Vice-Regal Life in India.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 435, 8 January 1890, Page 5

Vice-Regal Life in India.

Interesting Extracts. (From Our Special Correspondent. ) London, November 8. This tvork, which promises to be the most run-after book of the season, was published yesterday. I have naturally not had time to read it yet, but append some extracts from the “ Daily News ” review : Like King Charles of Spain when he wrote to Donna Maria of Neubourg, Lord Dufferin appears to have taken a pleasure in keeping his wife informed, when she was not personally present, of his hunting expeditions ; and hence we get here some exciting episodes. For the rest Lady Dufferin confines. herself to her own appointed task, and sees all things for us with her own eyes. Very early we find her hard at work on the study of Hindustani with the help of an English - speaking native lady, the Princess Haram Sing. Lord Dufferin, as will be seen from the following, was no less diligent. If I am industrious over my Hindustani, Ms Excellency is still more so over his Persian. He does work hard at it; but he has one advantage over me which 1 must tell you of.. He is never allowed to stir without a policeman—a Persian’ speaking policeman in a white turban and a calico overcoat, very imposing as to size, but very commonplace as to dress. Wherever his Excellency goes that man has to be. He stands by at tennis; he appears at the church door when D. gets there. As sure as he pays a visit, or goes out to dinner, or to tea. or to the theatre.

the policeman is bound to be there, and sometimes, when one has forgotten his very existence, one is startled by his sndden apparition ; and as nobody sees him go. or knows how he gets to a place, there is a sort of awe connected with his inevitable appearance there. When D. simply takes a walk, the policeman follows and walks like any other ordinary mortal; and then it is that D. profits by him. and, instead of resting his mind from his very heavy and anxious work while taking his exercise, struggles away to talk Persian and to learn words and pronunciations. I have no policeman, and so 1 get on more slowly with my conversation.

Warnings of the disadvantages of an imperfect grasp of foreign idioms were not wanting in the samples with which she met of ambitious attempts on the part of natives to write our mother tongue. One addressed our Resident at Bhurtpore as 4 Honoured Enormity !’ Another, in treating of the horse, observed that * he is a very nolale animal, but when irritated he ceases to do so ;’ a third, taking a higher flight on the theme of 4 riches and poverty,’ wrote : 4 In short, the rich man welters on crimson velvet while the poor man snorts on Hint.’ No doubt the luxuriance of the native idiom had its influence on this writer’s style, which after all does not read more absurd than the epistle to the Viceroy from one of those two awful and mysterious personages the Llamas of Thibet, sending 4 respectfully scarves and the mitre of the late Penchen for acceptance.’ This on being carefully translated was found to begin as follows : To the great and most opulent Governor, who turns the wheel of power all over this wide world. Ruler of Asia and Pillar of the Faith to his Throne. With reverence, and with the full three mundane essentials (the heart, the speech, and the body), this most humble and insignificant self, who from his infancy, applying himself to study, has acquired ODly a minute jot of learning, such as may be compared with an insect’s mouthful of water, has been favoured with a golden robe of honour in the shape of a present of 2,500 rupees for him, for which he presents his most cordial thanks.

Nothing is more noteworthy in these diaries than the affectionate regard which the writer appears to have inspired in the hearts of the native women. The keynote is found in the following curious passage :

A native gentleman sent me what they call a ‘Dolly,’ which is reallv a tray full of little presents. It was a very interesting one, and he wrote a nice letter with it, saying that we had ‘evinced a kindly feeling towards our Eastern customsand the welfareofourwomen; therefore i venture to send these presents at the earnest request of my wile. . . . The greater part are held auspicious by our women as conducing to the success and lone life of their husbands.’ One tray contained bouque s and wreaths of flowers, and then there were a quantity of puzzle boxes, bangles cut in bone, two toilet baskets covered with cowrie shells, and containing small mirrors, combs, red powder, etc. —mothers present these to their daughters on the occassion of marriage ; two la ge conch shells, one of them a sacred blowing instrument used at marriages, births, etc-, tind one used at the time of coronation by pouring water from it on the head of the king. 'lt dispels all evils where water is drunk out of it or poured on the head.’ The red powder is used by Hindu women from the day of their marriage. The bridegroom with his own hand puts this powder on his bride’s forehead where the hairis parted, and she always wears it until she becomes a widow. ...

Occasional indications of the old jealous seclusion are to be met with. The hospitable Rajah of Nahan, for example, drew the line at permitting his wife to receive his distinguished guest: The Rajah speaks English well, and 100k 3 after all liis affairs himself. He has his own foundry, makes all his bridges and roads himself, uses no forced labour, has only one wife, which is disappointing. I had his secretary sounded on the subject, but he said that some lady had asked before, and had been told that ‘it was not the custom of the Rajpoots.’

The Burmese ladies, during the diarist’s sojourn in Mandalay, proved much more approachable :

In the afternoon I had the most successful party you can imagine. 1 was just a little afraid that the Burmese ladies might not come, but at four o’clock about sixty of them appeared, all swathed in lovely colours and soft silks, diamond and pearl necklaces, and liowers in their black hair; earrings, too, which I must mention particularly, for they are straight tubes of amber, glass, jade, or gold, pushed through the lobe of the ear—they are as thick as a lady’s thumb, and about an inch long, borne of these are set at one end with big stones, but some are hollow. D. and I stood at the door and welcomed our guests one by one. They had to come up three steps into the room, and as their garments ave open all the way down the iront, it requires some management to walk up with propriety. They do manage them so well that you never would know that the petticoat is not joined unless you were told it. As we shook hands with them, they bolted past us, and immediately squatted on (he floor, which I now find is a most admirable arrangement, doing away entirely with the stiff circle into which the best regulated chairs will form on such occasions. The first time, however, that, I saw all ray guests thus seated I was rather startled, and wondered how I was to pass the time for them. I began by sitting on a very low chair near the Ministers’ wives, and giving them a cup of; tea and a biscuit, asking them a few questions meantime and admiring their jewellery. When they had gained sufficient courage, they asked me my age, which, accordin«>- to Burmese etiquette, i 3 an essential mark of politeness, and then we got on beautifully. I inquired if they would like to look at the things in the room, so we all got up, and I showed them the Queen's triple lookingglass, which was a great success, and they were highly amused at seeing themselves on three sides all at once. I next produced a musical box, and the ice being now entirely broken they asked me to let them see some of the other rooms; so with a brilliant following I marched about exhibiting Theebaw’s Palace to his late subjects. They were mo-ff cheerful, and said they had been in the Palace before, * but not like this.’ The next part of the programme -was some dancing, and, still with my train behind me, I repaired to the umbrella room. There they sat on the floor, leaning- forward with their elbows on the ground and enjoying it thoroughly. The principal lady advised me as to the best dances, and i got hor to ask tor them. Several times they said to me (according to the translator) that it was very ’jolly,’ and that they were so pleased to have come ; and towards the end they told me thatl had only got to send for them when there was any more dancing and they would come at once. Their husbands had tolcl them not to smoke before me, so the very enormous cigar, which is generally in the mouth of man, woman, and child, did not appear on this occasion. They were quite unwilling to go away, so I think I am justified in saying that the party was a success.

It is probably due to his wife’s influence that ‘ D ’ enjoys exceptional privileges m this way on one occasion during a visit to the Madras Presidency : He was going over the palace with the representative of the old Princes of Tanjore. who had arranged for D. to speak to the eleven Ranis and other ladies through the purdah; but when it came to the time for this interview he said 4 No, you are the Viceroy: you may come behind the purdah,’ and accordingly he slipped him within its sacred precincts. The ladies had not expected him, and were not dressed out in their best, and no one could speak any intelligible language. However, a sort ot' chattering went on, and they made signs towards a chair, which, being covered with crimson cloth, D. thought he was to sit down on. He turned, and was iust about to do so when he thought he saw a slight movement, and he fancied there might be a little dog there, when two women pulled the cloth open, and there was the principal Rani! —a little old woman, who only reached half-way up the back of the chair, and whom the Viceroy had been within an ace of squashing. He said it gave him such a turn! The distribution of prizes among the Hindu Christian girls of the Normal School in Calcutta is described as ‘ an interesting sight ’:

There was alittle platform putupfor me in a garden, on one side of which were the girls. Many of these become teachers, and some of them looked about sixteen years of age. They were dressed in white, the older ones wearing while veils over their heads. Near them, and on the other side of the dais, were three more schools. All the girls in these were small, and wore native dresses; that is to say, coloured wraps and lots of jewels—bracelets on their wrists and ankles, earrings, and nose-rings. Their hair was drawn tight back and was done up in a large knob, nature’s deficiencies being made up with ribbon; this knob was sometimes covered with a coloured net, and sometimes the whole head and ears were hidden with gold ornaments; but the teachers discourage the wearing of much jewellery at school, as the responsibility i« too great for them. None of these girls looked more than ten or eleven;

nor are they more developed in appearance than children of that age at home ; and it was sad to give a doll as a prize to some poor little creature who. young as she is, is probably on the very verge of matrimony, who may any moment leave her own parents lor the tender mercies of a mother-in-law or of an elderly husband, or who as a child-widow may be condemned to a sort of outcast existence all the rest of her days.

Another glimpse of the working of the educational movement follows :

I had been most anxious for D. to see one of my picturesque Hindu schools, and had persuaded hitn to engage himself for the prizegiving at the ' Bethuno School.’which secular one tor girls, where they teach the ‘higher branches,’ take degrees, etc., so 1 was much disappointed to find that it was not at all picturesque. With education unfortunately comes a taste for English millinery and a departure from the good taste generally inherent to a national costume, and I could really groan when princess frocks, marabout feathers, and other shabby finery are daunted before me. D. and 1 sat upon a dais with a very big table in front of us, which interfered with our view, and. the prize-winners who appeared before us had to overcome fearful oostacles to reach us; many a foot of native arrangement was displayed under the European varnish as the unfortunate wearer struggled up on to the platform. it gave me time, however, to consider the costume question tally, and to come to even stronger opinions upon the subject than I held before ; it also made me took at the needlework in a very unsympathetic spirit. Why should we introduce into this country the crochet and woolwork of which we are so sick at home s But we do, and take great trouble to din it into the lingers oi these poor children instead of encouraging their own beautiful embroideries. The Bethune school seems to have made progress two years later, when we learn that the lady superintendent is a native lady and a master of arts a rare distinction. Also that the school in Calcutta carries on the higher education of women, and that the Committee is very proud of having sixteen unmarried girls at who are over fourteen years of age. The following gives us a glimpse from the diarist’s point of view of the celebrated Durba in the camp at Rawal Hindi:

From eleven till one o’clock the 'Viceroy sat in durbar, while 1 managed to see all that was interesnng, and to omit what was tiresome. He received seven of the Punjab chiefs one by one, each one with all the ceremonies 1 have described to you before. As each Rajah approached, a gun at the bottom of the ‘street’ announced his arrival, while his departure was signalled by another at the top. These gentlemen all came in their proper order of precedence. First Patiala, a boy of twelve, who arrived in a wonderful silver and gold carriage. Then Bahawalpur, the owner of the two crowns ! He was worth seeing. He wore white trousers, a heavily embroidered gold coat, and then such a tiara, encircling such a picturesque head ! His hair is long and black, and the lowest part of tliis diamond crown must be three inches high, while the front of it cannot be less than reven. There is a black cap inside of it. but being the same colour as his hair it does not show. Jhind was a line old man, also with some splendid jewels; and then there came iXabha, who disputes with Jhind the third place, and therefore it is arranged that while Jhind visits the Vicaroy first, the return visit is paid to Nablia first, Kapurthalla is twelve year old, but he weighs fourteen stone, and is at present ‘ learning English, Persian, Urdu, and Gurmukhi.’ So far in the list I watched their arrivals, and was amused and interested in their ‘turns out.’

At Delhi in 1885 she met an interesting personage whose conversation tends to confirm the doctrine that sometimes votes are rather to be weighed than counted :

We found that the French Governor of Pondicherry was staying here, so he and his wife and two ‘suite’ came to breakfast. He was very interesting and amusing, telling us of his polititical difficulties, and how Republican France had given universal suffrage to the natives in Pondicherry to elect one French deputy, who consequently (being the voice of the whole people) is able to defy the mere majority in the Pondicherry Parliament of 30 members, who represent three classes of persons living in Pondicherry—namely, F’renchmen, native Fre eh citizens, and pure natives, who of course never all agree about anything. We sat and talked for a long time, and I ttien went to open a new hospital for women.

When in Madras fche Viceroy and his lady paid a visit to the Governor and his mimic Court at Fondicherry, and were entertained at a banquet and ball, at which D. sat on a throne between the dances. In January, 1886, being then in Calcutta the diarist paid a visit to the gardens of the ex-King of Oude, of whom her account is not favourable :

He is an old gentleman, who is described to me as beine utterly devoid of every moral sense. He never does any good to anybody, and he spends his monthly lae of rupees in keeping 25,000 pigeons, whose food costs him £4OO a year : in buying sick creatures which the animal merchants sell him just before they reach their last gasp ; in building houses for those of them that survive; and in the partial maintenance of several hundred ladies. These latter have often complained to the Government about his treatment of them, but, in answer to an official remonstrance against their inordinate numbers, he added ninety more to his zenana the day he received it. When, two years later, she again paid a visit to this spot a change had come o’er the spirit of the scene, for the old ex King had now been dead for some months. His multitudinous pigeons, monkeys, deer, camels, and other animals had been dispersed ; but though his ladies were leaving ‘at the rate of seven or eight a day,’there was still a large number left. 4 When the Viceroy approached their habitation they collected behind some Venetian shutters, and set to work to howl and weep.’ The effect,we are told, * was most extraordinary, but did not excite the pity it was intended to invoke.’ Another curious entry concerns a lady whose history awakens painful associations :

Thursday, Gth.—l received a visit from Bazabai Salicb Apte, a widowed half-sister of the celebrated Nana Sahib. She had come up from Gwalior to make some petition, hut she was so ill when she arrived that the interview had to be cut very short. She is a nice-looking but melancholy woman, and as she has been suffering irom fever, she had to be supported into the room, and lay in a gasping condition in an armchair ail the time she was there. She was dressed in plain white cotton, as, being a witlow, she is net allowed warmer or smarter clothes. She looked very miserable in these summer garments, and it is no wonder she was ill coming up from the plains to this cold ciimate.

Lord Dufferin’s vice-royalty was drawing to a close when the diarist visited with her husband the Bolan and the Khyber Passes and wrote the following note : We came to Quetta by the H< rnai route, and we return by the Boian. r lhe Bolan is a river, but there is no water in it now, and the temporary railway is laid in its bed. That is naturally not a very safe place to lie in, and a new line, which will he more above the floods, is now umter consideration. The waters come down quite unexpectedly, and no one can tell where or when they will burst forth. The descent, is very steep, and at first we went in small carriages downhill, making the most extraordinary twists and turns. After a little we got on to the broad gauge again, and rode for some time in an open car to see the most wonderful parts of the iine. It is impossible to describe the scenery. One can only say it is the very last place in the w orld where you would expect to find a railway. The great barren hills, gigantic cliffs, and rough river course, all seem at variance with any evidences of civilisation, and the whole thing is more wonderful than beautiful except at sunset 1

It was on the return from this journey by way of Rawal Pindi that she saw the sad sight of the Leper Asylum in the midst of a grove of trees. The sufferers looked very impassive, the women on one side of the doors, the men on the other, showing no sign of interest in the visitors. The worst spectacle of all was the young babies in the arms of diseased mothers. Well may Lady Dufferin express the wish that separation of the sexes should be enforced in this dismal settlement. Happily, tokens of that resolution to wrestle with human suffering which finds its expression in the noble Gama Hospital in Bombay, and the great movement for the medical education of women, which is inseparably associated with Lady Dufferin’s name, meet the eye on many a page of these interesting volumes.

to fcbe perilous and responsible position of Governor of this colony. The despatch from Lord Stanley covering Captain Grey’s appointment is couched in terms of the highest admiration as regards his capacity and public spirit. The trust about to be reposed in him by Her Majesty in calling upon him to undertake public duties still morn arduous and responsible than those in which he had hitherto been engaged was the highest compliment, said Lord Stanley, which"could be paid. The Queen and the Empire required his services, and he was to proceed with the least possible delay to Hew Zealand. After a long and explicit Statement of the difficulties and dangers by which New' Zealand was beset, and of Her Majesty’s confidence in the energy, capacity, and circumspection already exhibited by Captain Grey, Lord Stanley concludes by saying, “Idevolve on you a responsibility which it scorns inq ossible for me to narrow, and of w'hich I am persuaded yov will acquit yourself in such a manner as to enhance your claims to the approbation of the Queen and the gratitude of Her Majesty’s subjects.” On the 14th of November, 1845, Captain Grey landed in Auckland.