AN INDIAN OFFICER'S IMPRESSION OF ENGLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LIX, Issue 6876, 14 March 1883, Page 5

AN INDIAN OFFICER'S IMPRESSION OF ENGLAND.

One. of the native Indian officers who re* cently visited England furnishes the following account of his impression to a local paper:— " Being a native of India, and having never before left it, I of course had no real idea of what England was, although I had heard a great deal about it, its people, the wondrous tnings, and great workshops there. After the campaign in Egypt, it became known that certain of us were to visit the great country of which ours is a dependency • and when I was selected I became very glad, a feeling of pride pojsessed roe, and I prayed that God would long continue the reign of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Quaen. The others who were selected were sleo very glad, and until the day of our landing we speculated variously as to what was to be seen. We went first to Portsmouth, then by rail to s London. Everywhere we were heartily ohoered, and the people seemed to know cf our coming. We all consider London to be Number One place in the world; we do not think there could be another city in the world to equal it. We never saw such crowds as were present at the review of the troops by the Queen. We fully appreciate the kindness of Her Majesty in pinning with her own hands the medals on our breasts, but she soiled her hands by touching u-—we are too i insignificant for her to touch. She inspected us at Buckingham Palace, touched oar swords, and said a few kind and encouraging words to us. On «ne occasion we went to see tho Duke I of Buckingham, who received as very cordially, and gave us an opportunity of witnessing a little sport. Ten or twelve gentlemen, attended by about 20 hounds, formed a hunting party, and caught a fox, while we looked on. Never did we see such a great bear as the Polar bear in the Zoological Gardens. He seemed warm, while we were shivering with cold. The National Gallery, Weelmin* ster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, and every place of note were seen by us; but I think, and my comrades agww with me, that nothing beat* the C'ystal Palace. We all oonsider it the handsomest building in London, and Windsor Castle comes next. What most took our fancy in the Crystal Palace was the picture of a battle in the Franco-German war. Everything in it looked like life. W<* prefer it to tho piotures in the National Gallery. It is tho beat picture in London. We liked the theatres and ciroosses, especially the latter, for the wonderful feats of horsemanship and strength whioh were displayed. Many preferred seeing the performances of the dancing girls, but we did not care much for the ballet. One day two men and myself went to Brighton to see Colonel Campbell, commanding our regiment. Brighton is very beautiful; I liked ib better than London, and could live there for ever. We have seen more wonderful things tln.n we thought of. Almost everything was Number One. 'The women are pretty, the men brave and ho»pitable, and the country, such that we do not think there w another like it. Unfortunately, only two of us oould speak En K li-h j but none were inconvenienced in any way, and we could not have been better attended to. I have studied a* Canning College, Lucknow, and I have passed the entrance examination at Calcutta Cnivertity, and was in the first Arts class • but preferring a military life, I gave up further studise."