THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA.

Evening Star, Issue 4069, 11 March 1876, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA.

Lucknow, January 9. On Friday His Royal Highness laid the foundation stone of a monument in memory of the Sepoy officers and soldiers who fell during the mutiny. A large number of people of all classes were present. The Prince remarked that he was glad to have a share in doing honor to the memory of those brave men who had set such a noble example of devotion to their duty.

DANCING WITH ALL TUB LADIES AT A BALL. If perpetual motion is a source of gratify cation the Prince of Wales ought by this time to be the happiest man alive. I have seen his Royal Highness (says the special correspondent of the ‘Telegraph’) at almost every hour of the twenty-four. He was dancing on Wednesday night at ten, and he was dancing still at the Byculla Club when three o’cloch had struck, and daylight was not very far oft'. On an average he has fulfilled about a dozen engagements each day. And if the Prince has seen the people, they also have seen "him. ■ They have perched on the housetops, they have covered the paths, they have climbed the trees and waited for him in their shop windows, as though the oftener they saw him the merrier they felt. At the reception of the Rajahs and chieftains the Prince met them at precisely the same distances from the throne, took them by the hand in the very same manner, chatted pleasantly to .them, aud dismissed them as soon as they would go. • A great many uncomfortable prognostications Ijiad been hazarded about the ball of the Byculla Club. The Prince would not come, there would bfe only seventy ladies to seven hundred gentlemen, nobody of any importance would be there ; it \vould be a failure, and nothing else. But, to the confusion of the croakers and the delight of the club, all this was reversed. The Prinpe not only came, but danced eyory time the band played l ; the ladies were very nearly equal in number to the gentlemen, the night was one of the merriest ou record,and the whole thing was a grand success; Did the Prince dance ? Ask any lady in the room.. • Wjthbut farcer of any Kiddy and determined otyty t0 give happiness to (ft&rybody present, hie Royul JbflJiwt

one and then another into the space reserved for himself and suite* till at last he ordered that even this restriction should be done away with, and* to the ahiazement of - Sir Philip Wodehouse, who looked on with undisguised astonishment, galloped round the room as though pe had- lived in Bombay all his life, and was not the observed of all observers. THE PRINCE AT THE SAILORS* FEAST. The people of Bombay had determined to f&vst the men of the tleet j’ and. accordingly invited them—two thousand in number—-to a great banquet. By each plate stood a qpttle of Bass s ale and a bottle of Guinness’ stout—not tiny pint bottles, containing only a draught, but the large vessels of delight known as quarts. Besides this there were pipes—clean white clays—and cakes'of tobacco, lemonade and seltzer water for the teetotallers, and an illuminated card as a souvenir of the festival. No wonder that 'as the bands played “Unita” the sailors and marines marched bravely in ; no marvel that, to the tune of “The Roast Beef of Old England, ” they grasped their knives and forks with the air of determined men. I never saw food disappear with half the rapidity before. Sucking pigs divided .into quarters, fowls into halves, great heaps of salad filled every plate, and very soon every mouth too; and for a time there Was • silence, only broken by the clatterof knives and ’ forks. It was a momoment for action, not talking, and the sailors knew it. Little need -was there for their officers to walk up and down to encourage them to make themselves at home. They Were quite at home, and .for half-an-hour ate continually unabashed by the crowd of ladies Who looked on and envied ’ their appetites. But even sailors cannot eat for ever, and at last the knives and forks were heard no more, although more pigs were on the table, and reinforcements of ducks were being brought up; the marines were obliged to fall back upon their pipes arid •beer. This they did, arid, it was just in the midst of all this hilarity that the baqd played “God Save the Queen” and the Prince of Wales entered. Down went the pipes, up juinped the sailors, and out went such a cheer as was snrely never heard in Bombay before. And then they ran for a form on which the Priripe might stand and look at them, whereupon his Royal Highness jumped up in the most good-natured fashion possible, and with a glass of lemonade in his hand, shouted out in a clear, strong voice, “My lads, I am very glad to see you. I hop® you are enjoying yourselves. I drink to the health and prosperity of the Indian and’Flying Squadrons.” It is superfluous te say that the sailors Were excited. They cheered again and again, and would by no means sit down till his Royal Highnes had gone the round of the tent and taken his departure in a carriage. A PLEASANT MEMENTO.

A Bombay journal states ‘ * The English papers chronicled how the Princess of Wales accompanied her husband to France, but with all their vigilance they did'not hear about , a certain small box being placed on board the Serapis. Well, there was such a box, and all that Sir Bartle Frere, in whose charge it was placed, knew about it was that lie was to take particular care of it, and not to let the Prince know anything of its existence. When the Serapis arrived the box was sent to Parell, and on the next morning, the Prince’s birthday, and his first morning on Indian soil, his eye rested upon a large portrait, beautifully adorned with Indian flowers. The portrait was that of the Princess. It had been secretly placed in the Prince’s bed-room in order to surprise him, find it is unnecessary to say that this was the contents of the mysterious box which had been bo jealously watched by Sir Bartle Frere, and about which Miss Freer was the only possessor of the secret.”

RECEPTION OF THE CHIEFS* At the reception of the Chiefs,, first came seven of Kattywar, whose distinctive title is “Thakoor.” Each was led bygone of the staff or suite of the Prince to the threshold, where he wasreceived by Major Henderson or Major Sartorius, who, taking him by one hand, walked slowly up to the .Prince and' announced the Thackpor’s name. The first who came, the Thakoor Sahib of Morvee, is owner of ninety-seven villages, has a revenue of L 16,800 a-year, .and pays a tribute of L 4,000, Next came, the Thakoor Sahib of Wankaueer, though his revenue is only: 1.2,600, out of whieh.he .pays L 1,200 to Government. The Thakoor of Palitapa, whose city is in high repute among Rajpoot pilfrims, was • next. A Rajpoot- the TW oor Sahib of Drole followed, aud after him .came the Thakoor of Lim ree, whose • revenue is estimated at L 16,000 a-year. Then came the Rajah of Rajeer, the Thakoor Sahib of Wadwan, who draws L 25,000 a-year from his pays L 3,259 to the British Government, and L 6,230 to the Nawab of Junagarh.. In raiment and face and figure these men were various enough—- some were laden with jewels, some were plainly clad, but as each man sat, , sword in hand, he looked a gentleman - better sifting, awkward as it is for them, than walking in the horrid. restraint of patent leather shoes or hotlines. All eyes Were dazzled when the little boy our Government has made the Gaekwar of Bareda stood at the threshold- a crystallised rainbow. His necklace is valued at 1(800,000. if so, the rest of his clothes must be worth at least L 200,000 more. He is a small boy, and has a bright pleasant face and delicate frame.