The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-04-19 00:00:00

A LADY'S LETTER FROM INDIA.

Under the above heading, The Times gives the followin
description of a "Visit to a Ranee"
You ask what F. has to do? But that is rather a
difficult question to answer. There is such a variety
in his work. He is like a judge and governor com-
bined. His chief object in coming to these far-off
regions in the provinces is to look after the Rajahs
and fee that they ate managing their territories and
people properly. At this present moment he is acting
as Judge on a murder ca-,e ; the Rajah cnamitted the
man, but the Rajah cannot give a sentence of death;
two years' imprisonment is all the punishment they
are allowed to give. So this case among others has
waited for F.'s coming, and he has a lot of trouble-
some questions to settle about the property of some
Ranees, the mother and stepmothers of the present
young Rajah. Four of them are alive an fighting
about their villages and possessions.
We have been travelling with two Rajahs, a regent,
and some brothers of theirs for the last tea days. The
Rajahs are quite young-21 and 22. The one to whom
this part of the country belongs is very nice and very
good. looking, and speaks a little English; his house is
here, and he came in two days before us in order to
make preparations. He gave us a great reception.
We found arches erected, flags flying, and gay devices
all about, rows of elephants and horsemen; and as we
entered his gates music and dancing began, cannons
were fired, and his body-guar rattled away various
volleys in most disorderly style.

Our tents were pitched in one of his gardens, and he
received us there and introduced various brothers and
relations to us. He dresses quite differently from any
native I have seen, and in excellent taste. His cos-
tume that day was black and gold, turban and all.
I sent my salaams to his Ranee, and told him I should
be very glad to go and see her, at which he professed
great delight; and se we settled that I should pay my
visit at six o'clock in the evening. F. went at four o'clock
and returned all the calls he had from him in our tents.

The Rajah has two little children; the eldest, about
four, and another little boy were with their father
when he arrived, and they both came with me and
stayed in my tent while F. and the Rajah went and
looked over the gaol. The little rajah boy is a dear,
pretty little fellow, very good, with wonderful man-
ners—a ridiculous imitation of his father's stateliness;
the child most carefully made the most profound sa-
laams. He was dressed in a gorgeous little gold and
crimson brocaded coat, little gold and black trousers, gold
embroidered shoes and cap. I did not know what to
amuse them with, but there was a tin of English biscuits
on the table and I gave them each one. They had no
idea what they were, when I told them they were to
eat, and ate one myself. Directly the small rajah
understood they were for eating, he threw it away
with a face of disgust. I supposed it was his high-
caste horror of eating what had not been prepared by his
own people; but the other boy wrapped up the
biscuit in his pocket handkerchief and carried it off
with him.

At six- o'clock I set off in my tonjon for the palace,
hardly five minutes' off; two of the Itljah's brothers
and some attendants having come to escort me. My
ayah came too, to her great delight, as she was most
anxious to see a Ranee, and the inside of the house.
I got out in a great courtyard, temporarily covered
in, where F. was received two hours before. The
Rajah was there grandly dressed, in a splendid long
gol,l embroidered mantle. We stayed there a short
time, and then he led me through various passages
and vestibules to the foot of a narrow winding stone
staircase. Up this I went, the Rajah following, and
I entered suddenly into a brilliantly lighted long
room, at one end full of bright coloured figures. In
the middle of the room, on one side against the wall,
was a great velvet and gold embroidered armchair, a
velvet embroidered carpet, and a kind of velvet covered
altar before it all, on which were various silver dishes,
&c.

The Rajah begged me to Beat myself in the chair,
and then he introduced his eldest sister, a pretty girl
of 16, unmarried, so her face was fully disclosed, and
two other younger ones, and his youngest child of 18
months. Then his Ranee came f .rward, enveloped
fr ,m head to foot and all over her face in folds upon
folds of thick crimson gauze, gold embroidered with
stars, and a deep gold border. She salaamed deeply,
but she could not possibly see me. I, of course, re-
sponded, and spoke, but the Ranee never uttered a
syli able.
Then, suddenly, in rushed two figures, and to my
astonishment threw themselves down at my feet, weep-
ing and wailing loudly and bitterly. There were
dressed quite differaitly from the other women, and
wore no jewelry, only long white sheets all over them.
I asked the Rajah who they were and what it all
meant, and he said they were his mothers and cried
because of his father's death. However I believe
that was only part of the programme, and there were
really no tears; but his own mother certainly got into
a state of excitement and worked herself up into a
sort of frenzy.
On throwing themselves at my feet, they each threw
a handful of old gold coins into my lap. The Ranee
also came forward and gave me some. Then the Rajah
said he would leave me for a little while. Directly he
left the room, two more Ranees, the wives of his two
brothers, came in dressed like the Maharanee, only in
mauve ; they also brought coins. I begged the
Maharanee and Ranees to let me see their faces, so two
or three ayahs went to each of them and lifted up and
opened out the veils. The Maharanee is very young
and is pretty, with beautiful eyes; but her face was so
covered with jewelry, .i. could hardly see it. Her
forehead was hung with glittering ornaments, and in
her nose there was an enormous ring, with a gold sort
of fringe hanging from it. The other two had nearly
as much jewelry on them; they are all pretty in their
way, and almost like children tolook at. The husbands
of the two Ranees are only 16 and 18 years old.
After a short time alarm was given that tae Rajah
was returning, sa instantly the two Ranees muffled up
their faces and ran away. The Rajah then came and
sat down near me.

Before he cam, the two widows who were squatting on
the floor by my side thrust each a paper into my hands,
but said nothing. I knew at once that it was a peti-
tion to F. about their property. The Rajah asked me
if I had seen his sisters-in-law and if they had shown
me their faces, and if I had seen his Ranee, and I
said "Yes." I had, but I should like to see his Rane a's
face again, if she would let me; so he made her lift
up her veil, but she was dreadfully shy, and would
not look up. Then, after talking a little longer, I
wanted to go, but the Rajah stopped me, and the
Ranee came forward and put some horrid scent on me,
and then, before I knew what she was about, she
fastened a great heavy gold necklace round my neck.
I begged her to undo it and take it off (as I did not
understand the fastening); but he insisted on my
keeping it, and also all the gold coins, which I tried to
return, but he would not hear of it, but tied them up
in a handkerchief and gave them to my ayah to carry.
I told him I would show them to the sahib, but I
could not keep them; I must send them bagir.

So there my visit ended and the Rsjah escorted me
down to my tonjon. When I got back to our tents I
found another Regent (who is acting for a mad Rsjah
and his eon) sitting with F. This Regent is also
related to the R9.jah of this part. We are afterwards
going into his country. I then showed them the coins
and the necklace, and we told the Regent we could
not keep them and asked him to take charge of them
and return them. I was obliged to let him unfasten
the necklace, as he said be understood it, and neither
of us did, nor my ayah. I could then see it for the
first time, Lnd I was dreadfully sorry tc) have to give it
back, It was very curious and very handsome, with
large uncut rubies and emeralds in it.
Late in the evening the Rajah came in again to see
and then F. told me we could not receive sueh
valuable presents. I suppose presents are accepted
sometimes, but they never should be.
No English lady has ever been seen in these parts
before, so I am stared at as rather a curiosity.