Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-07-01
A YOUNG INDIAN PRINCE
From 6ood Words,

there came to us last summer young
Indian sovereign prince, the Mahara-
jah of KclapoOr.
1t was the first time that relgning
HindOo had ever ventured TO travel
so far, and the journey was a great
event among his people, who were
much distressed at the idea Of his
crossing the sea. The whole UNDER
} taking was one, indeed, requiring a
degree of resolution which 1t Is diff
cult for us to realize. He belonged,
however, to the Mahratias, who are
more enterprising than most races Of
the HindoOs. He had had an English
tutor and an officer of the Indian sci =
vice residing with him spoke English
well and had acquired certain knOwl-
edge of modern history and Of the
politics and statesmen of the day,
which enabled him TO be interested in
the conversation going on around
him.
He was barely twenty, though he
looked much older; small made man
with extremely slender hands and
feet, his complexion of that pleasant
ly brown color which looks as il it had
been Just ripened by the sun, not
scOrched black; the eyes very large
lustrOus, without much expression;
and a contemplative, rather child
like look; his white teeth shone brill
liantly, however, when he spoke and
lighted up the dark face.
A kindly, gentle young prince, not
wanting in intelligence, with sort of
easy dignity, as of one used to be obey
ed, but apparently quite cOntented to
remain languidly in the place where
he happened to be, so that one won
dered the more to see him venturing
so far from home.
He was ordinarily dressed in kind
Of dark green cloth coat, with a Curl
Gus edltice Oh his head, formed of rolls
of red muslin twisted into thin coils,
without which he was never seen in
public, any more than Louis XIV.
without his wig. He would have con-
sidered it an act Of rudeness on his
part TO show himself bareheaded
though he pulled off lis turban when
with his own people only. He had
never been seen alone in his life, and
used to sit chatting and laughing with
his attendants on terms of perfect
ease, curiousIy mixed with the Orien-
tai depth otrespect and leverance with
which they treated him.
Hewas already married, and child
had been born to him previous to his
departure. "Only a GIRL" however,
much to his disappointment, as a
daughter could not inherit, The
Mahrattas are monogamists; but SOW
ereignsand very great chiefs are some
times, though for reasons of state poll
cy, allowed by the 'sages' to take a
second wife.
He had expressed wish to see ordi-
nary country life in England, and ac-
cordingly went to pay visit in q
country home. He came attended by
three OF his thirteen native servants,
his English footman, and the English
officer who accompanied him every
where; but the accommodation requir-
ed for the native suite was not excess
sive. The Rajah himself accepted a
; bed, but slept on the outside Of it,
wrapped in q maniticient pelisse OF
scarlet cloth embroidered with gold.
The attendents lay in rugs on the floor
in their masters room and the dress
ing room adjoining. His religious
ablutlons every morning were long
aud most scrupulously performed.
Everything about him was kept with
great cleanliness and nicety-but to
be touched by no intrusive housemaid.
There was at first some difficulty i'll
the arrangements concerning food.
. Not only must the killing and the
cooking be done by the hands Of the
, orthodox, but the passing 1fthe shad-
ow ofany but a "twice bornn over
the result, when prepared, would
render it unfit to eat. All approach
, during these operations is warded of
most energetically.
A small garden house having been
cleared out, Dunderbar, q tall, hand
some fellow, cladin brown cloth, with
a red turban like his masters the
"cook," of rather darker shade, in
white garments, with red fez; and q
!, third tall fellow, whom the English
servants nicknamed "the kitchen
maid,n in blue, with a turban, en-
camped there with an immense chest
! which they brought with them, They
built their charcoal fire in the corner
) and established themselves beside it,
,, squattiDg with their multitudlnous
! copper vessels, big and little, without
handles, used alike to cook on TIE
fire and to fetch water, as they would
use none which they did not them.
selves draw at the well.
, They brought their own rice, spices
! meat, and flour with them, and ac
cepted nothing but live fowls, eggs
! and vegetables; they were very liberia
: ! in giving away their food, to which
the cloves, curry powder, ETC., which
they used for everything alike, gave
: o certain sameness of tirery taste al
). most intolerable to Western palates
but which was otherwise very good
= They all ate with their fingers, bu
: ! scrupulously washed their hands af
! ! terward. The rest of the day the at
: : tendants sat munching cloves ant
!, nuts Of various descriptions, smoking
from q common pipe, which eacl
7 passed on after taking q single Whit
y One of them was always left on guar
less the vessels, ETC., should he touch
!, ed, and so defled. They were ex
T tremely intelligent, and showed them
u selves very quick In cOmprehendin;
' everything with little Language bu
that of signs by those who had to dea
with them.
A morning room was given up +
Il Balah, with an entrance ON the gar
/. den, through which his meats wer
p brought without danger Of cOntamina
J tion-the cook in his white garment
j. his feet bare on the rough gravel, bu
70 his head scrupulpusly covered (Indi
|. an respect is shown in n way exactl,
v the opposite of European manners
o bearing it alOft on one hand, til
arm bent back, a little tray covere
!. with a napkin. The Rajah was eS
tremely kind and courteous, maxim
T. very pleasantly such pretty littl
II speeches as his meticrof Prince reuull
"a ed. ~ am enamored of your garden,
ID he said to the recture's wife, as sh
T. showed him her parterres. He ha
le even got up the little bits of societ
10 ''slang," and declared he had "enjOy
ed the visit immenselym He playe
Of eagerly atcroquet, and the wide, gree
10 English lawn under the shadow ,
r the trees was an oasis of common il