New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-06
PICTURES OF INDIA.
A RUSSO FRENCH mITATOR or PIERRE
LOTT

translation now published appears In advance
Of the edition in the original language To look
for a Russians point OF view in the book is to be
disappointed. The ideas those of almost any
clever traveller Of almost any nationality. But
there is a strong infusion Of Lott in the book.
which would probably be more noticeable IN the
| French edition but is noticeable enough III tins
| one. Prince KarageOrgeyitch emulates his
French model be it said chiefly on the side Of
, method. In his tone he is, on the whole, Tree
from that quiet melancholy so dear to the au-
| thor OF Madame Chrysantheme," lie Desert
and a dozen other delicately morbid books oar
Russian impressonist is content to render with
the pictorial Gnesse Of al artist the things that
he sees; his reflections are Of no great moment.
! India to him is "icnchanted,' we gather. because
il is a strange, picturesque and fascinating spec
tace. He sees the country as IN a VlSi"h ana
| paints It as 50 much light and shade, 50 much
! mysterious color, now blazing and 10" vague
ana mysterious. Re it said, however, that he
does not allow this artistic treatment OF ms
material TO bcGuile him into an arbitrary srIec-
ton Of t. Tho grim facts as wei as the beauties
Of the land come within his scope, as may be
judged from this passage on the plague.
| "Colaba is the port; the docks, with tall houses
between the enormous warehouses. The silence
is appalling; windows doors all are closed.
shine. with haudkclchicfs over their mouths TO
protect them against Tho infection In these
streets, whence came the plague which stole
at first through the suburbs nearer and nearer
to the heart Of the city, driving the madi"ucd
populace before Il. ono morning quantity OF
dead rats were found lying Oh the ground. next
some pigeons and fowls. Then man died Of n
strange malady-an unknown disease. ana then
others before il was known that they were 'F"n
ILL., \ little fever. little swelling under the
arm 81 u the throat, or on The groin-and IN
: forty-orht hours tn. patient was dead. Tn"
mysterious disease spread and Increased every
day the vi. TINS were more and more numerous;
/ an occult and treaohorous evil. come n""' hh'"
/ whence. At first il was attributed a. some dates
imported from Syria to some corn brought from
/ 10 ,ouutr,: the dates were destroyed th' corn
thrown into the sea, but the scourge went on
/ and increased hcrllded by terror and woe"
Writing 81 tins sort may not be particularly
brilliant but i certainly has the great merit
J If beng vivid and t'rs' II Is. in fact ms
faculty for bong Effectively descriptive within
narrow limits that makes Prince karae'orEc-
watch interesting Mr. KpIus. treating the
gam. fl..u.-. has d.so shown tin transccud'ut
advantages Of hr,yIty, bat b. Is conlcss"dly
ilain sIok j.. direct magician. cont"aIng he
meath sy.. almost blunt and sometimes brutal
tho art II which hc is such u master II speaks
much for III, ability and tact Of the present
author that Will. rather haunting ms art he
does not dc go at the expense Of truth but MN
rl,s Iudoiou,ly the charm ot the things be sees
with Ia. charm Of his Wy OF looking At them.
At F,uarcs h. CONFUSED thu follo"lrB lliuini-
mating sketch Of curious and cnthraling scene:
From the top Of the observatory, where m
| struucuts an ont # order. are to DE seen on ia.
deserted terraces a staircase III a haf circle OF
etoueWork leads straight NJ to IN" open SKY,
and there the cy. H. daZzlcd 10y the We" or
I}.uarcs All spread out below. TIA" vast bt{ 81
/ yellow stone. IN" cup"las Of it, temples ana Us
palaces stretching far along IN" 'iahF'S. "hI'h
slowly rolls its milky green waters under a SKY
nt almost nearly Wilderness and m the distance
tn, grassy plain Of bright emerald green. lost
nm th, horizon that thTohe with heat Every
tLlu., MAS wrapped M halo rather than a haze.
family blue with the smoke that went up from
The. funeral piles of ID" IlinIoo dead
W" sailed past the holy city m "A heavy,
massive junk, the Prov formed "f a sn"he
with it's head erect and jaws yaWnhg. down
| the t;augcg all upplcd with ros" ana bIu'.
Palaces and more palaces. with thck walls anu
towers that look like bastons stand IN per-
spcctiSo far az the eye can see. WINDOWS
and balconies are cut IN the pondcfous masonry
al the level of ia" third floor. ana hIEh above
these raJahs' dwellings rise the d"n's "i tue
/ temples. pointing skyWaid, among tan u',S
that spread THEN shade on the ruSSct Stohc"oik
Al the foot ~ the, palaces. steps lead down 10
the river divided by htl, stages covered WIN
wicker umbrellas that shine in tn" sun IKE liShS
# gold. under these, Irahinins dii'I ba'h"t,
were telling their beads. Now ana again ury
d,upod their fingers in the sacred waters ana
moistcncd their eyes, forehead, and bps.
II ,yas al Ecnarce that our traveller witnessed
onc If the oldest and most interesting practices
Of IN. East ON, Of the temple servants filled
tub with water and then Sprinkl"i powdered