came a troop of dromedaries with small cannons mounted ontheir backs, with gunners to work the pieces. The military portion of theprocession was completed by several regiments of the Guicowar's specialarmy. Following the household troops, apparently acting as an escort, camethe royal standard-bearer, a personage of decided importance in an Orientalpageant. He was mounted alone on a huge elephant, magnificently caparisonedand adorned with the royal standard, a flag of cloth-of-gold, on a longstaff.
In front of the elephant marched a band of eighteen or twenty nativemusicians, playing upon all sorts of Indian instruments, includingtom-toms, lutes, like flageolets, cymbals, and horns. Surrounding the greatbeast that had the honor to bear the flag of the Mahratta States werenumerous horsemen, all clothed in the richest Oriental costumes, armed withspears and curved sabres, with shining shields, and steel gauntlets ontheir hands. All these, and all the others, wore white turbans,picturesquely folded.
Behind the standard-bearer were two more elephants, each decked in all thesplendor of the East; and mounted upon them were some of the greatdignitaries of the court, over whom servants held highly fringed andornamented umbrellas. In the procession was a troop of camels, all dressedout in the style of the horses and elephants. To say that the Americanswere dazzled by the splendor of the scene would be to state it very mildly,for they were literally confounded and overwhelmed; and yet they had notseen the great feature of the spectacle, the Guicowar himself. Sir Modavahad to talk very fast to describe the scene as it passed before them.
A dozen men, handsomely dressed like all the others, presently appeared,each bearing on a long pole something that looked like a crown. This was asort of incense-censor, in which perfumes were burned, and from which acolumn of blue vapor proceeded. They were immediately before one of theking's elephants, which now came in front of the veranda. He was a giganticcreature, bearing on his back a howdah of solid gold. He was robed like theothers, and the portions of his skin in sight were fantastically painted invarious designs.
The howdah was surmounted by two pyramidal roofs, one in front of theother, supported by small columns. At the end of the elephant's tusks,which were sawed off square, were attached bouquets of rich feathers. Oneach side of the huge beast was a platform, suspended at the outside bygolden cords, on which stood four men very richly dressed. One of thembears the hook, or pipe, presented to the Guicowar by the viceroy, anotherwaves a banner, and the others flourish fans of peacock feathers. In frontof the mahout is planted an ornament reaching nearly to the top of thehowdah.
The golden howdah was presented by the Queen and Empress of India, andglitters with diamonds and other precious stones. The two domes make itlook like two pavilions, and in the forward one sits the Guicowar in solemndignity. He wears a tunic of scarlet velvet, which is covered with gold anddiamonds. In fact, he seems to have diamonds enough to freight a schooner.Either he or one of his predecessors purchased a brilliant for which hepaid the bagatelle of four hundred thousand dollars. Under the rearpavilion, and behind him, is the king's prime minister.
One of the officials at his side is the king's herald, who unfolds a flagof cloth-of-gold, and flourishes it before the people, and there are notless than a hundred thousand of them in the streets. As he does so heannounces in good Hindustanee and in a loud voice a proclamation:"Srimunt Sircar! Khunderao Guicowar! Sena Khas Khel! ShamsharBahadoor!"
"Exactly so," said Felix in a low tone.
"I suppose it is not given to outsiders to know what all that means?" addedLouis.
"Certainly it is," replied Sir Modava. "It means, 'Behold the King ofKings, Khunderao Guicowar, whose army is invincible, whose courage isindomitable.'"
"Is that in a Pickwickian sense?" asked Scott.
"Not at all, for the Guicowar is as brave a man as ever put a foot intoshoe-leather, or went barefooted," replied Lord Tremlyn, "though there is alittle exaggeration common to the Orient in the proclamation."
As his Majesty came in front of the veranda the party rose and saluted himwith low bows, and the waving of handkerchiefs by the ladies. He respondedwith a kingly smile and a graceful wave of the hand. The procession passedon, and shortly afterwards the booming cannon announced that the moment ofthe solemn benediction had come. The attentive officials of the courtpresently appeared with the carriages, and an invitation to the wholecompany to dine with the Guicowar again at his table.
They had to wait an hour for the king, but they found enough to interestthem in observing the coming of numerous other guests. In an ante-room thefloor was almost covered with shoes, many of them of the richest material,even with precious stones upon them. Sir Modava explained that Easternetiquette required that the visitors going into the presence of theMaharajah should remove their shoes, but that Europeans and Americans wereexempt from this requirement.
When the party entered they found the king seated in an apartment open tothe air of heaven on two sides. All were barefoot or in their stocking-feetexcept the Gruicowar, who occupied a bench, or platform, at one side. Hehad removed his state garments, and was dressed in a suit of white linen.Most of the native officials present were seated on the floor; but thegentlemen of the visitors were invited to sit with his Highness, thoughonly Lord Tremlyn and Sir Modava accepted it.
The party remained a week at the palace of the Guicowar, and every day hada new pleasure or recreation. The king was as familiar with all the membersas though they had belonged to his own household. He was sociable withthem, and they ceased to be embarrassed in his presence. Even Mrs. Blossomno longer trembled before him, and he was as jolly with the boys as thoughhe had been one of them.
On the day after the Sowari the gentlemen of the party were conducted tothe arena of the elephants, which was a large enclosure, reminding thosewho had seen them of the bull-rings of Spain. It was surrounded bybuildings; and on one side, behind a wall, was a vast area of elevatedground from which the people of the town could witness the scenes presentedin the arena.
The ladies of the party had made the acquaintance of those of their own sexin the household, and the sports of the day had been discussed among them.On this day it was to be an elephant fight. The native women did notattend, for they never took part in any public affair. Mrs. Belgrave, assoon as she learned the nature of the entertainment, promptly declined tobe present at it, and the others were of the same mind.
To make the best of it, it was a brutal sport. The elephant is a noblebeast, so intelligent that he deserves the consideration of man; and tothem it seemed barbarous to set them fighting, even if the animals hadbelligerent instincts, though they never displayed them in theirdomesticated condition unless under strong provocation. Some of thegentlemen regarded the exhibition as but little better than a prize-fight;though they all attended the occasion, for the more sensitive ones thoughtit would be impolite to decline the invitation, especially as theexhibition was got up especially for them.
They were ushered into a large apartment, one side of which consisted oflofty arches, through which the display could be witnessed. At either endof the arena was chained a monster male elephant. A number of femaleelephants were on an elevation near it; and it seemed as though they wereplaced there for the same reason that the ladies were admitted to thetournaments of the knights in England and France. It was said that thesefemales had a decided taste for such fights, and possibly the sight of themstimulated the male combatants.
There were a number of men, very slightly clothed, in the ring, who seemedlike thechulos of the Spanish arena, though their functions couldhardly be the same; and there were many openings in the walls through whichthey could escape, instead of leaping over the fence, as the bull-fightersdo. Some of them were armed with lances, and others with a stick withfireworks at the end.
The Guicowar entered the spectators' apartment, which was already wellfilled with nobles and the foreigners. He was dressed in white linen, withan elegant cap on his head. He had a fine athletic form, and wore a shortbeard. He was not inclined to take the special arm-chair assigned to him,but walked about, speaking to his guests, not omitting the boys, to whom heappeared to have taken a fancy.
His Highness gave a signal, at which the mahouts took their places on thenecks of the big beasts, and the chains which secured the combatants werecast off. The monsters roared, and, with their trunks elevated, advanced tothe affray. They increased their speed as they came nearer to each other.They rushed together, as Scott expressed it, "head on," and the strangersseemed to feel the shock through their nerves. It was so violent the beastsdropped upon their knees forward.
Then they began to twist their trunks together, and buck with their tusks.For some minutes the giants wrestled together, but the combat proved to beof brief duration. The party could see that one of them was getting theworst of it, and was inclined to "hedge." In fact, he had had enough of it;but he was too wise to abandon his tactics when it was time for him toretreat. Mustering all his power, he made a desperate effort, and succeededin forcing the other back enough to turn his huge body without exposing hisflank to the tusks of the enemy, and then beat a hasty retreat.
The vanquished brute was removed from the arena, and the victor remainedalone on the field he had won; but he had only come to the beginning of histroubles, for there was a second act to the affair. The men, who were armedwith whips, fireworks, red cloths, and other instruments of torment,assailed him. They pricked him with the javelins, shook the red banners inhis face, and fizzed the pyrotechnics before his eyes. They tormented thepoor creature till he was furious. He had no adequate weapon for thisunequal and unfair warfare.
He chased one assailant and then another, being as often turned aside fromhis intended victims by the thorning of the other tormentors. As he becamea little more accustomed to the game, he ceased to be diverted from hisvictim and confined his attention to only one. The red banners, the blowsfrom the whips, and the fizzing of the powder, did not affect him. Hepursued his victim till the man was glad to save himself by dodging throughone of the narrow doors in the wall, where the monster could not followhim. He butted against the wall, and then pounded the earth with his feetin the fury of his wrath.
If the man had far to run he would inevitably be lost; for the elephant,clumsy as he appears to be, develops great speed of foot when he isexcited. An incident was related by one of the nobles to Captain Ringgoldas the runner disappeared within the door. A young man who was very swiftof foot was closely pursued by the elephant, and had reached the door, whenhe was seized by the arm, tossed in the air, and came down heavily on theground. The foot of the infuriate beast was raised to crush his skull, whenanother man flashed a Bengal light in his face, with the flame almost inhis eyes, and the giant bellowed and fled.
At the blast of a bugle all the men in the ring suddenly deserted it. Theelephant looked about him for any new assailant, and was immediatelyprovided with one. A door flew open, and a fine looking fellow, mounted ona magnificent horse, dashed into the arena. After the manner of thematador in a bull-fight, he conducted his steed, prancing in hispride, up to the arch at which the Guicowar stood, and saluted him with thegrace of a knight-errant whose head was full of ladies.
The elephant is said to have an especial aversion to a horse; and thetormented beast in the ring at once manifested the prejudice of his race,for he made a dart for him. The horse did not flinch, but stood still tillthe giant was almost upon him. Then, at the command of his master, hewheeled, and the rider gave the big beast a smart punch with his lance. Fora few minutes there was a lively skirmish between them, the horsemanpricking him on the trunk or the flanks, and the rage of the elephant wasat its highest pitch.
The fleetness of the horse and the skill of his rider kept the latter outof harm's way till the elephant seemed to be exhausted. The Americansthought he had done enough for one day, and the horseman retired. The greatbeast which had borne the brunt of three combats was allowed to cool off,and then his mahout conducted him to the rest he had bravely won. Thenobles in attendance were sufficiently civilized to indulge in betting, andwagers had been made on the various fights in progress. Mr. Woolridge, whowas a reformed sportsman, may have been tempted; but he did not feel athome in this kind of sporting, and he did not break through any of his goodresolutions.
After the elephant had been removed, there was no little excitement amongthe assemblage in the veranda, and the betting seemed to be livelier thanever. A dozen officers armed with rifles and lances were stationed aboutthe walls of the arena; and then an iron-bound cage was drawn into theenclosure, which contained a monstrous tiger. The guests wondered if thisfierce brute was to be loosed in the arena, and they examined with interestinto the safety of the situation. A number of rifles were brought into theveranda, with which the Guicowar and his native guests armed themselves.
"What does this mean, Sir Modava?" asked Captain Ringgold.
"The next battle will be a noble one, and immense wagers are depending uponthe result," replied the Hindu gentleman.
"Is that big tiger to fight the crowd here assembled?"
"Not at all; but it is such a battle as has never been fought here, ifanywhere. His Highness had long desired to see a bull-fight, and heimported four of the finest Spanish bulls his agent could find. Thetoreadors came with them; but they all refused to fight in thisarena, which they declared was not adapted to the purpose, and they wenthome. Three of the bulls died of disease, and only one was left. Adiscussion arose as to whether he was a match for a tiger. This battle isto settle the question; and the bets are mostly in favor of the tiger,though the Guicowar, with a few others, places his stake on the bull," SirModava explained.
The tiger was released from the cage at a signal from the king. He leapedfrom the cage, and seemed to be astonished at the sight of so many people.Three officers took possession of the brute's prison, armed with rifles toshoot him if he killed the bull. No person was in the ring, or within reachof the savage animal. The door by which the horseman had entered was thrownwide open, and the bovine, vexed to the highest degree of wrath, came intothe arena with a bounding run.
The tiger had advanced quietly to the centre of it, though with the royalmien of the "king of beasts," as he was here, his eyes like a couple ofcoals of fire. He caught sight of the bull as soon as he appeared, for hehad doubtless killed many a bullock in the jungle. He planted himself onthe ground in readiness for a spring. His present enemy saw him at the sameinstant; but he did not halt, or show any signs of fear.
The bull crouched his head, increased his speed, and bounded on the tiger.At that moment the striped beast went up into the air so quickly that theaudience could hardly see how it was done. His horned foe showed that hehad not wholly escaped, for his head was covered with blood. But the tigerwas not yet defeated. He sprang to his feet, and darted furiously at hisenemy. He fastened with claws and teeth upon the neck of the bull, and theking believed that his wager was lost.
But the Spaniard shook him off, and turned upon him again, tossing himhigher in the air than before. He came down badly disabled; and the bull,as though it was the finest sport in the world for him, gored him with hislong horns till the life was gone out of him. The Spaniard was the victor.The people shouted themselves hoarse; but their cries were in honor of theGuicowar, and not the bull. The victor had lost a great deal of blood froma bad wound in the neck, and it was a question whether or not he would die;but he did not; he recovered, and before the tourists left India Sir Modavalearned that he had been killed in a battle with a smaller tiger than thefirst.
Though the guests said but little about it, most of them were disgustedwith these spectacles, and considered them cruel and brutal. They remainedtheir week at Baroda. Those who desired to do so were taken to a hunt oneday with a cheetah, in which this animal killed deer and other animals; andon another, on elephants, for tigers. Two tigers were killed, and LouisBelgrave had the honor of shooting one of them. Felix brought down a coupleof cobras; and killing them seemed to be his forte. Khayrat invited theparty to witness a battle between his mongoose and a couple of cobras hishunters had caught; and he killed them both, one at a time.
They all declined to attend a fight between a couple of coolies, with hornspikes attached to their hands, for this was worse than a prize-fight. Butthere was no end of amusements that were not brutal, and they enjoyedthemselves abundantly to the end of their stay. They visited the templesand the palaces of the nobles, where they were received with the utmostattention. Captain Sharp and his wife declared this was the red-letter weekof their lives; but the commander of the Blanche insisted that he must takehis ship around to Calcutta, and left by train for Bombay the day beforethe company departed.
The Guicowar resorted to various expedients to retain his guests, with whomhe was evidently sincerely pleased; but the commander was inflexible. Itwas not possible to see a tithe of India, and he felt obliged to leave atthe expiration of the time he had fixed for the visit, and he begged LordTremlyn and Sir Modava not to place them in any more courts, or they wouldnever get out of India. The train was prepared for their departure, and, inaddition to the compartment cars in which they were to pass most of theirtime, a carriage was fitted up, so that all of them could assemble in it;in fact, it was a conference hall on wheels.
An early breakfast was provided for the travellers, and at this repast thefarewells were spoken. Speeches were made by all the principal persons ofthe party of Americans, and by the Moroccan magnate, expressive of the verygreat enjoyment of the visit, and in praise of the liberality of the kinglyhost's hospitality. Captain Ringgold returned his thanks quite eloquently.
The Guicowar again enlarged upon the service the commander had rendered toIndia in saving the lives of two of his best friends, who had also been thefriends of his country, and his only regret was that the Americans couldnot remain longer. Lord Tremlyn and Sir Modava could not in a lifetimedischarge their obligations to their friends who had entertained them likeprinces on board of the Guardian-Mother.
The ladies did not make speeches; but they expressed their gratitude to hisHighness in a less prominent manner for the kindness extended to them, andat the close of the entertainment Miss Blanche advanced to the king, andpresented to him a package containing the photographs of the whole company,and that of General Noury, each with the autograph upon it.
"I am very sorry that our party are unable to present to your Highness agift in keeping with the magnificence of the hospitality extended to us,"said the beautiful young lady; "but this package contains the photograph ofevery member of our company, and we beg that you will accept them as theonly tribute of our gratitude for your kindness which is available to us atthis distance from our homes. We leave behind us our best wishes for theprosperity, health, and happiness of your Highness."
The Guicowar declared that he should value the gift more than all the goldand gems that could have been gathered together, and he should alwaysremember with delight the fairy who had presented them to him, and it wouldafford him the greatest pleasure to look in the future upon the faces ofthose whose presence at the palace he had so greatly enjoyed.
The actual parting was the scene of a great deal of hand-shaking, mingledwith pretty speeches. The Guicowar went with them to the station, and sawthem seated in the great carriage that had been prepared for them. Thetrain moved off, with handkerchiefs waving at every window, and with aprofusion of gestures on the part of the magnificent host. It required sometime to talk about the scenes at the court of the king, though all of theparty were observing the country through the windows.
It was a strange country to the Americans; and they found something to lookat all the time, though it was a wild and rugged region for the first twohours, with only a single town that was noticeable in that time. As theywere passing out of Baroda, the viscount called their attention to abuilding at some distance from the road, and called it a "travellers'bungalow." It was a very comfortable house, where tourists may find hotelaccommodations, though they are hardly hotels. They are provided by thegovernment, and are to be found in all the travelled regions of India. Theyare sometimes free for the rooms, but the guest pays at a very low rate forhis food.
"We are coming now to Ahmedabad, which is in Gujrat, or Goozerat, for youtake your choice in regard to many of these Indian names; and this city isits chief town, and the second in the province of Bombay. It was formerlyone of the largest and most magnificent cities of the East, as the ruinsstill indicate. It contains several elegant mosques, but the town has notmore than a seventh part of its former population of nine hundredthousand," said Sir Modava, as he opened a travelling-bag, and took from ita large bundle of photographs.
"Oodeypore is the capital of a Rajputana state; and its palace is said tobe the largest and most magnificent in India, though the town has apopulation of less than forty thousand. The maharajah entertained thePrince of Wales in it when he made his progress through the country. It isbuilt in the mountains, and it would be a troublesome journey for us toreach it. The next city of any importance to which we shall come isJeypore, and we shall dine there."
When the train stopped for water a lunch was sent to the compartments, towhich all the passengers now retired for the rest of the day. At Jeyporedinner was served, good enough, though not elaborate. At the table SirModava passed around some photographs of the place, including the palace ofthe Maharajah, the Golden Kiosk, and the temples of the valley of Ambir. Itwas impossible to visit all the wonderful structures on the road withoutspending at least a year in the country; and a dozen volumes would hardlycontain the description of them. The palace at Jeypore is half a mile long,and contains one seventh of the area of the town.
Though the railroad passed within fifty miles of Delhi, the train sped onits way to the north all night and nearly the whole of the next day,arriving at Lahore at five in the afternoon. No towns of any considerableimportance were passed during this long stretch of 540 miles. Though LordTremlyn and Sir Modava, with their friends, were invited to the residenceof the lieutenant-governor, the party went to the Victoria Hotel, for theviscount thought it would be an imposition to quarter them on the chiefauthority, being eighteen in number.
"We are now in the Punjab, the north-western corner of India," said theHindu gentleman, when they were seated in the parlor of the hotel. "It iswatered by the Indus and five of its branches, on one of which, the Ravi,Lahore is situated. Punjab means five rivers. It has a population of morethan twenty-five million; and, General Noury, it has more Mohammedans thanthe whole of Morocco. I will not give you any more statistics, for I fearyou would not remember them."
"Thank you, Sir Modava," added Mr. Woolridge.
"The manufactures of silk, cotton, and metals are very important; for thesoil is not very fertile, though cotton, rice, sugar, indigo, and all kindsof grains and fruits, are raised. Lahore is the capital of the Punjab, andhas a population of a hundred and seventy-seven thousand, though it oncecontained a million. At this point we are near the Himalaya Mountains.About a hundred and fifty miles east of Lahore is Simla, nearly eightthousand feet above the sea. This is a noted sanitarium; and in the hotseason it is the resort of thousands of people, including the highestofficers of the army and the government."
"Is this as near the Himalayas as we are to go?" asked Scott.
"About as near, though at Patna you will be about one hundred and fiftymiles from Mount Everest, the highest peak on the earth."
"I should like to go there," added Scott.
"You couldn't climb it; and what good would it do you? I could mention ahundred places in India I should like to visit; but it is not practicableto do so," added the commander. "We can only take along with us a fewspecimens of the wonderful country, and make the best of them."
After dinner the party divided up according to their own fancy, and wentout to walk, though some were too tired to do so. Louis invited MissBlanche to go with him; and she was always glad to be in his company,especially as Sir Modava was to be his companion. The first sight they sawin the street was a regiment of Punjab sepoys, a well-drilled body of men,not very different from the soldiers they had seen in other countries.
They wore frock-coats, buttoned tight to the throat, and a sort of turbanon the head. Their faces were swarthy, but none of them wore full beards.There were plenty of street sights after the regiment had passed. Thedifferent kinds of vehicles attracted their attention first. In a kind ofgig drawn by a horse, two men and two women were crowded together. Thedriver seemed to be seated behind, and one of the women was on the floor infront of the two who were seated. By the side of the man on the seat was agirl of sixteen or eighteen, and she was very pretty.
In a two-wheeled cart drawn by a humped bullock were a couple of Hinduladies, under a canopy supported by four poles. Then came a camel bearingtwo bearded men on his back. Two or three palanquins were seen; but theywere an old story, and they turned their attention to the architecture ofthe houses that lined the street. There was an abundance of what we callbay-windows, and ornamented balconies. There was a great deal of variety inthe construction of these appendages of the houses; and all of them wereoccupied by ladies, who wore no veils over their faces, though most of themwere doubtless Mohammedans, and the yashmak had evidently gone out offashion.
"There is the dak-bungalow," said the Hindu gentleman as they passed abuilding of considerable size.
"What is a dak-bungalow?" asked Louis.
"It is one which answers the purpose of a hotel. I pointed one out to youat Baroda. Sometimes they are free so far as the rooms are concerned; buthere the guest pays two rupees a day, or fifty cents of your money, and thefood is furnished at a low price."
"But this is not half so much of a place as I expected to find," saidLouis, after they had walked an hour, and it was time to return to thehotel.
"It is a place of considerable importance, though there are not so manytemples, mosques, tombs, and other fine structures, as in many other citiesof India; and I wondered that the commander had placed it in his list ofplaces to be visited. Jeypore and Oodeypore would have been far moreinteresting to your party," replied Sir Modava. "Yet you will see some ofthe finest structures in the country before you reach Calcutta."
The company returned to the hotel at an early hour, and all of them weretired enough to retire at once. But they were up at six in the morning, andthe four boys went out to explore the city by themselves for a couple ofhours. Even at this early hour the ladies, old and young, were in thebalconies, and they were much occupied in observing the latter. Though theyashmak, or veil, was not often used to cover the face, it appeared to havebeen only thrown back upon the head.
After breakfast carriages were at the door to convey the party to the moreinteresting sights of the city. At the request of Lord Tremlyn, they weredriven first to the office of the lieutenant-governor, to whom they werepresented. The government buildings are in Lawrence Hall Gardens, wherethere is also a memorial building in honor of Lord John Lawrence, the firstlieutenant-governor, who won his distinction in subduing and ruling overthe Punjab.
They were next conveyed to the mosque of Jehanghir, built of red stone, andso much like a score of other mosques that they were not much interested inthe building. The mosque of Vazir Khan pleased them more; for it was abeautiful edifice, though crumbling before the ravages of time. But evenhere they were more pleased on observing the loafers around the entranceand in the court in front of it. An old bald-headed Hindu, with a beard aswhite as snow, was a study to the boys; and perhaps it was fortunate thatthe subject of their remarks did not understand English, or there mighthave been another war in the Punjab.
The cook-shops in the street were instructive to them, and they watched thecustomers with interest; but, as they had attempted to eat in a Turkishrestaurant in Constantinople, they were content with looking on. Theminarets of the Vazir Khan pleased all the party, for they were certainlyvery beautiful. They went to the Golden Temple of Amritsar in theafternoon, and were impressed with the beauty of its surroundings.
Lahore was rather a disappointment to the tourists, though it would nothave been if they had not spent some days in Bombay before visiting it. Thetrain in which they had come from Baroda was to be used by them as far asCalcutta, and they were ready to leave that night. The journey was by adifferent route from that by which they had come, and through a moredensely populated region. It was a bright moonlight night when the trainpassed out of the capital of the Punjab.
They had gathered in what they had come to call the Conference Hallcompartment; and as they looked out into the light of the evening theybelieved they could see some of the peaks of the Himalayas, though LordTremlyn doubted it. Possibly they saw some of the peaks, for Mount NaudaDevi was within a hundred miles of the point on the railroad where theywould be in the morning; and this is more than twenty-five thousand feethigh. Mont Blanc is seen in very clear weather at the distance of a hundredmiles, and it is about eight thousand feet less in height.
They were awake very early in the morning, and they certainly saw some highmountains in the distance, but could not identify them by name. At eighto'clock the train rolled into the station at Delhi, perhaps the mostwonderful city of India.
The Mohammedans of Bombay whose acquaintance General Noury had made werewealthy and influential men; they had notified their friends in othercities of the coming of the distinguished Moroccan, and he had severalinvitations to make his home in Delhi with them. Lord Tremlyn and SirModava were even more abundantly tendered accommodations from British andHindu persons of distinction.
Captain Ringgold had no friends, and received no invitations, though theentire company of tourists were included in those of both the general andthe distinguished gentlemen who had insisted upon being the hosts of theparty. But the commander was a wealthy man himself, and a very independentone. To throw a company of a dozen and a half upon the generous hospitalityof private individuals, or even public officials, seemed like an impositionto him.
The viscount and his Hindu companion were equally sensitive on this point;and it was proposed by Sir Modava to divide the guests among those who hadnot only given the invitations but had pressed them upon the travellers.The others did not like this plan; and, after some consideration, it wasdecided to go to a hotel; at least it was suggested as the remedy by thecommander, who again insisted upon paying the bill. But there was nosuitable hotel in the place. The dak-bungalow was the only resort, though ahotel was soon to be opened. Those who were consulted in the party were allfor the bungalow, and the problem was finally settled in this manner.
A couple of small omnibuses were taken, and the party proceeded to thedak-bungalow, which was in the centre of the city. Their apartments werenot elegant, but they were comfortable; and no one found any fault at theabsence of the splendors with which they had been surrounded in the palaceof the Guicowar, or even those of Bombay. A good breakfast was obtained,and the forenoon was given up to rest; but after a couple of hours in theirchambers the company were assembled in the coffee-room.
"Delhi is a city which figures largely in the history of India," said LordTremlyn, seated very informally in an arm-chair. "It existed fifteen ortwenty centuries before the time of Christ, and was the capital of thegreat Aryan empire. It was founded by the invaders of India. The chronologyof India is not reliable, but it is claimed that this event dates back to3101 B.C. Its name was Indrapechta, which it holds to the present timeamong the learned Hindus, so that the city appears to have existed whileEgypt was still in its infancy.
"It became the great Mussulman capital; but one and another of its princeschanged its location, till its ancient sites extend for thirty miles alongthe river, and its ruins, more extensive than even those of Rome, coverthis range of territory. But I shall not go into the details of thosemigratory periods, but speak only of the city as we find it.
"Delhi is on the Jumna River, which you saw in the early morning. Thisstream has its entire course in Hindustan, and is the principal tributaryof the Ganges. Both of these rivers are sacred with the natives. The Jumnarises in the Himalayas, at a height of nearly eleven thousand feet, and ofcourse it is a mountain torrent at its upper waters. After a run of eighthundred and sixty miles, it falls into the Ganges about three miles belowAllahabad. On each side of it is an important canal, both built beforerailways were in use here.
"Delhi is nine hundred and fifty-four miles northwest of Calcutta. Itstands on high ground, is walled on three sides, and has ten gates. Aseries of buildings formerly composing the grand palace of Shah Jehan havebecome the fort, overlooking the river, with a fine view of the surroundingcountry, covered with woods and agricultural grounds. You will see thepalaces, mosques, and temples, and I will not describe them. Delhi is theseventh city in population, which is a hundred and ninety-three thousand."
After luncheon half a dozen landaus were at the door of the bungalow, inwhich the party seated themselves according to their own choice; and thefirst stop was made at the Jummah Musjid Mosque, which the Mussulmans ofIndia venerate and admire more than any other. It is built on an immenseesplanade, which is mounted by three flights of stairs, each in the form ofthe three sides of a pyramid, and each leading to an immense pointed arch,the entrances to the buildings.
Before the party entered a carriage arrived, from which General Noury andanother person alighted. The Moroccan had accepted the invitation of aDelhi Mussulman to be his guest, and this gentleman had begun to show himthe sights of the city. The general presented him to the members of theparty as Abbas-Meerza. Evidently in honor of his host the Moroccan had puton his Oriental dress, which was certainly a very picturesque costume,though it called up unpleasant memories in the minds of the commander andthe Woolridges.
Abbas-Meerza was evidently a Persian, or the son of one; for he was clothedin the full costume of that country. He wore a rich robe, reaching to hisankles, with a broad silk belt around his waist. His cap, of equally costlymaterial, was a tall cylinder, with the top slanting down to the left side,as though it had been cut off. He spoke English as fluently as the general.He invited the party to step to a certain point, and view the mosque as awhole.
The wall of the esplanade was a continued series of pointed arches, with ahandsome frieze above it. On the elevated platform was a colonnade of thesame arches on each side, with a pillared tower at each corner, interruptedonly at the grand entrances. It looked as though one might walk entirelyaround the vast structure in the shade of this colonnade.
Within the enclosure could be seen three domes, the one in the centreovertopping the other two, two lofty minarets, with small domes at thesummit, supported by several columns, and an immense pointed arch leadinginto the great mosque. The whole edifice is built of red sandstone. Thevisitors mounted one of the staircases, and entered a court paved withmarble tiles. They walked around the esplanade under the arches of thecolonnade, or cloisters as some call them, and finally entered the mosqueitself. The interior was very simple in its style, but very beautiful. Theroof, pavement, pillars, and walls were of white marble, ornamented withcarvings in the stone. Slabs of black marble presented sentences to thepraise of God, and in memory of Shah Jehan, who was the founder of themosque.
"Formerly no person not a Mussulman was permitted to enter this mosque,"said Sir Modava, while the general and his host were engaged in theirdevotions; "but for more than thirty years it has been open to all. Fromthe top of one of the minarets a very fine view of the surrounding countrycan be obtained; but the ascent is by a very narrow flight of circularstairs, two hundred in number. He advised Dr. Hawkes and Uncle Moses not toattempt it."
A venerable mollah was found, who put half a dozen of the party in the wayof going up; and they reported the view as worth the labor and fatigue. Theaged priest then proposed to show them the relics of the mosque; and a feewas paid to him, and to the man who unlocked a door for their admission.The mollah produced a small golden box, from which he took a silver case.Muttering the name of Allah very solemnly all the time, he unscrewed thetop of the receptacle, and took from it a single hair, about six incheslong, red and stiff, and fixed in a silver tube.
"The beard of the holy Prophet!" he announced, with a reverent inclinationof his head; and the two Mussulmans of the party followed his example.
"According to the tradition, this hair really came from the beard ofMohammed," said Sir Modava. "I believe it, because I have inquired into itshistory. It is the glory of this mosque and of Delhi, for only three othersexist in the world. You need not believe it is genuine if you prefer not todo so."
They were also permitted to gaze at one of Mohammed's old shoes, a belt,and some of the clothing of the Prophet. A number of dusty ancientmanuscripts were exhibited, copies of the Koran, one in fine characters,said to have been dictated by Mohammed himself. The party returned to thecarriages, filled with admiration of the magnificent structure they hadvisited, and were driven to the palace of the emperors, now turned into thefort.
They left the landaus at a point selected by Abbas-Meerza, from which anexcellent view of the ancient structures could be obtained. It was amagnificent building, whose dimensions the Americans could hardly take in.The most prominent features from the point of observation were a couple ofoctagonal towers, very richly ornamented, with several small domes at thesummit, supported on handsome columns.
The party entered at the principal gate, and came to the guard-house, whichwas filled with British soldiers wearing straw helmets and short whitecoats. A soldier offered his services as a guide, and they were accepted.He gave the Hindu names of the apartments. The Dewani-Am was the hall ofaudiences, from which they passed to the Dewani-Khas, the throne-room, bothof which recalled the Alhambra, which they had visited a few months before.The pillars, arches, and ornaments were similar, though not the same.
The tourists wandered through the pavilion, the emperor's rooms in thepalace, the bath, and numerous apartments. But in transforming thismagnificent palace of the emperors into barracks, much of the originalbeauty had been spoiled; the lapse of years had made great rents in thewalls, and the visitor was compelled to exercise his imagination to someextent in filling up what it had been centuries before.
Abbas-Meerza was a very companionable person, and made the acquaintance ofevery one in the company. He then invited them all to dine with him thatday, as he had evidently intended to do in the morning, for the dinner wasall ready when they arrived at his palace. He was a magnate of the firstorder, and his apartments were quite as sumptuous as those of the Guicowarof Baroda. The dinner was somewhat Oriental, but it was as elegant as itwas substantial.
The noble host apparently wished to show the Americans what the Mussulmansof India could do, and he crowned his magnificent hospitality by invitingthe entire company to install themselves in his mansion, which was largeenough for a palace; but for the reasons already set forth, the invitationwas gratefully declined. The next morning the travellers visited the Mosqueof Pearls, where the ancient emperors came to perform their devotions. Theinterior is of carved ivory.
From this little gem of a church the company were driven to the ChandiChowk, which is a boulevard, planted with trees and lined with elegantbuildings. The stores of the principal merchants of Delhi were here, andmost of them were on the plan of an Oriental bazaar. The little squareshops challenged the attention of the party, and most of them alighted toexamine the rich goods displayed.
In the course of the ride they passed the Black Mosque, the only buildingin the city dating farther back than the reign of Shah Jehan. They foundthe bungalow surrounded and partly filled, on their return, by venders ofrelics, curiosities, and other wares, anxious to find customers for theirgoods. But they were not very fortunate in the enterprise, and finally theywere all driven away by an officer.
In the afternoon they drove out on the plains of Delhi, among the ruins ofpalaces, tombs, and temples. They stopped at another black mosque, nearwhich was a handsome pavilion, which had been the library of the emperors.
"One of these emperors was Houmayoun, who recovered the throne after a longbanishment. He lost his life in consequence of a fall from the top of aladder he had mounted to obtain a book," said Sir Modava. "He was the realfounder of the Great Mogul dynasty. His mausoleum, to which we will gonext, is one of the noblest monuments on this plain;" and the carriagesproceeded to it.
It is a mass of white marble and red sandstone. It has a fine dome, aroundwhich cluster several smaller structures, such as we should call cupolas inAmerica or England. Under the great dome in the building is a plaintombstone, beneath which are the remains of the first of the Mogulemperors. The mausoleum is placed on an esplanade, like the great mosque inthe city. The sides present a vast display of pointed arches, and its shapeon the ground is quite irregular. The party were driven to the tower ofKoutub, a Mussulman conqueror, who commemorated his victory by buildingthis triumphal column, which is two hundred and twenty-seven feet high. Itconsists of five stories, becoming smaller as they ascend. The remains ofhis mosque were visited, the columns of which look like enlarged jewellery,elaborately worked into fantastic forms. By its side is an iron column withcontradictory stories about its origin. The tourists visited other mosquesand tombs, which reminded them of the tombs of the Mamelukes.
For two days longer they looked about Delhi; and Lord Tremlyn pointed outto them the scenes of the massacre, which he had described on board of theGuardian-Mother. On the train by which they had come they proceeded toAgra.
Several hotels were available on the arrival of the travellers at Agra, andthey were domiciled at Lawrie's. The journey was made in an afternoon, andwas through a densely populated territory, so that the trip was veryenjoyable. After dinner the party assembled in a parlor provided for theiruse; and Lord Tremlyn gave a talk, for he objected to the formality of alecture. He seated himself in an easy-chair, and took from his pocket alittle book, to which he occasionally referred.
"Agra, on the whole, is the handsomest city of Upper India, though ofcourse there may be some difference of opinion in this matter," he began."It is eight hundred and forty-one miles north-west of Calcutta, and onehundred and forty south-east of Delhi. Like Delhi, it is on the Jumna,which is here crossed by a floating bridge. One of the most prominentbuildings is the fortress of Akbar, and you must know something of thissovereign in order to understand Agra.
"He was known as Akbar the Great, the Mogul emperor of India, and thegreatest Asiatic monarch of modern times. He was the son of Houmayoun,whose mausoleum you visited at Delhi. The father was robbed of his throne,and retreated to Persia; and it was on the way there that Akbar was born,in 1542. After an exile of twelve years, Houmayoun recovered his throne,but lost his life within a year after his return. The government wascommitted to the care of a regent, who became a tyrant; and the youngprince took possession of it himself at the age of eighteen.
"At this time only a few provinces were subject to the rule of his father;but in a dozen years Akbar had made himself master of all the country northof the Vindhya Mountains, or of a line drawn from Baroda to Calcutta,though he was not so fortunate in subduing the southern portion of thepeninsula. He was a great conqueror; yet, what is not so common with themighty rulers of the world, past or present, he was a wise and humanemonarch, and governed his realm with wisdom and vigor. His reign was themost unparalleled, for his justice, energy, and progressive character, ofany in the East. In this manner he made his empire the greatest of the agein which he lived.
"He fostered commerce by the construction of roads, by the establishment ofan excellent police system, and introduced a uniform system of weights andmeasures. He looked after the administration of his viceroys in hisnumerous provinces, permitted no extortion on the part of his officers, andsaw that justice was impartially meted out to all classes. He was aMohammedan, but he was tolerant of all the prevailing sects in religion.
"He gave the Hindus entire freedom of worship; though far in advance of hissuccessors, he prohibited cruel customs, such as the burning of widows, andother barbarous practices. He founded schools and encouraged literature. Heinquired into the various forms of religion, and even sent for Portuguesemissionaries at Goa to explain the Christian faith to him. From the variousbeliefs he made up a kind of eclectic religion; but it was not a successoutside of his palace. A history of his reign of fifty years was written byhis chief minister. Akbar died in 1605, and was interred in a beautifulmausoleum, near the city.
"With the ordinary sights of India you are already somewhat familiar; and,aside from what you may see in any city here, there is not much to interestyou, with the grand exception of the Taj, and some of the mausoleums, ofwhich I will say nothing, as we are now to visit them."
The company retired early, and after breakfast the next morning thecarriages were at the door. In the first one were Captain Ringgold, Mrs.Belgrave, and Sir Modava. Lord Tremlyn had more than once manifested adesire to be in the same carriage with Miss Blanche; and he went with herand Louis on this occasion, while Mr. and Mrs. Woolridge invited GeneralNoury to accompany them.
"Akbar made Agra the capital of the Mogul Empire," said Sir Modava, as thecarriage started. "He changed its old name to Akbarabad, and the nativescall it so to this day."
"The termination of that name seems to be very common in India, asAllahabad, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad," added the commander.
"In the Hindu,abad means a town or a village; and if you cut offthat ending you will find the person or place for whom it was named, asAkbar-abad."
"Precisely as it is in our country, where we have Morris-town, Allen-town,Morgan-town, and a thousand others," added the captain.
"After the death of Akbar his successors reigned in Delhi. The Mogul Empirecame to an end in 1761; and Agra was sacked by the Jats, and later theMahrattas completed the destruction they had begun. It was captured fromScindia in 1803 by the English under Lord Lake, and has since remained intheir possession. In all these disasters its population, which had beenseven hundred thousand, dropped to ten thousand; but under British rule itrecovered some of its former prosperity, and it is now about one hundredand seventy thousand."
"If a man wants to build a house here he has only to dig for the material,for not far down he will find the stone and brick of the structures thatcrumbled into the earth after the death of the great emperor. We are nowapproaching the fortress, or the citadel as it is oftener called. It is asort of acropolis, for it contains palaces, mosques, halls of justice, andother buildings."
The carriages stopped at the principal gate, opposite to which is themosque of Jummah Musjid, or the Cathedral Mosque. About all the greatstructures here are built of red sandstone, with marble bands on many ofthem, so that it is hardly necessary to mention the material, unless itvaries from the rule. This mosque is a fine one, mounted on a marbleesplanade or platform, like most buildings of this description.
Crossing the drawbridge, the visitors came to the Palace of Justice, builtby Akbar. It is six hundred feet long, enclosed by a colonnade of arches,like a cloister. It is now used as a military storeroom, divided by brickwalls, and filled with cannon and shot. The English have made a sort ofmuseum here; and the superior officer who did the honors to his lordshipshowed them the throne of Akbar, a long marble seat, inlaid with preciousstones, with a graceful canopy of the same material over it; and the boysthought he would have had a more comfortable seat if he had put off theperiod of his reign to the present time.
The gates of Somnath, twelve feet high, were beautiful pieces of carving.They once guarded the entrance to the temple of Krishna, in Goojerat; butin the tenth century they were carried off by Sultan Mahmoud, of Ghuzni, inAfghanistan. He captured Somnath, and destroyed all the idols. The Brahminsoffered him immense bribes if he would spare the statue of Krishna; but hespurned the money, and destroyed the image with his own hands. He foundthat it was hollow, and filled with jewels of great value.
When the English conquered Afghanistan, Lord Ellenborough sent the gates toAgra; but some think they were not the gates of the temple, but ofMahmoud's tomb, for they were made of a wood that does not grow in India,and they are not of Hindu workmanship. From the museum the party walked tothe imperial palace of Akbar, still in an excellent state of preservation.Some of the apartments, especially the bath-room of the monarch, made thevisitors think of the Arabian Nights.
The great black marble slab on which Akbar sat to administer justice waspointed out. When one of the Jat chiefs seated himself upon it, the storygoes, it cracked, and blood flowed from the fracture. Lord Ellenboroughtried the experiment, and the stone broke into two pieces. The Mosque ofPearls is a small building of white marble on a rose-colored platform. Itis considered by experts the finest piece of architecture in the fortress.Nothing could be simpler, nothing grander. Bishop Heber visited it andwrote this of it:--
"This spotless sanctuary, showing such a pure spirit of adoration, made me,a Christian, feel humbled, when I considered that no architect of ourreligion had ever been able to produce anything equal to this temple ofAllah."
Following the Jumna, the carriages reached the Taj, the wonder and glory ofall India. It was built by the Emperor Shah Jehan, as a mausoleum for theEmpress Mumtazi Mahal. She was not only beautiful, but famous for mentalendowments; and the emperor had so much love and admiration for her that hedetermined to erect to her memory the most beautiful monument that had everbeen constructed by any prince. It was begun in 1630, and twenty thousandworkmen were employed upon it for seventeen years. History says that onehundred and forty thousand cartloads of pink sandstone and marble werebrought from the quarries of Rajputana; and every province of the empirefurnished precious stones to adorn it. Its cost was from ten to fifteenmillions of dollars.
The golden crescent of the Taj is two hundred and seventy feet above thelevel of the river. The magnificent temple is placed in the centre of agarden nine hundred and sixty feet long by three hundred and thirty inwidth, filled with avenues flanked with cypress-trees, and planted withflowers, on a terrace of sandstone. In the centre of this garden is amarble platform, two hundred and eighty-five feet on all sides, and fifteenfeet high, which may be called the pedestal of the mosque. The principalentrance to the garden is more elaborate and beautiful than the fronts ofmany noted mosques, for it is adorned with towers crowned with cupolas.
Entering the enclosure, and walking along the avenue of cypress-trees, oneobtains his first view of the great dome of the Taj. It looks like aboutthree-fourths of a globe, capped with a slender spire. From this point,through the trees, may be seen a forest of minarets, cupolas, towers, andinferior domes. The mausoleum is in the form of an irregular octagon, thelongest side being one hundred and twenty feet in length. Each façade has alofty Saracenic arch, in which is an entrance.
The interior surpasses the exterior in magnificence, the ceiling, walls,and tombstones being a mass of mosaics. The resting-place of the empressand Shah Jehan is in the centre of the edifice, enclosed by a marblescreen. Some experts who have examined the building thoroughly are unableto find any architectural faults, though perhaps others would be moresuccessful. The party visited several other mosques and mausoleums; butnothing could compare with the Taj. The commander suggested that they oughtto have visited it last, as the pie or pudding comes in after the fish ormeats at Von Blonk Park.
The members of the party were unable to say enough in praise of the Taj,and no one seems to be in danger of exaggerating its beauty and itswonders. On their return to the hotel, they seated themselves in theirparlor, and talked till dinner-time about the mausoleum, for they had manyquestions to ask of the viscount and the Hindu gentleman.
"There seemed to be two other mosques back of the mausoleum," said Mrs.Belgrave; "we did not visit them."
"The Mohammedan traditions require that a mosque should be erected inconnection with every mortuary temple," replied Sir Modava. "Isa Mohammed,a later emperor, built one at the western end of the terrace. It was abeautiful building with three domes, in keeping with the Taj. But thebuilder found that it gave a one-sided appearance to the view; and heerected the one on the east end, to balance the other and restore theproportions. Either of them is equal to the finest mosque in Cairo orConstantinople."
"That was an expensive method of making things regular," added thecommander. "Some one spoke in Delhi of a durbar in connection with Agra. Ithink it was Mr. Meerza."
General Noury laughed at this title; for it sounded funny to him, appliedto an Oriental, and the captain had forgotten the rest of the name.
"Abbas-Meerza, we call him, without any 'mister,'" he added.
"I will try to remember it," replied the commander. "But what is a durbar?Is it something good to eat?"
"They do not eat it here, and probably it would be indigestible if theycould do so," continued Sir Modava. "A durbar is a very important event inIndia, but is not eatable. It is an occasion at which the native princesacknowledge the sovereignty of the Queen of England. In 1866 the most notedone took place at Agra, a full description of which would require a longtime. For the first time after the establishment of the Empire of India,the governor-general, representing the empress, received the homage oftwenty-six sovereign princes. It was an act of submission. The ceremoniesoccupied many days; and kings, maharajahs, rajahs, and other princes bowedto the throne of the sovereign. It was a tremendous occasion; and it was afestival honored by banquets, processions, and royal gatherings. I will geta book for you, Captain Ringgold, when we reach Calcutta, from which youmay read a full account of the affair. It grew out of an ancient Indiancustom, and many of them on a small scale have occurred."
The tourists spent another day at Agra, and, though they had not exhaustedthe sights of the place, the commander decided that they could remain nolonger, and they left on the following day for Cawnpore.
Agra is on one of the great railroads from Bombay to Calcutta, though notthe most direct one; and it crosses the Jumna at this point, where a vastbridge was in process of construction over its waters, which must now becompleted. It was but a five hours' journey to Cawnpore, and the partyarrived there in season for luncheon.
"Cawnpore is on the right bank of the Ganges, six hundred and twenty-eightmiles from Calcutta," said Lord Tremlyn, when the party were seated in theConference-Hall carriage, and the train was moving away from Agra. "But, sofar as viewing the wonderful buildings of India, you will have a rest atthis place; though you need not suppose it is a city of no importance, forit has 188,712 inhabitants, and has a large trade. Here you will obtainyour first view of the Ganges, varying in width from a third of a mile to amile.
"The great river is one of the special objects of interest to the touristin coming from Bombay, for here he usually gets his first view of it. Thereare important buildings here, including mosques and temples, but none tocompare with those you have already seen. The Indian Mutiny of 1857attracts many visitors to the place."
"I don't think I care to see any more great buildings," interposed Mrs.Belgrave.
"There are none here to see; and we shall remain here only long enough tosee the sites connected with the mutiny."
"I should like to hear the story of the mutiny over again," added the lady.
"I was able to give only a very brief and imperfect account of therebellion, with so great a subject as India in general on my hands, onboard of your ship, and very likely there will be occasion to repeat someportions of it as we point out the various spots connected with it,"replied Lord Tremlyn.
The accommodations for the party were ready on their arrival, and even theluncheon was on the table. Before they had disposed of it the landaus wereat the door. Three military officers were also in attendance, appointed torender all the assistance to the company they needed. They were introducedto the members of the party, and then they were driven to the fort."
"At the time of the mutiny Cawnpore contained about one thousand Englishpeople, one half of whom were women and children," said Captain Chesly, theprincipal of the officers. "The troops were provided with ill-constructedintrenchments for their defence. I am informed that his lordship hasalready given you some details of the rebellion, but as I am not aware ofthe extent to which he has given them I shall probably repeat some ofthem."
"The party will be glad to have them repeated," added Lord Tremlyn. "I toldthem who and what Nana Sahib was."
"His first act after taking the lead in the rebellion of the sepoys was tomurder one hundred and thirty-six of our people, who were deceived by thesympathy he had formerly manifested for them, and easily fell into hishands. Two hundred and fifty soldiers, with as many women and children, thelatter in the military hospital, had taken refuge in the fort. As soon ashe had completed his bloody work in the massacre, Nana Sahib besieged thefeeble garrison. They defended themselves with the utmost bravery and skillagainst the vast horde of natives brought against them.
"For three weeks they held out against the overwhelming force that wasthirsting for their blood. Their chief had anticipated no such resistance,and he was impatient at the delay in finishing the butchery. He resorted toan infamous stratagem, proposing to General Wheeler, who was in command ofthe British troops, to grant him all the honors of war if he wouldsurrender, with boats and abundant provisions to enable him and all hispeople to reach Allahabad.
"The proposition was received with considerable distrust by the besieged;but Nana swore before the general that he would faithfully observe all theterms of the capitulation, and it was finally accepted. The garrisonmarched out with their arms and baggage, and passed through the hordes ofthe besiegers to the river. The wounded, with the women and children, weresent to the Ganges on elephants. Now, if you take your seats in thecarriages, we will proceed to the scene of the massacre."
The company were conveyed to a Hindu temple on the shore, where the sutteehad formerly been performed, and which was provided with a broad staircaseleading down to the water. The place had a funereal aspect, to which theterrible tragedy lent an additional melancholy.
"The treacherous commander of the rebels had provided about twenty boats ofall sizes, and supplied them with provisions, in order to complete thedeception," continued Captain Chesly when the party had alighted. "Theboats were cast loose to the current, and the hungry people rushed to theeatables. But the flotilla was hardly clear of the shore before a batteryof guns, masked from their view, opened a most destructive fire upon themwith grape and solid shot, mostly the former.
"The smaller boats sank, and others were set on fire. The cavalry of theenemy waded into the river, and sabred those who attempted to escape byswimming. In the largest boat was General Wheeler; and, by desperaterowing, it succeeded in getting away from the slaughter. Unhappily it gotaground, and all on board of it were captured.
"Nana ordered that not a man should be saved, and all were murdered in coldblood. The various accounts differ considerably; but all the men werekilled but four, two captains and two privates, who escaped by swimmingdown the river, and were protected by a rajah, who was afterwards pensionedfor this service."
"After the massacre of all the men, there remained one hundred andtwenty-five women and children captured from the boats, who were confinedin the town-house of the detested Nana, where they were fed upon thepoorest food and subjected to many indignities. They were heroic women, andpreferred death to any other fate at the hands of their miscreant captors.They were kept in confinement about three weeks, when it was whisperedamong them that deliverance was at hand. Sir Henry Havelock was marchingfrom Allahabad to the relief of the garrison, and when he was within twodays' march Nana went out to meet him and give battle to him. He wasdefeated and driven back to Cawnpore."
"Smarting under this defeat, and stimulated to revenge for it, Nana at onceordered the massacre of the helpless prisoners on his return. This orderwas executed with all the atrocity incident to the character of thesavages, and the bodies of the victims were thrown into a well near theirprison. Now, if you please, we will drive to the memorials of this dreadfulbutchery."
A memorial church now indicates the site of General Wheeler'sintrenchments, which the party visited first. The scene of the massacre isnow a memorial garden, in charge of an old soldier, who was one of the fourwho escaped. The place of the well into which the bodies of the women andchildren were thrown is marked by a beautiful marble statue of an angelstanding by a lofty cross. It is surrounded by a Gothic fence, with loftytowers in the same style. The party looked upon these mementoes of theterrible events with mournful interest, and had hardly recovered theirusual cheerfulness when they reached the hotel. The guides were invited todine with them, and the evening was more cheerful than the afternoon hadbeen.
Part of the forenoon of the next day was given to a ride along the Ganges,which was crowded with boats of all kinds, from the boat with a cabincovered with a thatched roof to steamboats of considerable size. They foundan abundance of temples on the shores of the sacred stream, and a beautifulghat or staircase to the water, which excited their admiration.
"We are now going to Lucknow this afternoon; but it is only forty-fivemiles," said Sir Modava. "If you prefer to do so, we can return toCawnpore, and go down the river on one of those fine steamers to Calcutta,a thousand miles from here by the river."
"Or you could go to Benares, our next stopping-place on the river,"suggested the viscount.
But it would take too much time, and Captain Ringgold objected; for he hadalready marked Allahabad out of the route. Early in the afternoon thetourists were again seated in the conference carriage. The station atCawnpore excited their attention, for it is five hundred and sixty feetlong. A bridge of boats sixteen hundred yards in length was an affair notseen in their own country.
"We are now in the province of Oude, a word of various orthography," saidLord Tremlyn, after they lost sight of the city from which they started.
"Oude!" exclaimed Miss Blanche. "Where did I see that name?"
"In Paris," replied Louis. "We saw the tomb of the Queen of Oude inPère-la-Chaise."
"I will tell you about her presently," continued Lord Tremlyn. "There was agreat deal of corruption in the government of the kingdom under the nativeking. The people were robbed of vast sums in the guise of taxes, the policewas miserably inefficient, and it was not a safe region for the traveller.The East India Company drew up a treaty with the king, transferring to thecorporation the government, but providing liberally for the ruler and hisfamily."
"The king refused to sign this treaty; the East India Company had beensuperseded, and the governor-general deposed the king. No compromise couldbe effected, though many believed the king had been unjustly treated. Heremoved to Calcutta; but his queen, with her son and brother, went toEngland, and endeavored to obtain redress for the real or supposed wrongsof the family, but without success. The queen then went to Paris, and diedthere in 1858.
"The people of Oude never submitted to the new government; and in theMutiny of 1857, not only the sepoys but the people rebelled. Theinsurrectionists concentrated at Lucknow, the capital, and captured some ofthe forts, as has been related to you. This city has now a population oftwo hundred and seventy-three thousand, which makes it the fifth city insize in India. It is regarded as a very attractive place. The streets arewide, and the buildings are well-constructed, with the wooden balconies yousee all over India, and the shops and bazaars may entice the ladies to makepurchases. It has a fine park.
"The kings of Oude were ambitious to outshine the glories of Delhi, and, toa considerable extent, they succeeded; but the architecture is fantasticrather than grand and beautiful, and experts are inclined to laugh at it.But our friend Professor Giroud has something to say, and I subside to makeroom for him.
"I wish to tell the story of a Frenchman, which I think will interest theparty," said the professor. "Claude Martine was a Breton soldier who wentwith his regiment to Pondicherry, the principal French settlement in India,which has been tossed back and forth between the English, Dutch, and Frenchlike a shuttlecock, but has been in possession of my country since 1816. Heattained the grade of corporal; but this elevated rank did not satisfy him,and he left for the interior.
"Finally, after a thousand adventures, which he never wrote out, he arrivedat the court of Oude, where, by some means, he obtained a captaincy in theroyal army, and, what was better, the favor of the king. In 1780 he wascommander-in-chief of the native army. But his enterprise did not end here;for he was the king's trusted favorite, and of course he became amillionaire, even though there were no railroad shares in being at thatperiod.
"He brought with him some crude notions of architecture, and he set aboutreforming that of India. He was not a success in this capacity; and, as mylord says, his work is ridiculed by men of taste. But this appears to havebeen his only sin; for he used the money he had accumulated in establishingschools, now known under the name of La Martinière, in which thousands ofchildren are educated. As a Frenchman I do not feel at all ashamed ofClaude Martine."
"You need not, Professor," added the viscount. "But here we are at theLucknow station."
As usual, by the kindness of Lord Tremlyn, everything had been provided forthe arrival of the company of tourists. There were carriages and servants,and officers as guides, in attendance. Captain Ringgold was very economicalof his time; and, as it was still early in the afternoon, he proposed thatthe party should visit some of the objects of interest before dinner. Thebaggage was sent to the hotel, and the carriage proceeded to the Residency,which had been occupied by the official of the British government when theprovince was under the native ruler. It was in ruins, for it was so left asa memorial of the events of the past.
The city was attacked by the rebels; and the little garrison, with theEnglish people of the town, took refuge in this building. It was athree-story brick house, not at all fit to be used as a fort. Thecannon-shot of the besiegers wrecked the building, and many of itsdefenders, including Sir Henry Lawrence, the commander, perished in thefight.
The visitors looked over the house and its surroundings, and then went tothe hotel.
"I suppose you recall the events of the Mutiny well enough to understandthe situation here in 1857," said Lord Tremlyn the next morning when thecompany had gathered in the parlor of the hotel. "But there was no massacrehere, as in Cawnpore, to impress the facts upon your memory, though manybrave men lost their lives in the defence of the place. There were onlyseven hundred and fifty troops in the town; but Sir Henry Lawrence had donethe best he could to fortify the Residency, ill adapted as it was fordefensive works.
"An attempt was made to check the advance of the rebels eight miles fromthe city; but it was a failure, with the small available force, and twodays later the enemy attacked the British at the Residency. Three timesthe brave defenders beat back the assaults of the assailants. These eventson the spot you have visited occurred between the last of May and the firstof July. It was not till the twenty-second of September that Havelock andOutram arrived, and captured the Alum-Bagh, which we shall visit thismorning. It was a terrible summer that the beleaguered people and theirbrave handful of soldiers passed; and Tennyson has commemorated Lucknow inhis immortal verse.
"But the coming of Havelock was not the end; for the rebels besieged theplace again, and it was near the middle of November before Sir ColinCampbell arrived, with a considerable force. He captured the Alum-Bagh,and, leaving in it a force of three thousand five hundred men, he escortedthe women and children and the civilians to Cawnpore; but returned in Marchto subdue the rebels. For a week he fought them, drove them from theintrenchments in which they had fortified themselves, and the mutiny wasended, as I related to you on board of your ship."
The carriages were at the door as soon as the party had breakfasted. Theywere driven to the cemetery, where they saw the grave of Lawrence, whosememorial is that "He tried to do his duty." In the Alum-Bagh, which meansthe Queen's Garden, was the grave of Havelock. It was here that Outram hadhis camp and fortifications for the defence of Lucknow during the absenceof Campbell.
The Kaiser Bagh, or Cæsar's Garden, contains some of the principal sightsof the city, which the viscount pointed out and described. It is a forestof domes and cupolas; and the company halted at the pavilion of Lanka,which a French writer called the least ridiculous of the structures in theenclosure, though the professor insisted that it was quite as bad as theworst. It had an abundance of cupolas with arabesque domes; but the edificelooked like a shell, for the veranda, with lofty columns supporting theroof, appeared to take up the greater portion of the enclosed space.
The most grotesque feature was at the entrance. A flight of broad stairsled to the principal floor, over which was extended what looked like animitation of the Rialto bridge in Venice, with a small temple under themiddle arch and at the head of the stairs. The top of the bridge was on alevel with the flat roof, and the two side-arches started from the ground.The building was handsome in some of its details; but the professor said itwas an "abomination," and Dr. Hawkes called it "queer." The variousedifices are now occupied by the civil and military officials.
"Where does the name of this place come from?" asked Captain Ringgold."Kaiser Bagh seems to be half German."
"But it is not German," replied Lord Tremlyn. "These buildings were mostlyerected no farther back than 1850, by Wajid Ali Shah, the King of Oude, whowas deposed by the British government in 1856. He called himself Cæsar, andKaiser is simply a corruption of that name, with no German allusion in it.He was the husband of the Queen of Oude, whose burial-place you saw inPère-la-Chaise."
The next visit was to the palace of Claude Martine, a conglomeration of allthe styles of architecture ever known, and some that were never heard of.At first view it looks like a small palace set on the top of a large one.It is certainly very original and very elaborate. Going to the citadel,they entered by a highly ornamental gateway, which opened to the visitorsthe view of the vast pile of buildings, in the middle of which is theImambara. The vastness of the pile presented before them was bewildering,though they had seen so many immense structures that mere size did not nowoverwhelm them. The Great Imambara is considered the marvel of Lucknow, andshould not be confounded with another in the citadel bearing the samegeneral name. To walk around or through this enormous building was simplyimpossible, and the party contented themselves with a general view fromdifferent points. It is located on a lofty terrace; and its long line ofwalls, crowned with Arabic domes, is very imposing.
"This palace was erected at the close of the last century, by Nawab, withhalf a yard of other names to fetch up its rear," said Major Shandon, themilitary officer who was doing the honors of the city, with a pleasantsmile. "Like many others of the Indian monarchs, he desired to immortalizehis name by erecting a monument in his own honor; and he offered a prizefor the competition of all the architects of India, for one that wouldsurpass all others. We think he produced a plan that was worth the money hereceived; though we don't think he surpassed the Taj, or some otherbuildings that might be mentioned."
This immense structure is now a vast arsenal. The other building, whichsometimes robs this one of its honors, is called the Hoosseinabad Imambara;and perhaps the length of the added name may account, to some extent, forthe robbery. It is in the citadel, and in sight of its namesake; but themausoleum, for it is the tomb of Ali Shah, who died in 1841, stands alone;and it does not fatigue the eyes to look at it. It is a light, etherealsort of structure, and looks like lacework. It is surmounted by a beautifuldome, and the roof bristles with the points of turrets and towers. Itcontains, besides the tomb of the monarch, a mosque, a bazaar, and a modelof the Taj, which make up a sufficient variety for an edifice erected for atomb.
This temple completed the list marked out for inspection in Lucknow. Theparty had not supposed there was much of anything here to be seen exceptthe memorials of the Mutiny; and for these alone they would not have missedseeing the historic locality. The rest of the day was devoted to ridesthrough the streets and suburbs of the city. The avenues were wide, thehouses neat and commodious, and the gardens laid out with English taste.The evidences of British thrift were to be seen in many portions of theplace.
Lochner's Hotel was their abiding-place, and Major Shandon regaled theparty at dinner and in the evening with stories of the place, and provedhimself to be a gentleman of "infinite humor." The next morning the companytook the train for Benares. They were a very sociable party, and preferredthe conference carriage to being confined to the smaller compartments. Theroute was along the Boomtee River at first, which, some one has said, isthe crookedest stream in the world, and the scenery was worth looking at.But as soon as the ladies and gentlemen had satisfied themselves withlooking out the windows the commander presented Sir Modava as the "talkist"for the trip of six hours, or as much of the time as he chose to occupy.
"I shall not take more than half an hour for what I have to say, mymuch-loved friends," the Hindu gentleman began, "though I know you are verypatient and long-suffering; and I assure you that I shall not take offenceif you look out the windows while I am talking. The Boomtee River is aspretty as it is sinuous. If you write to your friends in the United Statesabout it, you can spell the last syllable t-i, if you prefer; for Indianorthography is not yet controlled by statute, as I hope it will be when wehave established anAcadémie Indienne, such as they have in France.But Benares is my subject, and not spelling.
"Where is Benares? It is four hundred and twenty miles by rail fromCalcutta, and is on the left bank of the Ganges. I suppose you know whichside that is."
"Of course we do," laughed Mrs. Belgrave. "It is on the left-hand side."
"You have put your foot in it, mother," rallied Louis.
"Into the Ganges?" queried the lady. "I did at Cawnpore, but not here."
"Suppose you were coming up the river in a steamer from Calcutta, whichwould be the left bank?" asked Louis.
"On my left, of course."
"Then Sir Modava will have to oblige you by locating Benares on both sidesof the Ganges, and I don't believe it would be convenient for him to dothat," said Louis, laughing at the expense of his mother, who blushed,though she did not see what was wrong, when she realized that she had madea blunder of some kind.
"Better not have said anything," whispered Mrs. Blossom in retaliation; forhitherto she had had a monopoly of all the blunders."
"Will you tell me, Sarah, which is the left bank of a river, for it appearsthat I don't know," added the lady out loud.
"The left bank of the Ganges is the one Benares is on," replied the worthywoman; and she was greeted with a roar of laughter, and a volley ofapplause started by the live boys who were making their way across India.
"Quite right, madam!" exclaimed Sir Modava, applauding with the others. "Itmay be a matter of no particular consequence; but you will excuse me forsaying that the left bank is the one on your left as you go down thestream, and not at all as you go up."
"I remember now, for I learned that in my geography when I first went toschool; and it is strange that I should have forgotten it," added Mrs.Belgrave.
"We know just where Benares is now," Sir Modava proceeded. "It is thelargest city in this part of India with the exception of Lucknow, to whichit stands next, or sixth among those of the country, having a population of219,467. It extends along the Ganges for three miles; and the shore islined continuously with staircases, calledghats, which lead up tothe temples, palaces, and the vast number of houses on the banks of theriver. The stream sweeps around the place like a crescent, presenting oneof the finest views you ever saw, with the ornamented fronts of dwellings,public offices, and a forest of towers, pinnacles, and turrets. To theHindus it is the most sacred city known to them.
"When I was a boy I came here for the first time, brought by my father onaccount of the religious character of the place, if I may call anythingidolatrous by such a name. But the city, when you get into it, willdisappoint you. It is like Constantinople, very beautiful to look at fromthe Bosporus, or the Golden Horn; but its dirty, narrow streets disgustyou. I am afraid this will be your experience in Benares. You will beobliged to forego the luxury of carriages in making your tours through theplace, for the streets are so narrow and crowded that it is impossible toget along with a vehicle. An elephant is equally impracticable, and even ina palanquin your progress would be so slow that you would lose all yourstock of patience."
"The city must be 'done' by walking, must it?" asked the commander.
"Whew!" whistled Dr. Hawkes; and the sibilation was repeated by UncleMoses, for each of them weighed over two hundred and a quarter.
"If the ship were here I would lend you the barge with eight rowers, toenable you to see the sights from the river," suggested Captain Ringgold.
"A steam-launch shall be provided for all the company, and our obesefriends shall be provided with stuffed chairs, for the survey of the riverscenes; but carriages can be used in some parts of the city, though whatyou will desire to see can best be observed from the river; and we can landwhen you wish to see interiors," added Lord Tremlyn.
This interruption was heartily applauded by the Cupids, as the fatgentlemen had been called in Cairo, assisted by all the others.
"The famous Monkey Temple is just out of the city, and that can be reachedby carriages," continued Sir Modava. "There are fourteen hundred and fiftyHindu temples, pagodas, and shrines, and two hundred and seventy-twoMohammedan mosques, so that our good friend, General Noury, need notneglect his devotions."
"The good Mussulman never does that, whether there be a mosque at hand ornot, for he says his prayers at the proper time, wherever he may be,"replied the general.
"I know that some of your people are better Christians than some who bearthe name," replied the Hindu gentleman politely. "Benares is so holy, andthe Ganges is so holy, that hundreds of thousands visit it as theMussulmans visit Mecca. Men of wealth, and those who have the means withoutbeing rich, come to this city when they feel that they have been seizedwith a malady likely to prove fatal; for to die here with the Hindu is apassport to eternal happiness. But I am talking too long, though there ismuch more that might be said; but perhaps it could be better said on boardof that launch my friend mentions, and in sight of the temples, towers, andother objects of interest."
In the middle of the afternoon the train arrived at its destination; andthe party proceeded in carriages to the western suburb, the location of thecantonment, or English quarter of the city.
Clarke's Hotel, at Secrole, received the tourists, and everything was inreadiness for them when they arrived. Lord Tremlyn had announced the comingof himself and his large party, and a person of his distinction andinfluence could command anything he desired. The rest of the day was givento rest, though in the evening Sir Modava talked to the tourists about thecity.
Early the next morning the party were conveyed to the river, where theyembarked in a steam-yacht which had been provided for their use. It wasmore than a launch; for its standing-room would seat the whole company,while an awning was spread over a portion of the upper deck, from which afull view of the shore could be obtained. The city is on the north shore ofthe river, which has an easterly course in this portion of India, and thehouses are packed in about as thickly as they can be.
"This is the Dasasvamedh Ghat," said Sir Modava, with a smile. "I thoughtyou might wish to recall it after you get home to America. I think it israther pleasant to know the names of places one has visited."
"We could not speak the word now without an hour's practice, and I am surenot one of us will know it when we get to the other side of the Atlantic,"said Mrs. Belgrave.
"You can write it down in your diaries."
"We might as well attempt to copy the top of a tea-chest," added Louis.
The ladies were assisted on board of the steamer.The captain was a very gentlemanly Englishman; and he was all devotion tothe wants of his passengers, who seated themselves on the promenade deck.The steamer belonged to the government; and she was fitted up in the mostcomfortable manner, though it was not so gaudy as the craft of a maharajahwould have been. The ghat was at the western extremity of the crescent towhich Sir Modava had alluded, and from this point the town looked like anamphitheatre.
The river is ordinarily about half a mile wide, but in the season of highwater it is double that width. The captain called the attention of theparty to the ghat as they receded from it, the broad flight of stairs beinga rather wonderful sight to the strangers, though they had seen somethingof the kind before in Delhi and Cawnpore.
The steps are adorned with small temples with plenty of spires. Near thetop of the flight was the Man Munder, the great observatory. Though thebuilding is plain, as a whole, Captain Carlisle pointed out a highlyornamental window, with a profusion of handsome brackets. The stairs on thecity side of the river were unlimited as far as the eye could see. Behindthem was a forest of spires, domes, and cupolas.
"You ought to have left the ghat before sunrise," said the captain, who waswalking up and down the deck, with an eye on the Hindu pilot. "Then youwould have been in time to see the sight of the day, for the appearance ofthe sun is the holy moment for the natives to plunge into the holy river.For miles along the shore the ghats are thronged at the first appearance ofthe orb of day, and there is a continuous murmur of voices. No matter howcold the water is, they dive in and swim like fishes. You can see athousand heads in the water along the shore at any moment. Then theysupport themselves on the surface, and gaze motionless at the sun as itmounts in the sky."
"Are you a sailor, Captain Carlisle?" asked Louis, who thought he wasrather poetic for an uneducated man.
"Not as the commander of your ship would understand it, though I was incommand of a Thames steamer, and fell into the same business when I came toIndia," replied the captain, laughing at the question. "My father was agood Baptist; he wanted to make a minister of me, and I was educated farenough to enter the university; but I concluded that I did not like thebusiness, and took to steamboating."
"But aren't the women as religious as the men?" inquired Captain Ringgold.
"More so, if anything. But they come down to the river before sunrise andtake their swim. If you had been here this morning you would have seen themcoming out of the water just as the men are ready to go in, and you wouldhave observed them in their white garments, dripping like drowned rats.That pagoda you see ahead of us with the bell tower and shining in gilt isthe only temple the Buddhists have in Benares."
"We are coming now to the Munikurnika Ghat. It is a five-syllable word, butyou can easily pronounce it," said Sir Modava, who thought he would "spell"the captain for a time; and he was quite as familiar with the banks of theGanges.
"And it is quite musical," added the captain.
"Pronounce u like double o, and the rest of the letters as in English, andyou can speak it without choking," said the Hindu gentleman. "But there aresome letters in Hindu that have no equivalents in English."
"Moo-ui-koor-ni-ka Ghat," added Louis, pronouncing the word. "But what isit all about?"
"It is the place for burning the dead, such as you saw in Bombay, but on amuch larger scale," replied Sir Modava. "You see that it extends aconsiderable distance. Please keep to the leeward of the smoke, CaptainCarlisle."
"That is what I am doing, Sir Modava."
"These funeral pyres are burning all the time, night and day. The peoplewhose bodies are consumed in these fires, and their friends, believe thatthe souls of the deceased will pass from this spot into paradise, where, ifthey have not been very great sinners they will be transplanted into thebodies of future Brahmins. Many deceased persons are brought even hundredsof miles to be burned on the Munikurnika by the Ganges, as their surepassport to the realms of bliss."
The obliging captain took the steamer near enough to the ghat to enable thetourists to see the process of burning. An occasional puff of the horriblyoffensive odor came to the nostrils of the sightseers; but the captainsheered off, and they got very little of it.
"It smells just like assafoedita. It is awful-smelling stuff; and I wonderif they don't make it out of this smoke, for it hits my nose in just thesame way," said Mrs. Blossom. "I took care of old Jotham Beeling when hehad the apoplexy, and gave the stuff to him. The room smelt then just thesame as it does here."
"You are quite right, madam," said Dr. Hawkes, laughing. "It gets part ofits name from its bad odor; but it is not made out of smoke. Asa is the gumof a tree that grows here. It has a very offensive odor, which gives it therest of the name, fromfoeditas, meaning foul, filthy."
The workmen who were operating the burning were nearly naked, begrimed bythe sooty smoke, and looked like so many imps. They were stirring up thefires with long iron pokers, and throwing vessels of oil upon them. Theboat passed beyond the fumes of the pyres, and came up to the ghat, at therequest of Lord Tremlyn. A multitude of hideous-looking cripples,humpbacks, and beggars made an onslaught on the steamer; and the boys andgentlemen pelted them with coppers, with which they had been forewarned tosupply themselves. It was fun to them, and the mendicants enjoyed it quiteas much.
"There is a procession of pilgrims just arrived," said Captain Carlisle,pointing to the high ground beyond the ghat. "They are coming here all thetime. The Hindus under the umbrellas are Brahmins, who collect the fees forbathing from the steps; and they sell certificates of purification,indulgences, and amulets."
The boat continued on her course, and they did not wait to see the bathing,though the heads of the swimmers were soon in view. A staircase is reservedfor women, who are watched over by the elders of their sex. But they couldbe seen in the distance, frolicking in the water; and they were sohilarious that their shouts could be heard on board of the Sylph, as theboat was called.
The steamer next came to a long row of palaces on the high ground, whosefronts were profusely ornamented with staircases that exceeded in extentand beauty anything they had before seen. Every rajah has a residence here,not permanent, but where he comes to celebrate the religious festivals. Theking of Nagpore has the finest one, with one hundred stairs of whitesandstone reaching down to the water.
"Now we come to a building worth looking at," said Sir Modava, as theypassed beyond the assemblage of palaces. "This is the mosque of Aurungzeb.Those two lofty minarets are one hundred and forty-seven feet high. Theyare very slender, and look like a couple of needles; but, though they areonly eight and a quarter feet in diameter on the ground, they have spiralstaircases reaching to the top. If you wish to land and go to the cupolayou can do so."
"I pray thee have me excused," interposed Uncle Moses; and Dr. Hawkes said"Me too!" And no one cared to ascend to such a height.
"This mosque was built by the Emperor Aurungzeb, on the site of a Hindutemple of Siva, which he caused to be pulled down, to the scandal of theworshippers of that deity, for it marked the spot where Vishnu himselffirst appeared to man. A flight of one hundred stairs leads to the mosque,which the Hindus formerly ascended on their knees when they went to theworship of Vishnu. But we have gone as far in this direction as we needgo."
The Sylph came about, and went back up the river, landing above the funeralpyres. From the ghat, they walked into one of the crowded streets. Theywere conducted by Sir Modava to a square, which was thronged with natives.In the middle of it was a small round temple, the spire of which wasoverlaid with plates of gold. At the present day this is the holy of holiesof the Hindus. Its principal object of adoration is a plain stone post,which is believed to form a part of the very body of the deity, Siva inthis instance.
The narrow streets, through which the party made their way with difficultywere very clean. They were thronged with pilgrims from all parts of India,dressed in their best garments, loaded with gold and silver ornaments. Themen were carrying great brass trays, piled up with flowers, as offeringsfor the various deities. The little stalls, which were the stores, made thethoroughfares look like bazaars. They passed no end of temples; and all ofthem were small, though they were very pretty, what there were of them.
Emerging from these narrow streets, the company came to a section where theavenues were broad, with handsome houses built upon them. This portion waspracticable for carriages, and half a dozenculèches were drummedtogether after some delay; and the ladies were glad to be seated again, forthey had had a long and tiresome walk through the narrow and crowdedstreets. Sir Modava directed the drivers, and when he said Dourga Khound noone knew what he was to see next. The word means the Fountain of Dourga;and when they came to it they agreed that it was one of the most beautifulbuildings in Benares, though it was painted all over with red, which madeit look rather fantastic.
Sir Modava said nothing about the use of the building, and led the way intothe enclosure. The moment they entered the grounds they realized that theHindu gentleman had worked a surprise upon them; for the yard was filledwith monkeys, and the walls were covered with them. The chatteringcreatures immediately surrounded them, holding out their paws forsomething. Sir Modava gave the most dignified one a rupee, and Lord Tremlynmade a similar gift to another.
"They can't eat silver," suggested Morris.
"The money is for the Brahmin who has charge here. You see they have goneto give it to him," replied Sir Modava, as he opened a large paper packagehe had bought at a store, and proceeded to distribute its contents,consisting of nuts and parched corn, to the members of the monkeycommunity.
For half an hour they fed the animals, which were very tame, and madefriends with them. The live boys were more pleased with this occupationthan in looking at temples and mosques. They all visited the sanctuary ofthe temple, which was said to date back a thousand years. The party greatlyenjoyed the ride back to Secrole, which is the English town of Benares.After dinner Sir Modava told them about the Feast of Ganesa.
"He is one of the most popular deities of India," said the Hindu gentleman."He is the embodiment of wisdom, prudence, and commerce; his presence wardsoff all perils. You will find him over the door of places of business; andcontracts open with an invocation to Ganesa, sometimes given by a pictureof the god. He was the son of Siva and Parvati. His picture is that of ashort, fat man, with four arms and an elephant's head.
"Though he was Siva's son, the father was jealous of him, and struck offhis head. Siva was sorry for what he had done, and wanted to bring Ganesaback to life; but his head was gone."
"Couldn't he put a head on him?" asked Scott very seriously; and the otherboys laughed.
"That was just what he did," replied Sir Modava, wondering what the boysand some of the others were laughing at. "Siva selected a young elephant,cut off his head, and affixed it to his son's shoulders; and that is how hehappens to have such a head. This head sometimes takes the place of thewhole figure on contracts. His festival is celebrated the last of April,with the greatest magnificence. Effigies of the god are made ofterra-cotta, painted and gilded, and borne by processions through thestreets. Priests and musicians surround the idol; and young girls, widowedbefore they are wives, dancing and waving their scarfs in solemn cadence,lead the way.
"When the processions reach the river, they embark in fairy-like boatspropelled by sails or oars, forming a grand aquatic spectacle. At sunsetthe idols are thrown into the river, and the festival terminates with agrand frolic on shore, with fireworks, in which many Europeans take part;and the river is thronged with boats decorated with many-colored lanterns."
The party spent two days more at Benares, and visited temples, mosques, andmany places of interest. They were visited by British civil and militaryofficers, who were extremely kind to them, and offered them every facilityfor seeing the city. After dinner on the last day, Captain Ringgold askedLord Tremlyn to tell them something about Patna; and he evidently did sowith a purpose.
"Patna is the fifteenth city in India in population, one hundred and fortymiles from Benares," replied the viscount. "It extends nine miles along theGanges, and an average of two back from it. The streets are narrow andcrooked. The houses are mostly of mean appearance, and there are but veryfew buildings there of any importance. You laid out your list of cities tobe visited yourself, Captain, and generally very judiciously; but if I hadmade it out I should have omitted Patna. It has a population of about onehundred and sixty-five thousand."
"I asked the question with a view to omit it from the list if there are nosights of importance, and, after what you have said, I shall do so; andtomorrow we will take the train for Calcutta," added the captain.
This decision pleased the party, and at six the next morning the specialstarted with them for the greatest city of India.
"I shall be glad to be on board of the Guardian-Mother again," said Scott,after the four live boys had taken a place by themselves in the conferencecarriage. "I have seen enough of India."
"But you have not seen one-half of India," replied Louis.
"I read a story in an old schoolbook Uncle Moses had used when he didn'tweigh as much as I do now, which was called 'The Half is Better than theWhole;' and it proved the proposition with which it started out. That isjust what is the matter now."
"But you have been seeing new things all the time, and learning something,"added Louis.
"That's very true; but we have seen all the big mosques and things, andenough is as good as a feast," suggested Scott. "I suppose if we stayedhere a couple of years more we should not see the whole of the country. Wehave got a specimen brick of the principal cities; and a dozen specimens ofthe same thing don't amount to much."
"But you haven't seen Calcutta yet, and that is the biggest toad in thepuddle," said Felix. "The ship will be there, and if you are homesick youcan go on board of her."
But the call for attention from Captain Ringgold interrupted theconversation, and Sir Modava had seated himself in front of the company togive one of his "talks."
"Our route will be along the Ganges till we come to Luckieserai Junction,where the loop-line falls into the main line," the Hindu gentleman began.
"Is it much of a fall, sir?" asked Felix.
"I don't understand you, Mr. McGavonty," replied the speaker blankly.
"The expression 'falls into the main line' is somewhat different from whatwe use at home; but the young man ought to have understood you," interposedthe commander.
"What would you have said, Captain?"
"The loop-line we call a branch, and we say connects with instead of fallsinto," replied the captain. "But your meaning was plain enough, and ourboys must fall into the methods of expression used here."
"Though you have seen the Ganges several times, not much has been saidabout it; and I will tell you a little more concerning it before we leave,not to see it again. It rises in Gahrwal, one of the Hill states,north-east of Delhi. It has its source in an ice-cave nearly fourteenthousand feet above the level of the sea. It is not called the Ganges tillit has received the flow of two other rivers, a hundred and fifty miles ormore from its lofty source. Just below Allahabad it takes in the Jumna,itself a mighty stream.
"As you have learned, it is the holy river of the Hindus; and it deservestheir homage, for, aside from the religious character they give to it,three hundred thousand square miles are drained and fertilized by theGanges and its tributaries. Of its sanctity, that it washes away sin, andthat death in its waters or on its shores is the passport to eternal bliss,you have learned. But it renders a more immediate and practical service tothe people; for it is navigable for small craft from the point where itenters the lowlands, seventy or eighty miles north of Delhi.
"The river is 1,509 miles long. Though it rises and falls at differentseasons, it never fails, even in the hottest summer; and its inundationsrender, to some extent, the benefit which the Nile does to the soil ofEgypt. Like the Mississippi, in your country, it has sometimes changed itscourse, as proved by the ruins of cities that were once on its banks.
"Now you have a view of the Ganges for quite a distance, and can see thekinds of boats that navigate it. It is one of the most frequented waterwaysin the world, though the building of railways and canals has somewhatdiminished the amount of freight borne on its tide. About £6,000,000 isneeded to complete the Ganges canal, which will reach all the citiesthrough which you have passed. There is a very complicated mythologyconnected with the river, which it would take me all day to relate, andtherefore I will not meddle with it."
For a couple of hours the passengers watched the boats and steamers on theriver, and the scenes on the other side. While they were thus employed,Lord Tremlyn gave to each person a map of Calcutta, intimating that heshould soon tell them something about the city; and they all began to studyit, so as to form some idea of the place they were next to visit. Of coursethey could make out but little from the vast maze of streets, but some ofthem obtained a very good idea of the situation of the city and many of itsimportant buildings.
"People coming from England or America generally arrive at Calcutta orBombay, the larger portion at the former. From the sea the metropolis ofIndia is reached by the Hoogly River, the most western outlet of theGanges," his lordship began. "It is sometimes spelled Hugli. Under thisname, the stream is known sixty-four miles above Calcutta and seventeenbelow. Vessels drawing twenty-six feet of water come up to the city; thoughthe stream, like the Mississippi, is liable to be silted up."
"I see that some of you look at me as though I had used a strange word.Silt is the deposit of mud, sand, or earth of any kind carried up and downstreams by the tide or other current. But the river engineers here areconstantly removing it; the course is kept open, and the Hoogly pilots arevery skilful. The river has also a bore, though not a great bore, like somepeople I know.
"We know the book-agent better than this one," said Scott.
"Some of our rivers in England have bores, though not book-agents; so havethe Seine, the Amazon, and others with broad estuaries. High tides drive avast body of water into the wide mouth; and, as the stream is not largeenough to take it in, it piles it up into a ridge, which rolls up theriver. It forms a wall of water in the Hoogly seven feet high, which issometimes dangerous to small craft. Enough of the Hoogly.
"Calcutta, by the last census, 1891, had a population of 861,764; but it isnot so large as New York, Philadelphia, or Chicago; and London is the onlylarger city in the United Kingdom. It became a town in 1686. After it hadattained considerable importance, in 1756, it was attacked by the Nawab ofBengal, the king or rajah; and after a siege of two days the place yielded.The tragedy of the 'Black Hole' followed."
"I have heard of that, but I don't know what it means," said Mrs. Belgrave.
"You observe the large open enclosure at the right of your map of the city,the esplanade. Within it is Fort William, which has existed nearly twohundred years. It had a military prison, which has since been called the'Black Hole.' The nawab caused one hundred and forty-six prisoners, all hehad taken, to be shut up in a room only eighteen feet square, with only twosmall windows, both of them obstructed by a veranda. This was but a littlemore than two square feet on the floor for each person, so that they couldnot stand up without crowding each other. They spent the night there,pressing together, the heat terrible, enduring the pangs of suffocation. Inthe morning all were dead but twenty-three.
"The nawab held the fort for seven months, when it was recaptured by LordClive. Calcutta extends about five miles on the bank of the river, beingabout two in breadth. I shall not follow out its history, for you will hearenough of that as you visit the various localities."
"I used to think Calicut and Calcutta were the same city," said Louis.
"Not at all, though the names of the two may have been derived from thesame source. The name of the great city is from Kali, a Hindu goddess ofwhom you heard in Bombay, and cuttah, a temple; and doubtless there wassuch a building here. Calicut is on the south-west coast of India, and wasa very rich and populous city when it was visited by Vasco da Gama, who wasthe first to double the Cape of Good Hope, in 1498. The cotton cloth,calico, generally called print, gets its name from this city."
Dinner was brought into the carriages; and the tourists slept in theafternoon, arriving at Calcutta in the evening. The Great Eastern, one ofthe two largest hotels in the city, was prepared to receive them. Here, asin Bombay and elsewhere, every guest is attended by his own servant. Half adozen of them had been retained, but when the omnibuses set them down atthe hotel a hundred more could have been readily procured.
The business of sight-seeing began early the next morning with a visit tothe esplanade, which may be called a park, though it contains a variety ofbuildings besides Fort William, which is half a mile in diameter. Theenclosure is a mile and three-quarters in length by about one mile in depthfrom the river. The Government House occupies a position next to it, andthey passed it as they entered.
"Whose statue is that--the Duke of Wellington?" asked Louis, as he walkedon one side of Sir Modava, with his mother on the other side.
"Not at all; most of our streets and buildings are named after personsnoted in the history of India," replied the Indian gentleman, laughing."That is the statue of Lord William Cavendish Bentinck, the firstgovernor-general of India; and many important events dated from his time,for he suppressed the suttee and thugging."
"Thugging?" repeated the lady interrogatively.
"You have not been told about it; but I will give you its history when wehave time, for here are the Eden Gardens," replied Sir Modava.
"Not the Garden of Eden?" suggested Mrs. Belgrave.
"Only named for it; but it is a very beautiful garden in English style,though the trees and plants are, of course, different. It has water enoughfor variety; and there is no difficulty at all in getting it, for the cityis hardly above the river at high tide. All there is of the fort you cansee from here."
"But what are those things over the other side of the park?"
"They are all tanks; and, of course, they are to hold water. Each of themhas its name, generally Indian. Now we will walk across to the ChowringheeRoad, where the finest private residences of the city are situated. On ourleft is the Government House, which we passed when we came in. It is a finebuilding, and it has a large garden of its own."
"But what is it for?" asked the lady.
"It is the residence of the governor-general, generally called the viceroy;and he has his offices there. Now, if you look beyond Fort William, youwill see the race-course."
"I don't care for that," replied Mrs. Belgrave, whose memories of the sportwere anything but pleasant.
"Near it is the presidency jail, and there are two hospitals fartheralong."
The party walked along the road to view the residences of the nabobs, andreturned to the hotel, where they seated themselves on the large verandaoverlooking the street. The first thing Louis did was to look at athermometer he discovered on a post.
"How hot is it, Louis?" asked his mother.
"It isn't hot at all; it is only 70°."
"The glass varies here from 52° to 100°; but we don't get the latter figureexcept in summer," added Sir Modava.
"But you have awful cyclones here, an English lady told me last night,"said Mrs. Belgrave.
"We do; but we never have them at this season of the year; they come inMay, September, and October, and sometimes in November the belated ones. In1867 we had one in the latter month which destroyed thirty thousand nativehouses; but you know they are built of bamboos and such stuff, and it doesnot take much of a breeze to demolish them. Another in June, 1870, didnearly as much damage."
"I should think the bore would make mischief here," suggested Louis.
"The monsoons here begin in July, and during their time the bore is themost mischievous. The big wave comes up the river at the rate of twentymiles an hour. All boats run for the middle of the river, where the billowdoes not break against the shore. Ships often part their cables, and knockthemselves to pieces against the walls. Sometimes the bore is twelve feethigh, though not much more than half that generally."
"What are the prices at a hotel like this one, Lord Tremlyn?" asked Dr.Hawkes.
"Here is the list of prices," replied his lordship, handing him a cardtaken from the wall.
"Coffee at six in the morning, breakfastà la fourchette at nine,tiffin at one, and dinner at seven. Price, Rs. six per day," the doctorread. "I suppose Rs. means rupees; and that makes it about twelve Englishshillings, or three dollars a day, which is not high."
"There are no extras except for wines, liquors, and beer, which none ofyour people use," added the viscount. "But you have to pay for your ownattendance; and your servant's pay is from eight to ten rupees a month, orabout a pound."
"Cheap enough!" exclaimed the surgeon. "I have to pay my waiter at home sixpounds a month."
"Now, what is there to be seen in Calcutta?" asked the commander afterbreakfast.
"If you wish to see mosques, temples, pagodas"--the viscount began.
"We do not," interposed the captain. "At first those were very interesting;but we have seen enough of them."
"I supposed so," added Lord Tremlyn. "I have ordered carriages, and to-daywe will take a general view of the city."
This plan was agreeable to the party, and it was carried out. From thehotel they proceeded to the river. There was a crowd of shipping at anchor,and at the landing-stages and jetties. Among them Louis was the first todiscover the Guardian-Mother. She was in the middle of the river, off FortWilliam. Half a mile below her they saw the Blanche. At the request of thecommander, the carriages went down to the fort, where the passengers allalighted, and gathered together on the shore. The gentlemen cheered, andthe ladies waved their handkerchiefs.
"I see that Mr. Boulong has painted the ship, and she looks as taut andsnug as a man-of-war," said the commander, who was evidently glad to seehis vessel.
"They are lowering the boats," added Louis; and in a few minutes the bargeand first cutter came up to the shore.
There was a general handshaking with the first officer, in command, and theboys extended this courtesy to all the crews of the boats, going on boardof them for a few minutes. It was a happy meeting; but it could not be longcontinued, and the carriages drove off again.
As he was about to take his place in the landau, Mr. Boulong informed thecommander that he had received a visit from Captain Mazagan. He wanted tosee Captain Ringgold, but did not state his business. The first officercould not tell whether the visitor knew the Blanche was in the river, forhe had not mentioned her. With the statement that the party would go onboard in two or three days, they parted, and the boats returned to theship. The commander had something to think of now; but he came to theconclusion that the reprobate was not aware of the presence of the Blancheor her owner.
The carriages followed the shore road till they came to the upper end ofthe city, and then turned into the first of the long streets with severalnames in different parts, which extends entirely through the town. Near theesplanade they found the finest shops, and the ladies went into some ofthem to see the goods. Then they struck the Circular Road, and droveentirely around the city.
"This reminds me of Moscow, in some parts, where palaces and shanties areside by side in the same street," said Captain Ringgold. "There does notseem to be any aristocratic section, unless that by the esplanade is such."
They saw plenty of mosques, temples, and churches, some of the latter veryfine. They believed they had taken in the whole city. After dinner LordTremlyn invited them to an excursion on board of a steam-yacht the nextday, the use of which was tendered to him by a high official.
A breakfast at six o'clock was provided the following morning for thetourists, and they came down from their chambers prepared for the aquaticexcursion, which was to include something more than sight-seeing, for thegentlemen and the boys were directed to take their rifles along. Mr.Boulong had called upon the commander the evening before, and he had beeninvited to join the party; but he had excused himself, and suggested thatMr. Gaskette would enjoy it more than he should, and he was asked to go.
By half-past six the party were on The Strand, as the road in the esplanadebordering the river is called. The second officer of the ship was there;and he was not only a sailor and an artist, but he had the reputation ofbeing a dead shot. The company embarked on the steam-yacht, which was largeenough to make voyages to Madras and Ceylon. The excursion was not intendedas a mere shooting-party, Lord Tremlyn explained, but to enable the companyto obtain a better view of Calcutta than they could get in any othermanner.
From the river a full view was obtained of the multitude of columns,belfries, and cupolas, as well as of the Government House, the Town Hall,and the line of magnificent houses beyond the esplanade. Along the shoreThe Strand, as it is called the whole length of the city, the jetties, andthe landing-stages were crowded with men; for, where labor is so cheap,work is not done by small forces of men. There are several lines ofsteamers running between London, Southampton, and Liverpool to this port;and they were constantly arriving and departing.
"You don't see such a variety of races here as you did in Bombay," saidLord Tremlyn as he was pointing out the sights to be seen. "You observesome Chinamen and Burmese; but most of the laborers are of the low class ofnatives, Bengalese, and they are very sorry specimens of the Hindus."
"But what are the merchants and shopkeepers?" asked Captain Ringgold.
"They are Baboos, which is a name given to the Bengalese. The better classof them, in contact with the English, realize that education is a power;and they have labored for years to improve their countrymen. They haveestablished schools and colleges, and when young natives applied forgovernment situations the authorities felt obliged to admit them. To-dayyou will find many natives acting as clerks in the post-office, railway,and telegraph-offices, as well as in the courts in minor capacities.
"In fact, there has been a social revolution in progress here for half acentury or more, and its effects may be seen now. The government hasmodified the lot of woman to some extent, as you have learned. The Hindulaw weighed terribly upon her. When a woman lost her husband, customrequired that she should be sent back to her own family. Her relativesshaved off her hair, dressed her in the coarsest clothing, and compelledher to do the severest drudgery of the household. She is forbidden to marryagain, and is treated as though she was responsible for becoming a widow.The reforming of this evil is in progress; but the people are baked intotheir prejudices and superstitions of forty centuries, and it is worse thanpulling their teeth to interfere with them.
"One of the favorite divinities of the natives here is Kali, the wife ofSiva, the goddess of murder. Her worship is odious and disgusting; for heraltars were formerly sprinkled with human blood, and the idols weresurrounded with dead bodies and skulls. Their great festival is theChuruk-Pooja, which is still celebrated, though the government hasforbidden all its brutal features. You have all seen a 'merry-go-round'machine in which children ride in a circle on wooden horses.
"An apparatus like this, but without the wooden steeds, was used by thesefanatics. At the end of the four arms hung ropes with sharp hooks at theend, on which were hung up the devotees, as the butcher does his meats inhis shop; and the machine was revolved rapidly till the hooks pulled out,and the victim dropped upon the ground, fainting or dead. At the presenttime the festival is attended by Baboos of the best class; but it amountssimply to an athletic exhibition with music. The government and thereformers have brought about this change of performance."
"Do the English attend such shows?" asked Dr. Hawkes.
"Sometimes, from curiosity. But they are here just about what they are inLondon, and their habits are much the same," replied the viscount. "Theriver here is about a mile wide. Formerly we could not have come as far aswe have without seeing hundreds of corpses floating on the surface. Nativeswho were too poor to pay the bill for the funeral pyre threw the bodies oftheir friends into the river. Of course this was a menace to the health ofthe city; and the practice was forbidden by the government, which built animmense tower, wherein is kept a fire constantly burning, in which thebodies of the poor are consumed without expense."
"See that big bird on the shore!" exclaimed Mrs. Belgrave. "I saw severalof them yesterday, and I meant to ask what it was."
"That is thearghilah, generally called the adjutant," replied SirModava. "He is the licensed scavenger of Calcutta, for it is forbidden bylaw to kill or molest him. You see him walking about in a crowd with asmuch dignity and gravity as though he were a big banker; and he is alsoseen perched upon the walls and buildings. They have an enormous bill, asyou observe. A friend of mine had a tame one; and one day when the tablewas ready for dinner he took a chicken from the dish and swallowed itwhole. He has a searching eye, and discovers a hidden bit of meat, a deadcat or other animal, and bolts it in the twinkling of an eye."
The steamer continued on her course down the river, and in less than fourhours arrived at Diamond Harbor. It contained a fort, a signal-station, anda telegraph-office, though there is nothing in the shape of a village. TheEast India Company's ships made this their port; but the improvement of thenavigation of the river enables all the steamers to go up to the city, towhich their arrival is telegraphed.
The extensive territory included in the delta of the Ganges is called theSunderbunds, and is about equal to the State of Massachusetts in size. Itis a muddy region, cut up by a network of streams; and it is full ofswamps, morasses, and mud-holes. Nearest to the sea is a belt of land,forming a wide extent of jungle, with a dense undergrowth of tropicalplants and verdure; for it is in the Torrid Zone, which the touristsentered about forty miles north of Calcutta. This jungle was the objectivepoint of the hunters of the party.
The captain of the steam-yacht took the company on board through a numberof the lagoons and cutoffs to enable them to see the wild character of thescenery. Lord Tremlyn, Sir Modava, and Dr. Ferrolan were kept busyexplaining the trees, plants, crocodiles, storks, and other animals.
At a pleasant basin, dinner was served on board, and it was quite as goodas they would have obtained at the Great Eastern; for just now the partywere government guests, and the officials could not do enough for a personof Lord Tremlyn's influence in England. After the meal the hunters preparedthemselves for the sport in which they were to engage. Mrs. Belgrave warnedher son to be very careful, and Mrs. Blossom did as much for Felix.
The steamer started into a cut-off leading through to the Bay of Bengal,the polite captain explained. It was full of game of all sorts, includingthe wild buffalo, rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, wild hog, deer, and the treesand bushes were as full of monkeys as they could swarm. It was agreed amongthe hunters that none of the latter should be shot, for they were harmlessanimals.
"Captain, dear, are there any schnakes forninst the joongle?" asked theMilesian, who was much exhilarated at the prospect of the sport, and easilyslipped into the vernacular of his mother.
"Plinty av thim, Musther McGavonty," replied Captain O'Flaherty, with abroad grin on his honest face. "They air as thidck as broken heads at aDonnybrook fair."
"Faix, ye's air a brither o' moine!" exclaimed Felix, grasping the hand ofthe captain.
"Air ye's from the County Carhk?"
"Oi'm from the county and parish of Kilkenny; or mi mudther was, thou'she's dead now, long loife to her! Wud I foind ary cobry in here?"
"All you'll want uv 'em; and pythons too."
"What is a poithon?" asked Felix.
"A big schnake; a boa, or loike him."
"Is it the bore that runs up the river to Calcutty?"
"Not the same boa," laughed the captain. "But you speak English, for I haveheard you do it; and I have about forgotten my native brogue."
"If the boa is a snake, he is the fellow I want to see," replied Felix.
"There's one of them now!" exclaimed Captain O'Flaherty, pointing to onewreathed around a bush.
The young hunter brought his rifle to his shoulder, and fired before thecaptain had time to say anything more. The python began to writhe andwriggle in the bush, and Felix fired again. Then he dropped off into thewater. The rest of the company had been aft with the ladies, but they allrushed forward at the report of the rifle. The captain stated what thehunter had done, as he rang to stop and back the boat. They saw the bambooon which the serpent had been, but the game could not be seen. Theywondered what had become of him.
The rest of the hunters began to shoot ducks, herons, and otherwater-fowls. As fast as a bird dropped into the bayou he disappeared, andnot one of them could be recovered. Captain Ringgold wondered what becameof them, and the Indian gentlemen only laughed at his perplexity.
"But what becomes of them, for they do not sink?" demanded the commander.
"You shall see," replied Sir Modava. "Don't shoot the adjutants; but thereis a long-legged heron. I will bring him down, for he waits very patientlyto be shot. Now watch the water when he comes down."
The bird dropped the moment he fired, and the instant he touched the watera pair of jaws closed upon him, and drew him under water. The company wereastonished, and looked for an explanation.
"I never counted the crocodiles in this river; but I should guess therewere at least a million of them, and they steal your game as fast as youbring it down," said Sir Modava.
The ladies were interested; and another bird was shot, to enable them tosee the operation of the saurians. The python was about ten feet long, andhe must have been a meal for one of them. The cranes, herons, and storkswere numerous; but the party decided to kill no more of them, for they heldstill, as though they were all ready to be shot; and there was no sport insuch game.
The boat continued on its course for half an hour longer, and then came upto a sort of stockade, extending out into the water, and near it were acouple of bamboo huts. This wild region is sparsely peopled with Hindus,who are obliged to keep guard over themselves and their families all thetime, and are occasionally the victims of the ferocious monsters of thejungle and of the water.
"What is that stockade for?" asked the commander, as soon as the steamerwas moored to the shore.
"The Hindus are a cleanly people, as required by their religion," repliedCaptain O'Flaherty in the hearing of all the party. "That stockade containsa big trough for washing their scanty clothing. It reaches into the water,so that they can fill their washtub without going out of it."
"I don't see why?" asked Mrs. Woolridge.
"If they went to the border of the stream to dip up water the crocodileswould pick them up as fast as they did so," added the captain; and all theladies shuddered, and wanted to get out of such a horrible place.
"But the hunters are to land here; and they will find all the heavy gamethey can dispose of, for there have been no hunters here yet this season toscare them off. You will find the biggest tigers of India here, gentlemen."
The hunters went on shore, and as they passed down the gangway they saw acouple of the crocodiles in the water. Louis put a bullet into the eye ofone, and Mr. Woolridge served the other in the same way; but all of themthought saurians were mean game. Near the huts they found two men, and SirModava had a talk with them, which no one else could understand; but heemployed them to guide the party and show them their traps.
"The wife of one of these men was devoured by a crocodile a year ago, andthe daughter of the other, a child of six, had been borne off by a tiger,"he explained, as they proceeded after the two men.
They soon came to the traps. The tigers were exceedingly numerous on allthe islands formed by the cut-offs, and swam without difficulty from one toanother. The first trap they saw was a broad trench, the bottom and sidesarmed with stakes of the hardest wood, sharpened to a wicked point. Aroaring sound attracted the visitors to another of the same kind, in whicha monstrous tiger was floundering about, trying to escape the points thatpierced him. He was suffering fearfully; and Captain Ringgold shot him atonce, though the Hindus were delighted by his torture.
Another kind of trap was more ingenious. It was on the plan of thetwitch-up snare, common in New England. A young tree, very strong andflexible, is bent down till the upper end touches the ground. To thisextremity is attached a stout cord, and fastened to a stake in the ground.A slip-noose is so arranged that the tiger thrusts his head through it inorder to reach the meat with which the cord holding the tree is baited. Asthe animal pulls the cord he casts off the line holding the tree in itsbent position. The slip-noose is tightened around his neck, the tree fliesup into the air, carrying the tiger with it. Everything about the trap ismade very strong, and there the savage marauder hangs till he chokes todeath.
The party moved on, and they had not gone ten rods before a cobra elevatedhis head. Felix claimed the right to fire first, and he killed him with oneball. A large python was Scott's first prize; and, after a long walk, theycame to a nest of tigers, as it seemed, for there were not less than fiveof them drinking at a brook. It appeared to be the only place in thevicinity where fresh water could be obtained. The first of the tigers waskilled by Louis with a single shot, for he put the ball through the eye ofthe beast.
Captain Ringgold brought down another with three shots from his repeatingrifle. Felix did not care for tigers; he was looking for snakes, and theycame to the brook to drink. In a couple of hours he had half a dozen of hisfavorite game. He declared that he was following the blessed example of St.Patrick, and if he did not die too soon he would rid the world of all thesnakes in it.
The five tigers lay dead by the brook; and, taking the advice of thecoolies, the hunters returned into a thicket, where Felix killed anotherpython. The party could see the brook. A pair of timid deer came next todrink; but they fled at the approach of what seemed to be a family ofleopards, for two of them were evidently cubs. They were all shot; but therepeated reports of the rifles had probably scared off others, and no morebeasts of any kind came.
"These men say you have killed more tigers and leopards than any party ofhunters who ever came here," said Sir Modava, who carried a rifle, but hadnot fired it once; and Lord Tremlyn's weapon had not been discharged; forboth preferred to leave the game for their friends.
It was a great hunt, and the Americans were correspondingly proud of theirsuccess. Louis and Felix had been trained in a shooting-gallery, andneither of them missed his aim; but the shooting had all been at shortrange. With the help of two coolies, all the game was carried to thesteamer, where it was exhibited to the rest of the company. The tigers wereall skinned by the coolies and the crew of the steamer, as were theleopards; but after Mrs. Blossom and the others had seen the snakes, theywere fed out to the crocodiles. The coolies were abundantly rewarded, andseemed to worship their visitors. They presented to them four mango fish,golden-yellow in color, and exquisite in flavor.
The steamer cast off her fasts, and headed for Calcutta; but it was late,and the fish presented, which abound in the markets of the city, were theburden of a fine supper they ate on the way.
While the hunters were so successfully bagging the big game of the jungle,Captain O'Flaherty had taken the party who had remained on board thesteamer on an excursion through some of the waterways of the Sunderbunds,so that they were not wearied by waiting for those more actively employed.The united party had thoroughly enjoyed the day, even into the evening. Theskins of the tigers and leopards were sent to an expert, to be prepared forfuture preservation when the time should admit.
At the hotel the wonderful success of the hunters was the theme of theother guests; but the place was regarded as a dangerous one, though thatwould not deter Englishmen from visiting it if it were not so difficult ofaccess, for a government steam-yacht was not available for many parties.The next morning the tourists were taken to the Botanical Garden, a shortdistance above the city, which is said to be the finest as well as the mostspacious in the world.
It was not an affair of greenhouses, like most of such places they hadseen; for they were superfluous in the Torrid Zone, and all the plants grewin the open air. The ladies and most of the gentlemen were greatlyinterested in the plants and flowers, and the whole forenoon was agreeablypassed in viewing them. Uncle Moses insisted that the baobab and the Indianbanyan were literally the "biggest things" there; for the trunk of theformer was ten feet in diameter, while the latter covered half a squaremile of ground. The latter had been considerably damaged by a cyclone.
At the end of a week in Calcutta, every day of which had been occupied tothe pleasure and instruction of the tourists, Captain Ringgold insistedthat they must remain no longer. It was the middle of March, and the hotweather was coming on, and the company must return to the Guardian-Motheron the following morning. It was not an unpleasant announcement, as theyhad all become greatly attached to the steamer, for they had always beenexceedingly happy on board of her.
"It is time for me to settle up our accounts, Lord Tremlyn," said thecommander, as they were seated on the veranda after the intended departurehad been announced.
"That time has not come, Captain Ringgold; and it never will come," repliedhis lordship very decidedly. "I thought we had disposed of that questiononce for all at Bombay. You and your party have been our guests from themoment we landed. Sir Modava and I have done our best, in the time allottedto us, to make you acquainted with India, and to make the time passpleasantly with you. As far as we had influence, we have used it to promotethe objects of your visit."
"You have done a hundred times more than we had any right to expect, andcertainly we should not have asked for what you have given us; but it seemsto be no more than right that we should pay our own expenses, and we shallbe just as grateful to you for the vast service you have rendered us."
"What we have done does not extinguish a tithe of our obligations to youand your ship's company. Any money allusion grieves me, and the verythought of being paid almost breaks the heart of Sir Modava. I beg you notto allude to the matter again. Now, my dear Captain Ringgold," continuedhis lordship, taking what looked like a picture-frame from a table nearhim, "I ask the privilege of presenting to you this testimonial of thegratitude of the three cabin survivors of the wreck of the Travancore,which I will ask you to hang up in the cabin of the Guardian-Mother."
The commander took the frame, in which was a printed testimonial,containing a full account of the rescue of the survivors of the wreck, witha concluding paragraph, expressive of the obligations of the principalpersons rescued, to the captain and his ship's company for their noble andsuccessful exertions in saving them and all the people on board. It had theautographs of Lord Tremlyn, Sir Modava, and Dr. Ferrolan at the foot of theprinted statement. It was on parchment, printed in plain, clear type, andthe frame was as elegant as money could buy.
"I accept this as the property of the ship, and to me personally nothingcould be more valued," replied the commander, extending his thanks atconsiderable length; but he said nothing more about payment, though hecould not help thinking that their elegant and bountiful hospitality hadcost the viscount and the Indian gentleman several thousand pounds.
"But we do not separate just yet; and I have another favor to ask of you,Captain Ringgold, which is that you will give us a passage to Colombo,"added Lord Tremlyn.
"For myself and my party, we shall all be delighted to have you remain withus indefinitely," replied the commander, taking his lordship's hand. "Iextend to you, Sir Modava, and Dr. Ferrolan a cordial invitation tocomplete with us our voyage around the world; and we will endeavor to be ashospitable to you in the United States as you have been to us in India."
"Nothing would afford me so great a pleasure," replied Lord Tremlyn; "butit would be quite impossible for me to accept the invitation, for I mustreturn to England, and report upon my mission to India."
Sir Modava and Dr. Ferrolan also declined, for reasons given. The companyhad called upon some of the officials of the government and officers of thearmy, at the request of his lordship, and most of them made parting callsthe next forenoon; and the viceroy sent his private secretary, with thebest wishes of his Excellency for a prosperous voyage, to them. Aftertiffin they all went on board, where their baggage had been sent before,the Italian band playing all the time on Captain O'Flaherty's steamer,which put them on board.
General Noury had sent word to Captain Sharp that he should continue withthe party to Colombo, and that he could proceed at once to that port. Infact, he liked the company of the party on board of the Guardian-Mother sowell that he was not inclined to part with them at present.
The passengers took possession of their staterooms, and there was still oneleft for the general, and the band was quartered in the library. The hourfor sailing had been fixed at three o'clock; and just before that time theCherub, Captain O'Flaherty, appeared, having on board a regimental band andthe friends of Lord Tremlyn, Sir Modava, and Dr. Ferrolan, who extended tothem the compliment of an escort, and, incidentally, to the commander andhis passengers.
About half an hour before the time for sailing a shore boat came up to thegangway, and a well-dressed gentleman with a swarthy face ascended thesteps. He asked to see Captain Ringgold, and he was called down from theupper deck. It was Mazagan.
"I have called, Captain, to remind you that our account has not yet beensettled," said the villanous Moor. "I have another to add to it, for thedestruction of the Fatimé, his Highness the Pacha Ali-Noury's steam-yacht,which he authorizes me to collect."
"Does he, indeed?" replied the captain, laughing; for, having the "weathergauge" of the rascal, he was disposed to treat the matter very lightly.
"I have the account in the handwriting of his Highness," added Mazagan, ashe presented a paper written in good English.
"Very well; but I prefer to settle the account with his Highness himself,"added the commander, as he touched an electric bell, which brought Sparksto the boudoir into which they had gone. "Ask the general to come here," hesaid in a low tone to the steward.
"But I do not choose to wait a year or two for a settlement," protested thevisitor.
"You need not wait five minutes," added Captain Ringgold.
The Moor began to go over his story again, but it was interrupted by theentrance of General Noury. Mazagan looked at him, and seemed to be unableto believe the evidence of his own eyes. The commander stated the case tohim.
"Is this account in your handwriting, General?" he asked.
"Certainly not," replied the Pacha. "We have discussed this matter fully,and I have no claim whatever against you; neither has this man. I settledall my accounts with him; and I have his receipt in full, signed by him,and witnessed by Captain Sharp and his wife. He is a swindler and avillain; and if I ever catch him in Morocco he shall have the bowstring!"
The general denounced him in the severest manner, and then asked thecommander to send him out of the ship. Knott was at the gangway, the piratewas turned over to him, and hustled down the steps into his boat. Thegeneral expressed his regret that the captain had been annoyed by thevillain again, and was confident he would never see or hear from him again;and he never did.
Promptly at the hour set the Guardian-Mother got under way, and theCherub's band played its liveliest airs. When it stopped to rest, theItalian band played, and thus the music was kept up for three hours, whenthe steamers were at Diamond Harbor. Here they came alongside each other,and all the company on board the Cherub were invited to a collation onboard of the Guardian-Mother, at which Captain Ringgold presided, and manyspeeches were made by the residents of Calcutta, and by the passengers onboard.
The ship's company on each vessel were not left out in the cold; for, whiletheir officers were at the collation, Baldy Bickling, the second cook,regaled them from the abundant stores provided for the occasion, of whichnotice had been given to Mr. Melanchthon Sage, the chief steward, the daybefore. At this point adieus were exchanged, the Guardian-Mother went tosea, and the Cherub returned to Calcutta. The passengers were tired out andretired early.
It was an easy run, from Diamond Harbor to Madras in two days and a half,for the Guardian-Mother. The weather was favorable, and the tourists usedtheir time in getting rested. The social occasions, the playing of theband, and the singing in the music-room, made plenty of variety. But thecommander did not lose sight of what he regarded as one of the principalobjects of the long voyage, the instruction of the young people, andincidentally of the elder ones.
On the forenoon of the second day out the passengers were called togetherin Conference Hall, and they were glad to assemble there again. Thetemperature was moderate, the sea was in its most cheerful mood, and, aftertheir long stay on shore, they were glad to be out of sight of land again.Mr. Gaskette had been busy during the vacation the ship's company hadobtained at Bombay and Calcutta; had made several new maps, one of whichwas the shores of the Bay and Sea of Bengal from Calcutta to the southernpoint of Ceylon; and he had enlarged a small map of Ceylon, to be used whenthe ship arrived at Colombo, or sooner. It was Sir Modava who mounted theplatform for this occasion; and he was received with the heartiestapplause, for he had become even more popular than at first.
"I am to tell you something, not much, about Madras, where we shall arriveabout this time day after to-morrow," the Hindu gentleman began; and theusual smile which had fascinated all the ladies was on his face. "Madras isthe third city in population of India, or next to Bombay, with 452,518souls, by the census published last year. It is on the Coromandel coast,which is nearly the whole of the Madras Presidency. It is nearly the entirewestern shore of the Sea of Bengal, including the bay, as the northern partof it is called in modern times. There is scarcely a single safe harbor forlarge vessels.
"I suppose you have often heard the expression, 'in the Carnatic,' for itis memorable as the scene of the struggle in the last century betweenEngland and France for the supremacy of India. Though there is no statewith that name, nearly the whole coast region south of the Godavery Riverretains this name. In fact, there is no little confusion of names in manyparts of India. The country near the Arabian Sea still receives thedesignation of the Deccan, from the Kistna River to the Gulf of Cambay onthe north. But this name does not belong to a political division,"continued the speaker, pointing out every location and river he named.
"Madras extends along the shore nine miles, and is thus exposed to the furyof the sea for this distance; for it is not on a river, like Calcutta, or asheltered bay, like Bombay. Formerly, on the approach of a cyclone, vesselslying in the roadstead, as the only harbor it had, which was no harbor, hadto put to sea to avoid being driven on the shore. Decidedly it was a veryinconvenient place to build a city; but the town formerly consisted of anumber of villages, which have been united, after the fashion of some ofyour American cities.
"An attempt has been in progress the last twenty years to make a harbor inthe shape of an enclosure of strong walls, about half a mile square. It wasseriously damaged by a cyclone a dozen years ago; but they are still atwork upon it, though it is said to be doubtful whether or not it will everbe safe for ships in a violent storm. There is always a heavy surf rollingin on this coast, even in what the commander would call a smooth sea."
"Then how shall we get ashore there?" inquired Mrs. Belgrave.
"The natives construct a boat, which is a sort of raft of planks, tiedtogether with ropes, called amasuláh, which passes through the surfvery well in ordinary weather; but no boat could live in a cyclone in a seathere, for the waves are fourteen feet high."
"I should like to try it with the second cutter, so far as the waves areconcerned; but bumping on the bottom might spoil the attempt," said Mr.Gaskette, who was standing by his map.
"It would not be prudent in a cyclone, and I trust you will have nooccasion to try the experiment," added Sir Modava. "But cyclones are rarehere, except from the last of May and into June, and in October, November,and early in December; so that the port is not liable to more than twostorms a year. The average rainfall is forty-nine inches, falling onninety-five days; but in seventy-four years, ending two years ago, itvaried from a foot and a half to seven feet and four inches. It is dry heresome years, and rather damp when they get eighty-eight inches.
"Going to Madras in March, the temperature of the place is of noconsequence to you, except as a matter of curiosity, being in the TorridZone. It will be from 76° to 88° while you are here. The averagetemperature for the year is 82°; in the hot months it rises to over 100°;the highest in twenty-seven years was 113°, and the lowest 57.6°. Asea-breeze often sets in about noon, lasting till sunset, greatly modifyingthe heat. I think I need say no more about the city till we get there."
This talk was followed by a concert by the band. The ship sped on hercourse, though something to instruct and amuse was going on all the time.At the time set Madras was in sight, and a little later the surf was seenrolling in on the shore. The depth is shallow near the land, which causesthe water to break. The Guardian-Mother was anchored in the deep water, andLord Tremlyn invited the party to proceed to the apartments at the RoyalHotel which he had bespoken for them. The commander made no furtherobjections to the matter of expense, and the invitation was promptlyaccepted. A number of the masulah-boats, not the rafts, were engaged toland them. They were much like any other boat, though they were paddled,and not rowed. They saw the catamarans, constructed as the Hindu gentlemanhad described, paddled on the waves by a single man, wearing a sugar-loafhat.
The masulah-boats went to the shore very comfortably, and carriages were inwaiting for the party on the beach near where they landed. As they passedthrough the streets everything seemed to be very much as it was inCalcutta; and they saw similar palanquins, bullock-carts, and elephants.The Malabar Hindu was not very different from those of other sections ofthe country, though he had some peculiarities of costume.
When they reached the hotel, which was a very comfortable one, in Englishstyle, it was two hours to tiffin, and most of the party preferred to passthe time in the parlor. The live boys could not keep still, and they wentout for a walk. The sights were not novel enough to hold them; and when adriver of a bullock-cart salaamed to them, and pointed to his vehicle,Felix suggested that they should take a ride. Of course, they could notspeak a word of the language; and, however it may have been with otherconductors of vehicles, this one did not know a word of English.
"Mavalipoor?" interrogated the driver, when the "Big Four" had seatedthemselves in the corners of the vehicle, which had a body like an omnibusfor four, with a top like the dome of a small temple. They had no idea whatthe word or sentence used by the driver had been, but supposed it wassomething worth seeing in the town. Two palanquins went by them at fulltilt, and they saw what was to be seen in the street. They went on severalmiles, till they appeared to be leaving the city behind them, and theythought it was time to call a halt. They talked vigorously to the cartman,and all of them pointed back to the city, and yelled "Madras!"
"Mavalipoor!" screamed the driver, pointing with equal energy in thedirection the cart was headed. But the fellow would not stop, and thelively boys all leaped out of the cart to the ground. He would not go onwithout them; but fortunately a gentleman in English costume came along onhorseback. The quartet touched their hats to him, and he stopped his steed.Louis stated that they wished to go to the Royal Hotel.
"The hotel is not in this direction," replied the horseman with muchsuavity. But at this moment the driver had something to say, and deliveredhimself with energy. "He says you engaged him to take you to Mavalipoor,"the rider explained. Louis stated their position, that when the cartmansaid "Mavalipoor" they had assented, without knowing what he meant.
"You can make it all right with the man by giving him a rupee when heleaves you at your hotel," replied the gentleman, laughing heartily at themistake, and then informed them that there were some Hindu temples atMavalipoor, more than thirty miles distant, that were visited by strangers.He then ordered the driver to convey his fare to the Royal Hotel, in a veryperemptory manner, and the man obeyed. Thanking the gentleman for hiskindness, they parted. The cartman was in a hurry now, and he urged hishumpbacked bullocks into a lively trot.
At the door the boys gave the driver two rupees, and the fellow salaamed asthough he had received a guinea. There are plenty of landaus in Madras atthree rupees a day; and the dak, as the cart is called, and palanquins arebecoming things of the past. Tiffin was ready; and a line of carriages wasat the door waiting for the tourists when they had disposed of the lunch,and they seated themselves for a drive.
"I warn you," said Sir Modava, as the carriages drove off, "that you willfind little here to interest you, after visiting, as you have, theprincipal cities of India."
"We are about tired of sight-seeing," added Mrs. Belgrave rather languidly;and this was about the situation of most of the party.
They passed the People's Park, an inviting enclosure, with ponds andpleasant walks, to the Black Town, which contains the homes of the natives,though there are plenty of shops; and it is crossed by several goodavenues. They came to a street like that called The Strand in Calcutta, andthey drove the whole length of it. They passed into Fort St. George, whichseemed to be a city of itself. Leaving it, they crossed the little riverthat meanders through the town, and flows into the ocean at this point.
On this shore road were the principal public buildings of the city, andnear the end of it was St. Thomas's Cathedral. This is said to be the sitewhere the apostle of this name, "Doubting Thomas," was martyred. Earlytradition buried him in Edessa, in Mesopotamia, but a later account senthim to India; but this is something for learned doctors to discuss. At St.George's Cathedral the party entered to see the statue, made by Chantrey,of Bishop Heber, who looks gently and tenderly upon a native convert at hisfeet.
They rode all over the town, and found several ponds, called tanks; and thegreat fort is washed on one side by the river. The second day the partywere driven into the suburbs. At a rocky point on the river they found aparty of half-naked men washing sheets and pillow-cases. The ladies wereinterested, and the carriages stopped to enable them to see the operation.They had something like washboards, laid on the bank of the stream, whichthey were hammering with all their might with the sheets, standing in theshallow water as they did so. Mrs. Blossom declared they must tear them allto pieces, and she was quite indignant at the way it was done.
Another day finished Madras; and, though there was little to see, comparedwith the places they had visited before, Mrs. Belgrave declared they hadhad a good time. On the morning following they went on board of theGuardian-Mother, and she sailed for Ceylon.
If the tourists had been in a safe place they would have been glad to see acyclone on the shore of Madras, on Napier bridge for instance; and it wouldhave been a grand spectacle to observe the great billows rolling in on thebeach, breaking at a distance of a thousand feet from the land. But theyhad all seen great waves, and they were not anxious to see them here. Ather ordinary speed, the Guardian-Mother would arrive at Colombo at oneo'clock the next day. The weather was fine, and the passengers assembled inConference Hall to talk with the three experts on board about the variousplaces they had visited in India.
Lord Tremlyn and Sir Modava were full of information, which they adornedwith stories from history and mythology. The good people from Von BlonkPark were sorry they had not seen the Temple and Car of Juggernaut, thoughthey had been fully described to them. They had visited the missions inBombay, Calcutta, and Madras, as well as wherever they had found themelsewhere. They were much interested in them, and regretted that they hadnot been able to devote more time to them.
The next forenoon, with the northern shore of Ceylon in sight from thedeck, Lord Tremlyn went upon the rostrum, with the map of the island, and aportion of the main shore included, on the frame. Though the ship was inten degrees of north latitude, the weather was delightful and the sea wassmooth. The thermometer stood at 70°, and the ladies declared that thetemperature was just right.
"You know the location of the island on the southeast of India, and ittakes in about four degrees of latitude and two of longitude, without goinginto the matter too finely, with an area of twenty-four thousand sevenhundred and two square miles; about the size of your State of WestVirginia, I find, or as large as three or four of your New England States.Perhaps the most lovely scenery in the whole world is to be found in thisisland. The Greeks and Romans visited it, and it is mentioned in 'TheArabian Nights,' under the name of Serendib.
"The mountains are near the southern part, and the highest one is MountPedrotallagalla,--don't forget the name, my young friends,--eight thousandtwo hundred and sixty feet high. In your visit to Ceylon you will go toCandy, which will please those with a sweet tooth better than Kandy, as itis often spelled. Many precious stones are found in Ceylon; and the pearlfishery is a very important source of wealth, though its value is variablein different years. In six years only out of the last thirty have thefisheries been productive, and in the other twenty-four they yielded hardlyanything. In those six years, the largest yield, in 1881, was not quitesixty thousand pounds, while the smallest noted was ten thousand pounds.
"The fisheries are under government regulation. An official announces whenthe work is permitted, and then it lasts only from four to six weeks.Thirteen men and ten divers are generally the crew of each boat, five ofthe latter going down into the water while the other five rest. Each diverhas a stone, weighing forty pounds, attached to a line long enough to reachthe bottom, with a loop near the weight, into which he puts his foot. Thewater varies in depth from fifty-four to seventy-eight feet. They workquickly; for a minute is the usual time they remain in the water, thoughsome can stand it twenty seconds longer.
"One would suppose that the sharks, which abound in these waters, wouldmake it dangerous business; but very few accidents occur, for the commotionabout the boats seems to scare them away. When the diver gives the signalhe is hauled up, with his bag of oysters, as rapidly as possible. But theladies know more about pearls than I do, and I will say no more about them.
"There are many rivers in Ceylon, rising in the high land, and flowing intothe sea; but none of them are as long as the Mississippi. The climate ofthe island is simply magnificent; the average heat in Colombo on the highlands never exceeds 70°. I shall permit you to describe the flowers afteryou have seen them; but the vegetation generally of the island isexceedingly luxuriant. In regard to animals, the tiger does not reside inCeylon. The elephant, generally without any tusks, is the chief ruler inthe forests here. The bear and the leopard are found. There is no end ofmonkeys. There are sixteen kinds of bats here, and all your base-ball clubscould be supplied from the stock; and there is a flying fox, which mightamuse you if you could catch one. He is a sort of bat; and the more of themyou shoot, the better the farmer will be pleased, for they feed on hisfruit. Plenty of birds of all sorts are found in the island. The crocodileis the biggest reptile found in Ceylon."
"But the snakes, your lordship?" suggested Felix.
"There are a few poisonous snakes; and the two worst are the cobra and theticpolonga, the latter a sort of viper; and the former is an old friend ofyours, Mr. McGavonty. The people are called Singhalese, but more generallyCingalese, and are believed to be the descendants of immigrants from theregion of the Ganges. There are other races here, as the Malabars. Thereligion of Ceylon is the Buddhist, and it has a very strong hold upon thenatives here as well as in Burma.
"Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, is said to have visited Ceylon threetimes, and to have preached his doctrines here. His sacred footstep onAdam's Peak, 7,420 feet high, the second highest elevation in the island,is still adored by the people. But the most sacred relic here is the toothof Gautama, kept in an elegant shrine and carefully guarded at Candy. Butit is said to be well known that the Portuguese destroyed the original; andthe substitute is a discolored bit of ivory, without the least resemblanceto a human tooth. There are many temples, sacred caverns, some of themsculptured like those near Bombay.
"There is something like ancient history in connection with Ceylon, datingback to 543 B.C.; but it would be hardly edifying to follow it. It has alsoa Portuguese, a Dutch, and a British period; and it was finally annexed tothe British crown by the Treaty of Amiens, in 1802.
"Thirty years ago coffee was the principal commercial production of theisland; but a kind of fungus attacked the leaves of the trees, and withinten years the planters were obliged to abandon its cultivation to a greatextent, though it is still raised. Cacao, which is the name of thechocolate-tree, while cocoa is the name of the product, is cultivated to aconsiderable extent; so are cinchona, cardamoms, and various spices; thoughBishop Heber's lines--
'What though the spicy breezes
Blow soft o'er Ceylon's isle,'
are not applicable to the island as formerly.
"It has become evident in very recent years that Ceylon might become agreat tea-growing region, and the planters are now largely engaged in itsculture. A dozen years ago only 3,515 pounds were raised; ten years laterover 12,000,000 pounds of tea was the crop; and this year it is stillgreater. The population in 1891 was 3,008,466. It has a governor, who ruleswith an executive council of five, of which the officer in command of thetroops is one."
"Can your lordship tell me the salary of the governor-general of India?"asked Captain Ringgold.
"I figured it up at one time in your money, and forgot to mention it. If Iremember rightly, it was $125,400; and that of the governor of Ceylon is$20,000," replied Lord Tremlyn. "The former gets two and a half times thesalary of your President. I have nothing more to say of the island, butafter a concert by the band, Sir Modava will tell you something about theprincipal towns; "and as he retired the audience separated, for it was tobe a promenade concert.
"I was asked just now by Mrs. Blossom about missions here in Ceylon," saidthe Hindu gentleman as he took the stand. "The English Baptists sentmissionaries here eighty years ago; the Methodists a year later; theAmericans three years later; and the Church of England five years after. Agreat deal of Christian teaching has been done in Ceylon, though I am notable just now to give you statistically the results of missionary work; butit has included the establishment of schools, female seminaries, and evencollegiate institutions, carried on by the missionaries, outside of thegovernment system of education.
"Point de Galle, at the south-western extremity of the island, is a town offorty-seven thousand inhabitants, and has a good harbor in a sheltered bay.It was formerly the principal coaling and shipping station in this part ofIndia; but all this has gone to Colombo. The Orient line of steamers, whoseprincipal business is with Australia, sends some of its ships here; andmost steamers of the Peninsular and Oriental line, called the 'P. & O.' forshort, touch here. A great deal of freight had to be reshipped at Point deGalle for various ports of India.
"The name was given to the place by the Portuguese, and its meaning isdoubtful.Galles is the French of Wales, andLa NouvelleGalles is New South Wales; without the finals, the word meansan oak-apple, in French. As I heard one of the 'Big Four' say this morning,'You pay your money and take your choice,' as to the signification of theword. At any rate, the importance of the place is gone, and Colombo hascaptured its business and its prominence.
"Colombo is the capital of Ceylon. It is about seventy miles from Point deGalle, on the south-west coast of the island. It has a population of almost127,000, which has been increased at the expense of Galle, as we generallycall it to economize our breath. It is located on a peninsula, with the seaon three sides of it, with a lake and moat on the land side. By the way,Mr. Woolridge, do you happen to remember the Italian name of ChristopherColumbus, whose discovery of America you are to celebrate at Chicago thisyear?"
"Cristoforo Colombo," replied Morris promptly. "I read it on his monumentat Genoa last summer."
"Quite right, my young friend; and that is where the capital of Ceylonobtained its name, which the Portuguese gave it, in honor of the greatdiscoverer, only twenty-five years after the great event of his life. Thebuildings are about the same as you will observe in all British colonialtowns, and I need not mention them. You will ride out to Lake Colombo, andvisit the cinnamon gardens there. The breakwater, which has been the makingof the city, cost £600,000; for it is an entirely safe harbor, with everyfacility for landing and embarking passengers and goods. I believe nothingis left to you but to see what his lordship and I have described."
Sir Modava retired from the stand; and the band started into an overture,which was hardly finished before the bell for lunch sounded. Before thecollation was finished the ship had taken a pilot, and in due time theGuardian-Mother came to anchor at her last port in India proper. As theship came into the harbor she passed abreast of the Blanche, and wasgreeted with three cheers, which were promptly and vigorously returned.
Accommodations had been bespoken by Lord Tremlyn, and early in theafternoon the party were quartered in the Elphinstone. Carriages wereobtained, and before night they had visited the principal parts of thetown, and even the cinnamon gardens, in which they were greatly interested;and some of the ladies told what it was good for, both as a spice and amedicine.
"I suppose you know all about cinnamon, Mrs. Belgrave," said Sir Modava, asthey were looking at the trees.
"I only know enough about it to put it in my apple-pies when I make them."
"This island produces the finest article in the world. It is a very oldspice, mentioned in the Old Testament, though I forget the name by which itis there called," added the Indian gentleman.
"But I did not suppose it grew on a tree; I had an idea it was a root."
"No; it is the inner bark of the trees before you. They are from twenty tothirty feet high, and are sometimes a foot and a half through. But thecultivated plant is not allowed to grow more than ten feet high. The leavesaverage five inches long, and taste more like cloves than cinnamon. Thereare two crops a year in Ceylon, the first in March, the last in November.The bark is taken off with considerable labor and care, and when it driesit curls up as you find your stick cinnamon."
"I used ground cinnamon," added the lady.
"It is the same thing, passed through the mill. Cassia is another speciesof cinnamon, and its oil is often substituted for the true oil; and verylikely you buy it ground for the real thing."
The experts explained some other plants, especially cinchona, one of themost valuable medicinal plants, from which Peruvian bark, quinine, andother drugs are made, in which the three doctors were much interested. Thecompany returned to the hotel; and after dinner the Italian band gave aconcert on the veranda, as they had done in every city where the touristsremained overnight, which called forth repeated rounds of applause from thecitizens of Colombo.
The next morning the travellers proceeded by railroad to Kandy, which SirModava insisted was the right way to spell it. The route was mostly throughan elevated region, and when they reached the place at noon they hadattained an elevation of 1,665 feet above the sea. They remained at Kandythree days, and were sorry the commander would not allow them to staylonger, for it was the most delightful region they had yet visited. Theywere in sight of the lofty mountains of the island before mentioned.
They found here the remains of ancient temples from one hundred and fiftyto four hundred feet high; and one of them was built to contain the shrineof Gautama's tooth, and another for his collar-bone, both of which theEnglish believe are frauds. Another was the Brazen Palace, nine storieshigh, and supported on sixteen hundred pillars. But most of the party tookno interest in these structures, they had seen so many more that werelarger, grander, and finer. They saw here the sacred Bo-tree, of which theyhad before been informed.
With great regret they left Kandy, and were soon in Colombo again. TheGuardian-Mother was announced to sail the next day early in the afternoon.The time for parting with Lord Tremlyn, Sir Modava Rao, and Dr. Ferrolanhad nearly arrived. The hosts of the party had provided a grand dinner forthe last one. The governor and a number of officials, the American consul,and others had been invited.
Lord Tremlyn presided with Captain Ringgold on his right; and after thefine dinner had been disposed of the commander was the person called uponto respond to the first toast, "The Guardian-Mother and her Passengers."The name announced was received with the most tremendous applause, and "Forhe's a jolly good fellow!" was sung by Englishmen, assisted by theAmericans, including the ladies.
Captain Ringgold began his speech, for which he had prepared himself, andreviewed the incidents which had occurred since the survivors of theTravancore had been taken from their perilous position. He set forth theobligations to which his passengers and himself were under to thedistinguished gentlemen who had conducted them through India. He wasfrequently interrupted by hearty applause, and his speech was as eloquentas it was sensible; and it was worthy a Senator in Congress.
Lord Tremlyn was equally eloquent in the acknowledgment of his obligations,and those of his friends, to the noble commander and his ship's company;and possibly he was a little extravagant in some things that he said, butthat was excusable on such an occasion. The next person presented was Mr.Louis Belgrave, who declared that he represented the "Big Four," whichpuzzled the strangers, though he explained the term and where it came from.The boys had been happy all the time. They admired and loved the noblegentlemen under whose guidance they had had six weeks of the best time inall their lives. When he said what he had to say, he approached thechairman with a large and handsome frame in his hand, containing atestimonial from the passengers, attested by the autographs of all, whichhe presented to Lord Tremlyn, with the best wishes of all the signers, whohad profited so extensively from their kindness, for the health, happiness,and length of days of the trio.
This ceremony, not set down in the programme, brought forth rapturousapplause and ringing cheers. The band played, and everybody seemed to beenjoying the happiest moment of his life. All the principal personages atthe table made speeches, of which the Indian reporters, if any werepresent, have not given in their reports. It was a remarkably joyousoccasion, and it was two o'clock in the morning when the banquet-hall wascleared.
All the forenoon was spent in exchanging the parting greetings. Both LordTremlyn and Sir Modava invited any or all of the party who might be inIndia or in England to visit them; and the commander and Mrs. Belgrave, aswell as the others, extended similar invitations to the three gentlemen.After tiffin, when the party started for the steamer that was to conveythem to the two ships, it seemed as though all the citizens of Colombo,with their ladies, had gathered to assist in the parting benedictions. Themilitary band alternated with the Italian, cheers without number rent theair, and the party had all they could do to return the salutes, and answerall the kindly words spoken to them by entire strangers.
The steamer cast off her fasts, and then the din was greater than ever. Theguests at the banquet went off to the ships, from the smoke-stacks of whichthe black smoke was pouring out, as if to emphasize the reality of thedeparture. All manner of courtesies were exchanged, but finally thepassengers were all on board of the Blanche and Guardian-Mother. A salutewas fired from the heaviest guns on both vessels, the screws began to turn,the final words were shouted, and the steamers stood to the southward.
It required some time to digest the sights the voyagers had seen in India;but when, a few days later, the Nickobar Islands were reported off the portbow, the "Big Four" began to think and wonder what new and strange climesthey were to visit. They were inclined to believe they had seen everythingthat was worth seeing in the civilized world, and they had some decidedviews of their own in regard to the future. They were eager to engage for atime in something more stirring than gazing at palaces, churches, temples,and other wonders of the great cities; and they were not diffident in theexpression of their wishes when the commander called a meeting inConference Hall to consider what ports the Guardian-Mother should visitnext, as well as to inform the tourists in regard to the islands in theimmediate vicinity. Those who are interested in the decision of thecompany, and in the events which followed in consequence of it, arereferred to the next volume of the series: "HALF ROUND THE WORLD; OR, SOMEADVENTURES AMONG THE UNCIVILIZED."
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