Pelts 



dered to the multitude around. The golden 

 scabbarded sword of state of the Raja was carried 

 behind him by a purple and gold-coated gentle- 

 man, destitute of nether garments. Close along- 

 side were borne by other similar coated gentry 

 the lighted hookahs of royalty, these being 

 periodically called up and a few puffs taken by 

 the royal lips. 



Amongst the Raja's loyal subjects who thronged 

 around, mostly very inadequately attired with a 

 strip of waist-cloth, every conceivable weapon 

 under the sun was represented. Here a Bengali 

 babu was to be seen, dressed in snowy-white 

 muslin, his shirt-tail given to the breeze, and his 

 lower extremities decked in white socks, kept 

 up by suspenders, and patent leather shoes. In 

 his hands he gingerly carried a double-barrelled 

 rifle, and had all the appearance of being ex- 

 tremely uncomfortable under his burden. Cheek 

 by jowl wild jungle wallahs were jostling one 

 another, clothed in a loin-cloth and armed with 

 axe, spear, bow and arrow, or three-pronged 

 trident fork. Others, the shikaris of the com- 

 munity, had ancient firelocks and muskets, and 

 blunderbusses, some looking like small cannon, 

 with here and there a bayonet fixed to the muzzle. 

 Quaint-looking curved swords and daggers and 

 curious spear-heads were visible on all sides — 

 enough to completely glut the antique shops of 

 all London ! And yet absurdly out of date as 



29 J 



