The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-06-29
A YOUNG INDIAN PRINCE
From Good Words.


from the most distant parts of the
world into that Alexandria Of the
West-London the cosmopolitan
there came to us last summer young
Indian sovereign prince, the Mahara-
jah of Kclapoor.
1t was the first time that reigning
Hindoo had ever ventured to travel
so far, and the journey was great
event among his people, who We're
much distressed at the idea OF his
crossing the sea. The whole under
taking was one, indeed, requiring u
degree of resolution which it Is dill
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
poIitics 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 if it had
been just ripened by the SUM-, not
scorched black; the eyes very large
lustrous, without much expression;
and a contemplative, rather child
like look; his white teeth shone bril-,
liantly, however, when he spoke ana
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 venturlng
so far from home.
He was ordinarily dressed in u kind
of dark green cloth coat, with q curl
Gus ediiice Oh his head, formed of rolls
of red muslin twisted into thin coils,
without which he was never seen III
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 kareheaded
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 % girl" however,
much to his disappointment, as q
daughter could not inherit, The
Mahrattas are monogamists; but SOW
erelgns 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 II
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 Rsjah himself accepted a
bed, but slept on the outside Of it,
wrapped in q 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 III
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 any but "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, tail, hand
some fellow, cladin brown cloth, witt
q red turban like his masters the
"coOk," of rather darker shade, il
white garments, with red fez; and {
third tall fellow, whom the Englisl
servants nicknamed "the kitchen
maid" in blue, with turban, en-
camped there with an immense ches
which they brought with them. They
built their charcoal fire in the corner
and established themselves beside it
squatting with their multitudin ou'
copper vessels, big and little, withou
handles, used alike to cook on TIE
fire and to fetch water, as they woull
use none which they did not them
selves draw at the well.
They brought their own rice, spices
meat, and flour with them, and nc
cepted nothing but live fowls, eggs
and vegetables; they were very liberia
in giving away their food, to whicl
the cloves, curry powder, etc, which
they used for everything alike, gave
o 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 munching cloves and
nuts of various descriptions, smoking
from q common pipe, which each
passed on after taking single Wifi,
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 dea
with them.
A morning room was given up tC
BaJah, with an entrance on the gar
den, through which his meats were
brought without danger of contamina
tion-the cook in his white garment.
his feet bare on the rough gravel, bu
his head scrupulously covered Qndi
an respect is shown in a way exactly
the opposite of European manners)
bearing it aloft OH one hand, tht
arm bent back, a little tray covered
with napkin. The Rajah was ex
tremely kind and courteous, maxim.
very pleasantly such pretty littl,
speeches as his n,etierof Prince requir
ed. II am enamored of your garden,
he said to the recture's wife, as sh,
uLored him her parterrcs. He hat