102 A Sportswoman in India 



Rajah's vakeel and two native policemen with yellow 

 trousers, who, preceding us, conducted us in state 

 to the palace, a large building perched up above 

 the green, with a courtyard and lovely fountains 

 surrounding it. 



Here we found the band again ; there was more 

 playing, royal salutes, etc. The General and S. were 

 then conducted to a long reception-room, decorated 

 in a heavy, ornate style, with gaudy hangings, where 

 the Rajah received them. They were seated upon a 

 large velvet and marble throne at one end of the hall, 

 the ministers of the state approached one by one, and 

 salaaming to the General, walked away backwards. 

 They also offered him, as a compliment, rupees ; which 

 it is customary to accept, touch, and then return. It 

 is not intended that they should be kept. 



Meanwhile, myself and M. were invading the sacred 

 seclusion of the Ranee. The Rajah himself took us to 

 her rooms, up two staircases, and in a quiet, private 

 end of the palace. The Ranee, who was sitting on 

 a sofa in the principal room, got up, and came and 

 shook hands with us in silence ; the Rajah then 

 suggested that we should sit down, and left us 

 alone. 



Now, in those early days of our travels my 

 Hindustani was very limited. I could ask for certain 

 things to eat, I could say " very good " and " very 

 bad," I could count up to twelve, I knew the names 

 of a bear, leopard, tiger, and a few more animals, and 

 the word for " gun," also I could tell the time ; but 



