The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-17
H'IND00 KING ON BOARD
THE VESSEL STOPPED THREE HOURS
THAT HE MIGHT PRAY.

hSlO Ndo SlNdb SUI anu NNNiNNIllSllJ
among the passengers of the steamship
Bewa when we heard at Madras that his
highness, the maharaial (great king) of
Vi2ianagram was coming on board our
steamer with sixty attendants, bound for
Calcutta
We were also told that his highness had
paid several thousand rupees to the steam
ship company to have the steamer stopped
for three hours the first night, on which
there was to be an eclipse of the moon,
this being an event of very great import
anCe TO Hindoos, who celebrate 1t with
many ancient and curious ceremonies.
Now the Maharaiah Of Vizianagram is
one of the richest AND most important of
the native princes of India, so we were all
delighted at the prospect of seeing him,
and crowded round the gangway all the
morning, neglecting for once the luxurious
Anglo-lndian deck sofas, and even lunch
con itself, so anxious were we to catch the
first glimpse Of the famous maharaiah.
But like all eastern magnates, he evil
IDENTIFY liked style, for it was long after the
appointed time that the guns were at last
fired from the fort announcing his depart.
ure from Madras, and the royal boats were
seen coming from the shore.
ROYALTY on ITS TRAVELS.
We were not disappointed, for when the
mnharajah himself stepped on deck we all
thought we had never seen such hand
some man.
He is tall and very finely built, and has
most princely bearing. His skin, much
lighter than that Of the ordinary native, is
soft and fine, and his features are hand.
some and regular His magnificent black
eyes and thick mustacle complete the
beauty of his person. His highncss wore
| loose drawers of fine Indian muslin, and
vest, tuniC and scarf Of the same soft and
pretty material On his head he wore u
silver cap, and had beads around the neck.
The attendants were dressed in all sorts
of gay colored costumes, and many Of
them wore very handsome jewels, and
seemed to be very important personages.
Our captain was of course at the gang
way to receive the maharaiah, and to in.
troducc the first class passengers 10 him.
His highness shook hands with us all, and
was most gracious and pleasant. The cap.
tain then showed him into the cabins pre-.
pared for his use, and we saw him no more
that day.
"Well, I've been to sea near forty years.
but Pve never seen such goings on as this"
said an Old quartermaster with whom we
often had Il yarn, this ere ships got to
stop three mortal hours tonight just to let
u nigger king say what he calls his prayers.
He's a-goiug to draw up water with a
bucket with his own hands, and pour over
| biSga1f oul ba'g tn pI,,,yl. l4os -
gold and three of silver into the sea to
please the gods or some sich nonsense. |
only wish | was a shark to gobblo it up,
! that dor'
Sure enough, at midnight we were
awakened by the engines suddenly stop
| ping, but as no one but the maharajah
and his attendants were allowed on deck
we never got to know exactly what the
| ceremonies were.
TALKING WITH A KING.
| We heard next morning that steamer
of another line passed us in the night, and
| thinking we were in disabled condition,
signaled to us to ask whether she should
take us in tow.
! The following evening we had n concert
on deck, and the maharajah was among
/ the audience. After it was over he came
| up to me and paid me several kind compl-
/ ments on my singing, and then we had q
talk about music and he told me that his
| native singing was quite on different
| principle from ours. He said the sound
was produced entirely by the throat and
nose, and upon my expressing wish to
hear it, he Immediately sent for his first
singer, who, although in bed and asleep
when the message came, appeared on decl;
in few minutes,
The poor man squatted down before us,
and began singing away to order. The
| performance consisted of trills and shakes
/ wonderfully well executed, but as there
was no tune it soon became very mouoto.
| nous. Knowing that eastern concerts 90 on
I for hours and oven days together, after ex.
| pressing my admiration, | suggested to
| the maharajah that the singer looked very
! tired, and asked il he might not be allowed
/ TO go to bed again, and his higness cour
! teOusly aSsented.
A day or two after this, one Gf the lady
| passengers persuaded the maharaiah's
| jewel keeper to show us his highness'
jewelry, aud we all crowdedinto the deck
saloon to see the display. We were shown
several diamonds in rings and bracelets
which were larger than quarter, and one
or two emeralds especially one in II gor
geous bracelet which had belonged to the
Emperor Aurungzebe) were, am sure,
nearly as big as half dollar. There were
ever so many necklaces made of sapphires
and emeraIds and rubies strung together,
and many more of enormous pearls; and
these, think, were the most beautiful OF
all.
The jewel keeper told us that these were
only few Of the maharajah's ornaments,
which he took with him when travelling,
and We heard alterward that at ball
given at Government House his dress,
which was ablaze with diamonds, was the
topic Of conversation In society at Calcutta
for weeks.
Toward the end Of the nine days voyage
he began to Ool; very weak and i'll, and we
were told that he was forbidden by his re
ligon to eat any cooked food while at sen
so he ate nothing but dried figs and herlis
the whole voyage.
Before we parted the maharaiah beggcG
us to let him know when we should retur,.
to Calcutta, for we were en- route just then
for Burmah. And when we did come buck
he entertained us most Hospitality, and
begged us when we returned to India to
visit his palace ut Vzanagram.-Mr
David Ker in New York Epoch.
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