Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1884-05-03
How Lord Ripon is welcomed.
The VIeeroy's Hearty Reception by tn
Natives of India.

The VIcerOy's Hearty Reception by the
Natives OF India.
From the Lahore Gazette.1
might write till the end Of the chapter on
elephants with silver howdahs and trappings
| of gold, without giving your readers any idea
of the thirty three gorgeous beasts drawn up
to receive the viceroy yesterday evening out
side the Hazari Bagh. AS they swung to and
fro like ships at anchor, the sunlight lit up
gold stifened jheols and bsjewelled earrings
till the roadside seemed to be ablazs with all
the treasures of the arabian Nights,' and
the elephants themselves shone like gloriied
firefies. One poor beast, the white elephant
of Patiala was sick and unhappy beneath all
his fAery, and trumpeted ioloronsly at inter-
walls. The others seemed to understand per-
fectly their part in the coming pageant, and
behaved with solemn gravity most impress
sive to witness.
Side by side with the row of elephants
| stood some fifty fat, poor-fed horses, jeweled
and gilt wherever jewels and gilt could be ap-
piled. Their appearance was somewhat spoiled
by their huge neighbors, but they looked
| very handsome none the less. In front of
the horses were displayed silver and silver
gilt pafanquias and chairs-the delight of the
Patiala mob, who were freely permitted to
pat and appraise them. From the City Gate
to the Mott Bagh the Maharajah's troops
lined the way; the cavalry being stationed
furthest from the camp, and the first Patiala
regulars forming the guard round the tents.
Twenty minutes sufficed to arrange the
troops, and in the rush that followed the first
saluting gun from the fort, an Akhali, clad in
the orthodox blue and white and steel, and
mounted on the seediest of country tats,
gravely ''peacocked" up the whole length of
the mounted files and received the salutations
of some 500 Sikhs. After he had taken his
toll of reverence and many deep salaams, he
urged his pony out into the sandy road be-
yond the camp and disappeared across the
plain-to make room for the purely secular
power of the Burra Lat Sahib, who arrived
just after the sun had set. As soon as the
night drew on, rows upon rows of many
hued lamps were lighted in camp and down
the principal streets. and transpareneies of
the young Maharajsh and the Prince of Wales
blazed-out from the top of the Mott Bagh.
Pink, blue and yellow tights shone amid the
dark green LEAKAGE of the mango trees and
were reflected in the still tanks of the garden,
till the whole seemed 8 scene from fairy land
and Lord Ripon went to dine; ''good
Digestion let us hope, following on the
strains of the Patials band. The viceregal
tent Is crammed with all sorts of pretty
things, from Parian marble statuettes to pink
glass chandeliers and blue silk furniture.
Moreover, the state, in their solicitude for
Lord Ripon's we'll being, arranged the vice.
regal couch as follows: Imprimis, wool
mattress; second, feather ditto in chiselled
velvet; thirdly, red velvet quilted rezai;
fourthly, red and blue silk rezai; and
filthy, a brown and lilac rezai-all heavily
quilted and fitted for the rigors of an Arctic
winter. At night, here, one thin blanket is
even inconvenisntly warm, and, as opened
all the doors of my tent, wondered whether
court etiquette obliged our viceroy to sleep
upon or under all the quilts and coverings
enumerated above