From Dalhousie into Chamba 105 



The little Great Lady conducted us to the head of 

 the stairs, and after solemn hand-shakes we parted. 



Out in the courtyard we found the others inspecting 

 the Rajah's menagerie, which had some interesting 

 animals in it, and possessed two fine, fat, white cats. 



There was more band-playing. On our way back 

 to the Residency we walked into some most interesting 

 old Hindoo temples (mundas), containing grotesque 

 and fearful images, with curious offerings of flowers, 

 feathers, and bits of ribbon and rag. Bells and gongs, 

 which were being continually beaten, hung all round 

 the entrances, and they smelt strongly of incense. 



On the maidan quite a tomasha was going on ; we 

 had some chairs brought outside our gates and looked 

 on. Some performing red bears were excellent great, 

 muscular, heavy fellows, with huge, shaggy coats, very 

 different from the poor, starved wretches whom one 

 sees dragged round England. These Chamba bears 

 looked quite " bobbery," and did their tricks with 

 plenty of spirit, dancing energetically on their hind 

 feet, and salaaming to us kissing our feet. 



After them a native juggler came to the fore. He 

 was a marvel to talk in fact, never ceased \ he did 

 the basket-trick and the mango-trick right under our 

 very noses, and mystified us completely, jabbering 

 volubly. Last of all he produced a cobra, handling 

 it in such a way that it was impossible for him to 

 be bitten, and making it sit up and move in regular 

 revolutions. At the same time whatever he said 

 there is no doubt that its fangs had been carefully 



