Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-28
NATIVE RET A|NERS
The Part Taken in the Great
Durbar.
VIEWING FINE GEMS
TICLEs AND ALSO CHEAP.
Lady Curzon's Time Was So Occupied
That Even Her Mother Could
Not See Her.
VIEWING FINE GEMS

JUL CAMP, dSSuTeQ us tQdt the DeSl VI Ill
was to come-that the procession Of native
retainers would be better than anything we
had seen.
One thing we very much wanted to see.
but Of course could not. was the garden
party for native gentlemen" given on the
I'd by the viceroy. The very name formed
in our minds distinct picture of the
garden. the rather pompous viceroy and
a crowd OF native gentlemen. in many diff
ferent costumes, stalking about with great
dignity and smiling elegance. On the morn
ing Of the I'd Of January we decided, having
nothing better to do. to walk slowly up the
Chandni Chauk. the beautifully broad prin
cipal street OF Delhi. and behold its won
ders. One side Of the street contains all the
jewelers. shops. tiny places most Of them.
with open fronts. one step up. and the step
a swinging board suspended from the legs
of the show cases by short ropes: but the
contents of the cases were quite worth see
ing, although the jewelers. evidently carried
the most precious articles, done up in dirty
rags, concealed about their persons.
When we boldly asked to see very good
unset ruby we had to wait while the dark
gentleman, seated crooked-Iegsed on beau
tiful Agra carpet. thrust his hand within
his coat and in course of time brought forth
small and dirty rag. from which he poured
out three or four fine rubies. 1t Is possible
" BET d. TuUysi SuETOuHueu by very Siiltll
diamonds, for $50. but OF course not a fine
gem. The most beautiful ring that I have
ever seen was at the exhibition building.
three not very large uncut rubies, for $25O,
but we were told to offer half that and that
we could get 1t, which we did not venture to
do, however, as Burma, with its ruby mines.
was on our schedule of travel and we
thought 1t safer to wait. There were many
very dainty and pretty things that were
very moderate in price. and one Of our
party bought string Of tiny seed pearls
with seven pendent moonstones for 1855;
another chain of seed pearls with topaz.
the same number and a very good shade,
for 81, while a third bought very beautiful
little necklace Of three rows Of small irregu
lar pearls the size of currants with uncut
emeralds an inch apart, and five pendents
on the last string, all for the sum of so
rupees. or $26.G6. thing which in England
or American would cost at least 500, prob
ably much more
The jewelers. small shops were mixed in
with shops in which all manner of cheap
English things were sold. and to which all
the natives f1ocked joyfully: shops where
granite iron ware was offered for sale,
chemists with natives back of the counter
and strange drugs and preparations within
the cases, and very interesting shops of
beaten brass and silver or lovely felt rugs
and cotton curtains stamped in perfect
colors and beautiful patterns, all from
Cashmere. There were no sidewalks, and
the fruit vendors had their stands or big
flat baskets in the street and stood beside
them, scantily clothed calling their wares
loudly to the passers-by The streets had
been watered to such extent that they
were inch deep in mud, and it was risky
thing to pick ones way along under the
noses of huge camels, skirting the clumsy
carts, drawn by buffaloes, and threading
ones slippery way among all sorts and con-
ditions Of vehicles An elephant bells
weird jangle made US step to one side as
the huge creature marched slowly by, and
we nearly ran down a palanquin carried
hry 0i<Thf MOI fhrn1r "a a
door of which we caught sight of a yelled
figure, and pitied her for her close quarters
and lack of freedom.
Club House Pleasures.
Polo again in the afternoon, with odd and
interesting sights all the way out to the
club house, one Of them a native chief
holding durbar in matched house, him
self in a gold armchair and the rest of the
assemblage seated around him in semi
circle two deep, all on their heels and all
draped in white chuddars. A little later
on we heard the sound Of weird music. and
found that it came from a room over the
old red gateway arch which makes the
lind camp, and we were told that the high
priest of the Sikhs was holding one of his
five daily services. We longed to go up the
narrow stairway and behold for ourselves
but. alas! we were women-at least two Of
US WERE
Dinner at in place OF allowed of our
going early to the fireworks, which were to
be seen in the space in front Of the Jumma
Musjid
To one who has seen the fireworks at
Washington at the time Of presidential
Inauguration, or even at old Coney Island
in times gone by, 1t was a picture seen be-
fore. as to the display itself, although
Brock certainly made great success Of it,
but 1t was well worth an early dinner and
a cold drive to see the Illuminated city wall
and the mass Of natives assembled at the
Jumma MuSjfd.
The casteilations of the wall were all
outlined in flame from thousands of tiny
glass lamps, vases Of oil with floating
wicks, and the effect as one drove along
was very wonderful, for the wall itself was
Of course, perfectly dark. with the outlined
oscillations seemingly floating In the air.
It was the prettiest sight imaginable, and
seemed quite unreal, especially when a ma
tive appeared on the wall top to trim the
little lights, his figure looking enormous.
colossal. swathed from head to foot in its
voluminous draperiesL 1t Is certainly in
teresting to see the way In which a city
in India Is Illuminated IN honor Of the vice.
roy or the coronation
An Enchanting Scene.
The whole face Of every public building
Is covered with a network of fine scaffold-
ing, on which are strung hundreds OF the
tiny lamps; long, light fences of bamboo
eight or ten feet high outline the gardens.
ana are StTun8 diSo VIII INC niue idInpHs
bamboo arches are thrown up. covered
with red cotton stun or gold and silver
tinsel, and on that thousands OF the lamps.
and the effect when all Is aIight Is daz-
cling. a scene OF enchantment really.
We determined to send our carriage
home, as we felt quite sure that we would
have great difficulty in getting 1t again,
and besides wished to see more satisfac-
torily the illuminations. and We were very
glad afterward that we had done So. az
many Of our friends who kept theirs near
or tried to- did not get to camp until
morning. AS 1T was we reached our COM
Portable tents at 2. weary after our long
walk, but very glad that we had taken 1t.
On the morning of the Sd we made calls
at the. Burma camp. where our friend, the
wife of a high Official quite dazzled US by
taking us into her bed room tent, which we
found hung with pale pink silk. lighted by
electric lights and furnished with really
beautiful painted light wood beds and
other furniture; at the United Province
camp, where each had a suite Of rooms. all
the tents lined with colored chintz an i
furnished with great elegance. and finally
at the yiceroys camp, where we found that
our ducal friend, though housed comfort
ably. had none Of the luxurious elegance
of either Of the other camps.
The viceroy's palace, a hideous building