Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-08-01
NIGHTS IN TIE I9rH
CENTURY.

When the breeze Of joyful dawn
blew free in the silken sails of cAill-
hood who had not wandered into that
delightful fairy land of the Arabian
nights? The golden prime" OF good
Haroun Alraschid is no more; many a
revolving lustre has come and gone
since his "goodly tlme;' but years have
wrought little change Ill the habits of
the east its gorgeousness is as rich MS
ever, and still it showers on its kings
"barbaric pearl and gold" Railways
intersect the land Of the sun, and the
bulbul is startled by the shrek Of the
locomotive; the competition wallah re-
poses under the solemn palms "un-
wood OF sumner wind - the Union
Jack has for many day Hoated in the
blue of "the deep sphere overhead :"
colleges for the training OF young Iu-
dian aristoerats have been established,
and are well attended, yet immemorial
customs not only linger but live all over
the east, Notwithstanding the western
light which system, and rule, and coll
lege, and travel have borne over the
lAIlhu OGtau VI N|AINU "N4OS9 'AS NA"'-
less sea.
A marriage took place towards the
close of April in the town Of Bhowuug-
CUR, in the kattywar peninsula, which,
illustrates the pertinaclty OF customs
in India, and gives us at once a curious
and interesting picture of native lie.
Bhownuggur Is town distant from
Bombay about 200 miles, is the capital
of state bearing the same name--a
state whose ruler is his Highuess Tux,
hutsiugh Juwuntsing, whose official ii.
tie is Thakore The Thakore completed
on the 10Th of April his seventeenth
year, and is consequently a minor 0c-
cording to British notions, and, there
fore, holds his state under administra-'
tors. But according to native ideas he
is every inch a man and a ruler, and
hence the poor young fellow had to
marry four wives on the very day he
came of age. To marry four wives
even in the east on the same day is a
most unusual thing, and the reason Why
he was bound to take four better halves
will be made plain by and by. Mean
while let us attend the ceremony and
hasten to Bhownuggur.
it is the 18th Of April and We can
scarcely move in Bhownuggr for the
crowds who are making holiday, and
rejoicing with gayety OF dem5a
and richness of colOring that make a
Roman carnival seem tame. And well
may there be this huge con- estion OF
festivity-sounds and sights of JOY on
all sides, and stretching and vibrating
far-for the rejoicing is produced by
fourfold action, and four brides are be-
ing honored today. The Thakore mar.
ries ID the daughter of the Great Chief
of Wudwan, a princess fourteen years
old; (2) the sister Of the heir apparent
of The Gondul dynasty, who IS only
fifteen years old; (3) the sister Of the
father of the reigning Chief of Nanka-
neer aged twenty-five; and i4) the
daughter Of very opulent landowner
of Dank, at Talaia, aged only ten or
eleven years. Wudwan was the first wife,
as in her veins there flowed the " buest
blood" while Gondul, the second, is
not only the Notwithstanding brought
an immense dowery--but the most
pleasant to her husband. Wonderful 10
relate, she can "read a little English
and desires to learn to play on the
piano" Long before this auspicious
10Th dav of April the festivities con-
nected with the fourfold wedding COM
r,enced the brides having to be brought
from their respective homes by the
trnsty retainers despatched with all de
formality by the young Thakore. Then
came the professions and marches and
counter. er.marches by sunlight and star
LIGHT. aud the torches blazing, and the
long bray of the beralding horn, and
behind the "dancers dancing in tune. "
What picture Millais would have made
of it all The Thakore's mounted and
foot guards; the huge elephants, fling
ing about their trunks and staggering
nnder their howdahs of blue and gold !;
the camels and palfreys the drummers,
with their tom toms; the royal chariot
followed by an intelminable line Of car
riages, and on all sides the masses OF
Bhownugger admiring the rich robes of
the courtiers, their gold and tinsel flash
ing and ilickering in the sun, the horses
and camels dyed of various hues and
patterns, fantastic or grotesque, the
flags fiounting the blue sky, the gar
lands and plates of gold on vermilion-
streaked buffaloes which drew the lesser
nobility. Bat there were many things
the crush of Millais would be power
less to render in this Oriental scence,
and he would have to ask the imagina
ton ton Of the spectator to supply the buzz
of myriad voices, the shrieks of pipe
aud twaug of guitar, the bray of the
trumpet. the trump of the drum, the
laughter and gay talk of the courtiers
and of the Raiah himself, who seems to
be a very pleasant fellow. There was
! a, - 4.s..,,lk ,u1 oo1or and onPpa-