RIFLE AND SPEAR WITH THE RAJPOOTS. 



wishing us to take his boat ; and whenever you look out they 

 thrust a packet of letters of recommendation into your hand. 

 As they cannot read English, many of the characters 

 they hand you with so much modest pride are the reverse 

 of flattering. We ended by taking a man whose chief merit 

 seems to be that his brother is the captain of the Maha- 

 raja's boat (now moored here), and that everything we may 

 want is to be borrowed from the Raja. On board his own 



THE MAHARAJA 3 HOUSEBOAT. 



boat are temptingly laid out two cups, a jug, ami a few 

 plates and dishes ; but when Santan, wdio has been sent to 

 explore the cooking boat, comes back, he reports there is 

 nothing in it except a fireplace. Rather crest-fallen, our 

 man goes away to interview his In-other, returns proudly in 

 half-amhour with a frying pan, and is hurt and surprised 

 that we do not consider that our cooking for two days can 

 be perfectly well done in that. After some delay and much 



