The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-28
By MICHAEL G. WHITE.

All eyes of the Anglo-Saxon nations
will be turned this week toward that
most ancient of capitals, Delhi, where
an American woman, surrounded by
all the pomp and ceremonials possible
in this enlightened and luxurious age,
will represent the Queen of the nation
upon which the sun never sets.
The woman is Lady Curzon, nee
Daisy Letter, now Vicereine of India,
and the occasion will be the grand
durbar, or proclamation, of Edward
VII as Emperor of India.
1t is said that the functions attend
ant upon this event will far surpass
the durbar at which Queen Victoria
was proclaimed Kaisar-i-Hind. While
all official duties will fall to the task
the social pageant will be his wife.
This gracious representative of the
newest nation of power will stand
where once the jewel-crusted Peacock
Throne represented the greatest splen-
dor the world has ever seen. And
here progress and peace will stand in
the shadow of superstitions and bar
barisms that pass belief.
To the magnificent pavilion in the
city of tents erected outside the walls
for the actual ceremony of the procla-
nation will come kings and princesses
whose ancestors were mighty rulers
when the land of the monarch repre-
scented by Lord CurZon and his Ameri-
can wife was the abode of savageS.
While the guns thunder salutes, in
succession will appear a train of Ma
wabs and Maharajas to present the
jewel-encrusted hits of their swords in
token of their allegiance to the Vice
regal representatives of British sover-
eighty.
A $5,0OO,OOO Jewel Mantle.
One dazzling personality will be
the Maharaja Galkwar of Baroda, who
will wear his state mantle of woven
pearls with it's Arabesque border of
diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sap
phires, whose value, estimated by a
famous London jeweler, is $4,000, 900.
A deeper significance, however, Will
attach to the moment when the Vice
roy and Vicereine enter the palace of
the Moguls to hold the Chapter of the
Knights of the Star to India, the
levee and the ball, as part of the fes-
tivities. Then, in sentiment at least,
they will represent the mighty power
once swayed by the great Moguls,
Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and
Aurangzeb. but now in the holding OF
King Edward VII.
AS Lord and Lady Curzon pass un-
der the great gate of the palace a
reflection can scarcely fail to hover
in their minds of the wondrous scenes
those walls have witnessed-scenes of
splendor unparalleled in the worlds
history; of gruesome fratricidal
crimes; of love stories beautiful and
tragic, and of merciless butcheries, for
the jewel-encrusted steps of the Mo-
guls Peacock Throne have been liter
ally swamped in blood.
In the great hall of the Diwan-i-am,
where Anglo-Saxon feet are to trip
merrily to the strains of Anglo-Saxon
music, Shah Jahan, the most magnifi-
cent OF the MoguIs, was wont to give
public audience daily. Here gathered
all the generals and mobiles of the EN-
pire then. in Delhi, while without. in
the vast court, thousands Of people
were assembled. Presently, amid the
roll OF drums and clash OF cymbals.
Shah Jahan appeared, surrounded by
his guards, in a small balcony set
high up In the further wall OF the
immense, cathedral-like chamber.
ThereupOn the whole concourse bow
ed with hands crossed upon their
breasts, crying:
III Il Is day. and the Emperor says
Il Is night, we behold the moon and
stars"
Then the gOFReOusly caparisoned
state elephants and horses were lea
into his presence, and trained 20
kneel before the man regarded as a
deity from one end Of Asia 20 the
other.
The Wonderful Peacock Throne,
The public audience over. Shah ia
han retired ~ another bell " erlal Her
dimensions where, aeateG % the Pea
cock I'bf0ne. b. received fhe ministers
and atHhaaNaa Qfe
both re platform sra steps ~ ~ilsh