62 AROUND THE WORLD VIA INDIA. 



be present, a man nighty esteemed by the natives and 

 whites for his excellent character and good judgment. 

 His distinctive dress consisted of a long white coat, 

 with shoulder-straps of the same color with a narrow 

 border of blue. His whole bearing impressed one with 

 the dignity of his office and firmness of his character. 

 From the time we entered the harbor until we reached 

 the shore I had looked in vain for the American flag. 

 I saw the bare, tall pole in front of the custom-house 

 and was wondering what had happened in international 

 politics since I left San Francisco, that it should have 

 been stripped of our colors. The information came 

 without asking" any questions. A few minutes after 

 landing a motley crowd gathered around that pole, 

 and presently I had the pleasure of witnessing the 

 hoisting of the American flag (Fig. 15). This is a 

 ceremony that takes place every day at 8 o'clock in the 

 morning. The moment the Stars and Stripes reached 

 the loftv destination, fluttering in the fresh morning 

 breeze, the native band played our national airs, "My 

 Country, 'Tis of Thee" and "Star Spangled Banner." 

 and the mountains re-echoed the strains of the stir- 

 ring music so dear to the heart of every American. The 

 ceremony was an impressive one. The native guard, 

 composed of 72 picked men, magnificent specimens of 

 physical development, wearing a red turban, white 

 sweater and blue trousers, standing at attention with 

 arms at rest. The crowd of people, including many 

 children, stood motionless, not a word being spoken 

 until the last strains of the music had died away in the 

 soft, balmy air of the tropics, when the guard shoul- 

 dered their arms and marched away to their respective 

 posts of duty in a truly soldierly manner and the crowd 

 dispersed as quietly and silently as it had gathered. 

 This beautiful ceremon}*- reminded me that I was on 

 American soil in the midst of the vast trackless Pacific 

 Ocean, nearly 5,000 miles away from the western lim- 

 its of the United States. 



