A LITTLE KNOWN PRijVINCE OF THE INDIAN EMPIRE. 141 



the festival is accomplished. The rest of the day is spent in 

 visiting shops, shows and ruundabouts and chatting with 

 friends. 



There is at present a college at Cuttack which edncates a few 

 of the more promising youths to the standard of the Calcutta 

 University B.A. degree, and if on graduating the young man 

 obtains a Government appointment, it is held that western 

 learning has its uses. In tlie majority of cases I doubt whether 

 their beliefs, tastes, or home life are influenced in any 

 appreciable degree by the knowledge they have acquired. 

 Material benefits such as umbrellas, kerosine oil, cheap cloth 

 and railway travelling are welcomed, but how far the thoughts 

 or scientific knowledge of the intruding European have been 

 assimilated is a matter for conjecture ; diligent attendance at 

 lectures or even satisfactory answers to examination papers do 

 not, I think, afford any solid grounds for a reply. 



I have endeavoured to give you some little information 

 regarding the history of Orissa for a period approaching 3,000 

 years, and to roughly sketch the country and its people as they 

 at present exist. The main features, in either case, are all that 

 I could attempt to present, and to many of the statements made 

 there are side lights and qualifications of all kinds and sorts. 

 Even with a far fuller knowledge than I possess, the mystery 

 of even a small part of India involves difficulties of which no 

 European will ever possess the key. 



The Chairman in proposing a hearty vote of thanks to the 

 Author, which was carried unanimously, then made the following 

 observations : — 



My friend Mr. Odling's paper is of special interest to me, 

 because between the years 1898 and 1903, when I was in Bengal, 

 I went down into Orissa three times on inspection duty, and 

 visited the important centres of Cuttack, Puri and Balasore, which 

 are referred to at such length in his notes. On the first occasion 

 I reached the caj^ital by sea and canal, so that even less than nine 

 years ago access to the heart of the Province was difficult. But before 

 Mr. Odhng and the irrigation officers constructed the canals, which, 

 while primarily intended for irrigation purposes, can be used for 

 passengers, it can be imagined that, although the district was in 

 miles not very distant from Calcutta, it was not easy to travel far 



