THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA.

Evening Star, Issue 4081, 25 March 1876, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA.

A London correspondent writes : “ The Prince of Wales in India is a subject that has been most decidedly overdone, but one or two items that have not found a place in the newspapers put the success or non-success of the expedition upon a somewhat different footing to that which it has hitherto appeared to hold. The * Madras Times,’ and some private letters that have come under my notice, point out that the egregious rhapsodies of ‘ The Times,’ and certain of its contemporaries, merely cover a feeling of very great disappointment in India produced by the Heir Apparent. The cause of the dissatisfaction among the Europeans is partly due to the meagre distribution of honors, the chief of the police being, in fact, the only Englishman upon whom any has been conferred, and his good fortune is considered to be traceable to his relationship to Sir Bartle Frere. The chief has rendered himself objectionable to the Parasees, and the natives very naturally imagine he has obtained this mark of approbation from the Prince as a reward for his Royal Highness’s delivery and safe-guarding from the hand of any possible assassin. The presents that have been bestowed upon the Indian potentates have fallen very far short of their expectations; they cannot understand the pleasure of receiving a mere souvenir, and only notice the fact that the Prince is presented with valuable shawls and articles of native workmanship in exchange for trifles of the merest nominal importance. The 1 specials ’ of some of the dailies consider themselves insulted because they have not been allowed to attend certain I of the entertainments given to the 1 Prince, and the editors think the

heavy expense not very adequately met by the extra demand for the papers. Lastly, the Europeans, whose knowledge of such matters may be considered correct, blame the Prince’s advisers for allowinghimtobe present at the brutal sports of Baroda, and the banquet at the Cave of Elephanta. The * Saturday Review * has a most vigorous attack upon the cruelty of the former, while the ‘ Broad Arrow ’ points out that many pious Orientals, would scarcely care to have a spot so teeming with religious reminiscences as the Cave of Elephanta polluted by the feasts of Giaours.