Ootacamund and Anglo-Indian Life 347 



Visits from natives are rather a trial. Well-to-do 

 tradesmen would call upon Commissioners. The inter 

 views I was present at were rather in this style : 



Native: "Salaam! Great Chief." 



Englishman : " Salaam." 



Native: "Your Excellency is my father and 

 mother." 



Englishman : " I am obliged to you." 



Native : " Your Excellency, I have come to behold 

 your face." 



Englishman: "Thank you. Have you anything 

 more to say to me ? " 



Native : Nothing, Great Chief." 



Englishman : " Neither have I anything to say. 

 So good-morning. Enough for to-day." 



Native : " Enough. Good-morning, your Excel- 

 lency. Salaam! Great Chief." 



India is a land of the contretemps ; few sojourners 

 out there have met with none. Now the following 

 happened to a young couple I met, in Government 

 Service. 



They had been sent upon an expedition to find 

 dacoits y who had been making disturbances ; were camp- 

 ing out, and had sent on all extra luggage to a small 

 military station which they expected to reach next day. 

 Through the night a lamp burnt in the tent ; their 

 clothes lay on chairs. On getting up the next morning, 

 where in the name of fortune were those same clothes ? 

 The young pair each taxed the other with having played 

 a stupid joke. It became exasperating. The servants 



