154 AFOOT THROUGH THE 



" numdahs," as they are called and as I lay in my 

 boat waiting to see what my visitors would bring to 

 amuse me, the " kopra " (cloth) merchant arrived with 

 my felts, and well satisfied I was. " Blue or blue green, 

 with some red, brown, and a flowing pattern," had been 

 my vague orders. Both were on white grounds; one 

 was a beautifully intricate pattern of " chenaar " leaves 

 in two shades of blue ; the other " lake pattern," a 

 skilful blending of the strange forms of water foliage 

 carried out in blues, green, with dull red-brown stems, 

 and, an addition that touched the heart of a peacock 

 worshipper, each corner was adorned with one of those 

 beautiful birds worked in the same colours. I was 

 delighted, and the dark rich brown of my boat showed 

 off worthily the soft colouring and skilful needlecraft. 

 The workers, except for a few general outlines, do all 

 their embroidery " by eye and mind " as a merchant 

 explained to me, and are supplied with hanks of crewels 

 of the colours ordered, which they use according to taste. 

 The mats are about twelve rupees the pair, and five 

 or six feet long by three or four broad. As they practi- 

 cally can be used for all purposes, as I have already 

 explained, from hangings to a hold-all, they cannot be 

 considered extravagant. I purchased also new covers 

 for my cushions, the old ones having been considerably 

 worn by their hard usage of the previous weeks, for eight 

 annas (about eightpence) a piece, worked in the same 

 style on rather thinner stuff, and curtains I ordered 

 with flowing borders of green leaves. 



That business over, I examined many beautiful 

 pieces of " pashminas," so silky and light that, like the 

 fairy wedding gowns of our childhood, they could be 

 packed in a nutshell; the silkiest very costly, others of 



