The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-06-16
A YOUNG INDIAN PRINCE
From Good Words.


Indian sovereign prince, the Mahara-
jah of KclapOor.
1t was the first time that q reigning
Hindoo had ever ventured to travel
SO far, and the journey was q 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 q
degree of resolution which it 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 IN English
tutor and an officer of the Indian sci.
vice residing with him spoke English
well and had acquired a certain kn0wl-
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. o.
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 II it had
been just ripened by the sun, not
scorched black; the eyes very lafge
lustrous, without much expression;
and q 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 a 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 q kind
of dark green cloth coat, with q Curl
GUS edifice on his head, formed of rolls
of red muslin twisted into thin coils,
without which Re 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, curiously mixed with the Orien-
tai depth of respect and leverance with
which they treated him.
He was already married, and child
had been born to him previous to his
departure. "Only o GIRL" however,
much to his disappointment, as
daughter could not inherit, The
Mahrattas are monogamists; but SOW
ereigns and 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
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 exces-
sive. The Rajah himself accepted a
bed, but slept on the outside Of it,
wrapped in a manificient 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
ablutions 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 in
the arrangements concerning food.
Not only must the killing and the
cooking be done by the hands of the
orthodox, but the passing ofthe shad-
Ow of fany but a "twice born" 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, a tall, hand
some fellow, clad in brown cloth, with
q red turban like his masters the
scook," of rather darker shade, in
white garments, with red fez; and
third tall fellow, whom the English
servants nicknamed "the kitchen
maid,n in blue, with o 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,
squatting with their multitudinOus
copper vessels, big and little, without
handles, used alike to cook on the
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 liberal
in giving away their food, to which
the cloves, curry powder, ETC., which
they used for everything alike, gave
certain sameness of firery taste al
most intOlerable to Western palates,
but which was otherwise very good.
They all ate with their fingers, but
scrupulously washed their hands af-
terward. The rest of the day the at
tendants sat mumching cloves and
nuts of various descriptions, smoking
from a common pipe, which each
passed on after taking a sin le Whit.
One of them was always left on guard
less the vessels, ETC., should be touch
ed, and so defiled. They were ex-
tremely intelligent, and showed them
selves very quick in cOmprehending
everything with little language but
that of signs by those who had to deal
with them.
A morning room was given up to
Balah, with an entrance on the gar
den, through which his meats were
| brought without danger of contamina-
| tion-the cook in his white garments
his feet bare on the rough gravel, but
| his head scrupul0usly covered (Indi-
| an respect is shown in a way exactly
| the opposite Of European manners),
bearing it alOft on one hand, the
arm bent back, a little tray covered
with napkin. The Rajah was ex-
tremely Kind and courteous, making
very pleasantly such pretty little
speeches as his meter of Prince requir-
ed. 81 am enamored Of your garden"
he said to the recture's wife, as she
showed him her parterres.. He had
even got up the little bits of society
"slapg," and declared he had "enjoy-
ed the visit immensely He played
eagerly atcroquet, and the wide, green
English lawn under the shadow of
| the trees was an oasis of common in.
terest for the dusky little Eastern
Prince, and the fair haired, fair COM
plexioned Western girls and children,
| very curious to watch and consider
amongst the dearth Of points where in
tercourse was possible; while at a re-
spectful distance his three attendants
stood following the success of their
masters strokes with extreme interest.
| Aajaram was an heir only by adop-
ton, as the previous sovereign of Kol-
| apOor had no son. He succeeded to
the principality about two years ago.
The little state contains about mil
1 Al e. e., H. 40,