TIGER SLAYER BY ORDER 



down the evidence are paid by the page ! Also that the 

 judge's fees fluctuate according to the number of persons 

 he convicted ! 



This quaint method of paying judges quite explains 

 the want of accommodation in the jails, and therefore 

 why, as just stated, there are more prisoners out of prison 

 than within it. However, be this as it may, in this par- 

 ticular case, the accused got off with a fine, heavy legal 

 expenses, and six months' imprisonment. He was, how- 

 ever, allowed as usual, but, as the Court put it, " as a great 

 act of grace," to continue in his employment as railway 

 guard, merely reporting himself once a month to the prison 

 authorities. The whole system in fact is quite Gilbertian 

 in theory ; but to the truculent Englishman it was all 

 very annoying ; in particular, the fact of being convicted 

 at all, vehemently declaring " that he could not be ex- 

 pected to live with evil-smelling fish outside his front door, 

 and was not going to do so for all the niggers in Goa." 

 However, he was eventually persuaded to submit to 

 authority, in fact had no option in the matter, for his own 

 people could not well support him, since the Bombay 

 Government particularly emphasized the need of keeping 

 on good terms with their Portuguese neighbours. 



An interesting but depressing relic of past glories is 

 Old Goa, formerly the chief town of the Portuguese settle- 

 ment, on the Malabar or Western Coast of India. It is 

 situated some distance up the river Mundair, Panjmi or 

 New Goa, at the mouth of this river, being now the capital 

 and port. 



Of Old Goa it is difficult to imagine, now that so little 

 trace of its former grandeur is to be seen, that about 1 600, 

 when it was said to be at its zenith of its prosperity, it 

 was called the City of Palaces, with the fame of its splendour, 

 trade and commerce ringing throughout the world. 



That it must have been so, however, is supported by 

 the fact that its wealth and magnificence proved a source 

 of great temptation to the then kings of Bapur who often 

 looted it. Since those days its government has changed 

 more than once, and until it was finally conquered, I 

 believe, by the Portuguese. 



There are no palaces now visible, except those attached 

 154 



