The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-12
THE VICER0Y'S WELCOME.
Graphic Picture of Mr.. CurzOn's Re-
ceptiOn in Bombay.

q. W. Stevens, in London Mall.
The thud of three guns, dull in the lazy
air, told India that her fifteenth viceroy
was at her door, She awoke and FASTENED
to do him due honor
From the Arabia the sights of the shore
were muff1ed. like its sands, in the breath
less haze that expects the sun. We lay on
still, coorless water in a channel To port
were shadows of ships and presently, be-
hind them, a thicker bank of gray with the
white faces of ghosty buildings shone with
out lustre. But to the starboard the main
land of India raised itself it's elbow
against a horizon that every minute grew
roster. Broad belts of black and pink fired
and melted into liquid carmine the elbows
turned from gray to black, and the water
began to stir and laugh over mile of shin
ing dimpes. India was awake.
glance back from the launch showed
the Arabia at the very moment of awaken
ing. Along the dark hull three tiers of
sleepy yellow portfolios blinked at the shad-
owed water; above, every point, and spar,
and rope were picked out in the intensest
black against the crimson sky. The flags,
with which she was dressed from prov to
masthead and on to masthead again. and
from masthead to rail, being solemnly mo-
er and fneness. revealing unsupported
curves and angles, she had kept the fulness
of her beauties coquettishly, until the mo-
ment of goodbye
The other ships, as we stole past them,
turned in like manner from film to the clear
est Silhouette; each was decked with flags
sumptuously. On nearing the shore the dim
shapes of buildings cleared, separated and
combined into tall, White-limbed city,
warming and blushing like a bride. The
launch stopped at q pier beneath a white and
amber pavilion. Then suddenly the sun shot
up behind the mainland, welcoming refiec-
lions sprang everywhere to meet hlm, the
world pulsed with color. And was stand
ing In India.
The pavilion was spread partly on Vene-
tian masts, partly on living trees, but their
trunks were wrapped around with white and
amber also, lest anything dirty should
smirch the new Viceroys gaze. Down the
middle ran a broad aisle. on each side of
it a battalion of chairs at the top, above
the water, was a clear space for the most
notable people, and a triumphal arch in
the shape of tower. hedge of shrubs
around the whole lent it the air of flower
show. Outside these, again, was hedge of
native police-little sturdy, brown men in
navy blue, with bare legs, and sandals and
the island side We're British military police
in white regulating the traffic
l looked down the broad avenue that led
into Bombay vista of white shining
palaces set in green, tier and gable and tur-
ret climbing skywards out of massed trees.
But before there was time to do more than
look, company or two of British infantry
march up cool to the eye in their white uni
forms, stiffened into line and grounded arms
with a rattle along one side OF the pavilion
Directly on that arrived the rulers OF Bonn
bay.
They made a strange blending of splendor
and shabbiness. Clear-skinned men and
bright-eyed women drove up in Victorias
that showed more dust than paint; a serV
ant in gorgeous livery was on the box and
the stuffing was coming out OF the horse
collar. The white men and women wore
white, as befitted the freshness of the golden
morning; even generals and colonies showed
no other color than the ribbons OF many
campaigns on their breasts. The dark and
gold and nay al Uniforms and court dress, the
epaulets of the very consuls looked dull in
the simmer of the sun. But the rich
natives paid for ALL They shone in the gath
ering crowd like rainbows There were
women in purple and yellow green draper
les, servants in flaming scarlet, masters
ablaze with bullion and Jewels.
Nothing was too respondent for their
mOdesty or too homogeneous for their taste.
A black gown like a clergyman's spec
tacled face under a black Oilcloth cap-its
shape like two hats, one balanced upside
down on top of the other-only threw up
the neighboring butterfly in a peaked turban
of vermilion and gold, ring in his ear with
a bloated bunch of pearls and emeralds,
strings of pearls round his neck and gold
embroidered muslin blouse which died away
-alasl-below the waist into shrunken
pyjamas. no socks, and broken elastic7sided
boots with frayed tabs tapping moodily be-
hind him. Beside this vision of radiance
you could hardly see the gentleman in
frock coat and a deerstalker, and the eagle
nosed yellow youth in reach-me-doWn blue
striped fiannels was barely saved from eX-
tinctiOn by the green and crimson embrold-
cry on his purple velvet smoking cap. Every
race, every creed, every color every style
the rajah with his diamonds and the thin
legged sweeper outside in the street-they
grouped themselves to present to the new
Vceroy a living epitome of the hundred
headed problem that awaits MIN.
Boom! came the first gun from the, white
war ship, the first of thirty-One. launch
flickered across the dazzling water; he was
coming. Along the parapet glided funnel
and the point of flagstaff. The uniforms
tered at the head of the steps. They stood
for a minute, two, three, in the Dunched
but shifting group that means greeung ana ana
Queen crashed the band; all stood uncov-
cred; and the new yiceroy stepped serenely
into his government.
You need to stand close to Lord Curzon of
KedlestOn before you realize that he is big
man. Neither height nor depth nor breadth
strike you at once, yet all are somewhat over
the average. What you see first in his face
is the fresh complexion; he is as rosy and
smooth anu bright as a country staple lad
just from under the pump Snort close
whskers and a clean-shaven mouth and chin
assist that profane comparison, but at the
second glance the forehead and brow arrest
you and pronounce him a man of mind.
Most. people dislike a man who looks cleverer
than themselves bat the new viceroy's rud-
he speaks deliberately, but without hesita-
ton, giving the air of a man invincibly self
possessed, yet conscious of some shyness,
cautious and calculating, yet resolute to de-
eide, on a clear course and to steer it.
He walked along the aisle, bowling to one
and shaking hands with another, smiling
but mindful of his supreme dignity. Having
passed to the center, he paused, for the
municipality of Bombay had address
ready for him. eyes released fell for mo-
ment on the vice-reine, very calm, also
very tall and very stately, queenly in face
and figure, and also queenly in gracious
ness
The procession closed up, and an interval
of dead silence limited that Mr.. Bhalchandra
Krishna was delivering his address. But
when it was over and the viceroy began to
reply, even behind him to the far end of
the marquee you could hear almost every
word. The speech is published by now; its
most remarkable feature is ITS prudent re-
straint. Nobody expected a viceroy to COM
nit himself within half an hour after his
landing, and curiosity centered on his man
ner. The voice was penetrating without be-
ing powerful, as of a man who has had TO
embellsh the raw material of oratory by
study and practice; the periods were round
due to the formaHty of the occasion.
Clapping of hands; it was over and the
procession was moving again. All natives
present stood on chairs. There was a
GLIMPSE of a gray, tail hat bowling from a
Carriage the scrunch of wheels, white and
red lancepennons wheeling into column be-
hind them Bombay was satisfied that the
new governor general is not likely to speak
or haar hiYpGRlf otherwise than a bOrn