LETTERS FROM INDIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14310, 2 March 1907, Page 13

LETTERS FROM INDIA.

A LADY’S IMPRESSIONS. + THROUGH Nliiv ZEALAND SPECTACLES.' .MYSORE CITY, Norember 17. "We have been sigut-seeing for the st two days. On jLhursaay we went > the xUaharajah’s Palace. As the [abarauce is in residence the private partments wore not open, but we were •lowed to go whore we pleased about ie official rooms, which arc at promt being rebuilt in magnificent stylo. Lost of tne new part is unfinished, but © saw enough to be able to realise the eauty of the completed work. The lost exquisite carving is lavished rerywhere, and every lorm of life is ressed into the service of the carver s rt. One durbar room on the second oor is about as largo as the Aloxaura Hall in Christchurch, the centre f the roof is domed and supported by lassive pillars. Outside the pillars the liling is flat. The dome is tilled with tamed glass in shades of blue, yellow nd green, with a design in peacocks, nd the flat ceiling is of some brown cod richly carved with huge medalon like roses. The shafts of the pilws .are white, the capitals carved with eeigns of fruit and lizards. The winows are filled with stained glass, amer and heliotrope in colour, the frame--ork of brown wood inlaid with a oral design in ivory. The floor between the pillars is formed of marble labs inlaid with jewel work—that is, a onventional design filled with lapisazuli, porphyry, matrix-of turquoise nd other stones. The whole of the rails are covered, with a design in relef, the flat 'portions coloured red and lue, and the raised parte heavily gildd. But the colours are so good that he effect is not garish. There are seeral entrance doors. Tho main one, bout ten feet high, with heavy frame-

rork, is covered with silver worked in n. elaborate design: the other doors re of ebony or teak inlaid with ivory, a other parts of the buildings there re doors of sandalwood, every inch'of

odr and frame heavily carved. On the taircases the spandnls of the arches ro supported by groups of elephants’ leads sculptured in stone, and faithful o the smallest detail. "When he is not ied up, the tamed elephant always •rries a chain dangling from his head, i’hich serves .to tether him. In these

oulptures the chain appears, each link arved separately, and in some cases he links are wreaths of flowers. Score any piece of work is begun, a model e made, and this serves the workmen is a guide. In a room of the building *•©. saw a model of the completed palac© sawed in alabaster. It was a most, ex--1 nisi to piece of work. In the afternoon of the same day w© Kited the Rajah’s stables, and saw lis horses and carriages. He keeps 25 horses and a very large number of chicles of every variety, but of Eurolean fashions. The state cpach was icing done up, so we could not see it, >ut we saw the state harness for four

lorses. The harness is covered through>ut with crimson velvet, and that in ts turn is embroidered lavishly with ;old thread, so that very little of the relvct is visible. The thread is said to be real gold wire, not tinsel. Anyway, the harness wag a gorgeous sight, and, >f course, it was very elaborate. There were gold plumes for the horses’ heads and cloths for their backs, and I don’t snow what beside. In a fancy stable »y themselves there were two special horses; one was a very light grev, with a beautiful black mane and tall. The “Pooh-bah” of the stables didn’t tell us why this animal was honoured by being kept in a special palace, but the other horse was a different matter. He was a pure white stallion with flowing mane and tail—the sacred horse that plays a prominent part in some of the ceremonies connected with the “ Diissorah,” an important religion festival. The Rajah mounts him for about five minutes during the'ceremonies, and that is all the work the horse does. He has caste marks, and is, therefore, a sacred being. Hie tail was dyed in bars of pink, bine, green and yellow : for the “ Dussorah, the guide-said. Yesterday wc wont to Seringapatam, among for its historical associations. The Mysore wars belong to the eighteenth century, the first one about 1780, the second at the time of the French Revolution—you remember “ Citizen ” Tippoo. Mysore was then under Mahommedan rule, Hvder Ali •nd Tippu Sultan being the rulers connected with the wars. Seringapatam is a iortified city, the walls being still in good repair except where the railway has been carried through, and where breaches were made during the famous siege. It is wonderful what Interest can be given to a dry historical fact if one actually secs the place |md is forced to Realise the circuinstances connected with the fact. I >hall not give yon the guide book storv of the sights just now, but you will understand that we saw Seringapatam thoroughly when I explain that we climbed one of the minarets of Tippu’s Mosque as a finale. We had a beautiful drive to and from Seringapatam, which is nine milee from Mysore, and the hire of the carriage, together with small tips to coachman *nd guide, cost us in all six rupees (&); for this we bad seven hours or real enjoyment, including a drive through miles of rice fields and groves of cocoanut, areca and ,date palms and mango trees. The road is bordered the whole way by great spreading banyan and tamarind trees, and passes through several native villages. To one who is now to the country there isn’t a dull moment on the road, for it is always lively with a procession of natives walking from village to village, bullock bandies innumerable, herds of cattle, buffaloes, ebeep and goats, all being driven where they will, from side to •ide. There is no rule of the road for the countryman, and he usually drives his bullocks by their tails—pulling or twisting these appendages.' Every carriage, consequently, lias a bell like a big bicycle bell. This the driver manipulates with his foot, and keeps up an incessant clang till the way is cleared. Some of the lads on the road yesterday took a fiendish delight in annoying our driver. We would come up with a string of bullock bandies and, after blocking the way for a time, some would go'to,the left and others to the rightAs the driver spoke Canarcse, a language A. <Joes not know, neither of us was offended by his remarks.

On Monday A. and I go back to Madras. "Wc have decided to cut short our present wanderings, as we propose to make a trip to Northern India and see Delhi, Agra, Benares and some other places, including either Bombay or Calcutta. The distances hero are tremendous, from Madras to Calcutta by mail train takes two days arid two nights, the distance being 1032 miles, and Delhi is 935 miles from Calcutta. Just now we spend hours calculating bow we can do a trip for nothing and what places we can include. We shall hare to go, because to come to Madras doesn’t mean more as far as India is concerned than Dunedin would moan to the whole of New Zealand. Indeed, it means less, for there are po many races and religions in India, and in the Madras Presidency oiie sees only Tamils and Telegas." MYSORE CITY, November 19. Who cares for lawns and blossoming Ir.iit trees, and sauntering in a garien? Pooh! I am looking out through white pillars at masses of palms, crotons, coleus, and ferns, all in nuutiful pots arranged in graceful ,‘ows. Who wants to linger about or lounge (I don’t know which yon said) through along summer afternoon when one can have the excitement of an occasional scorpion or the ever-present-mosquito: I have got a leg and an arm 'bandaged just sow. 1 scorn the so-called delights of

orchard and lawn. Just give me a leaf of good bread and a pat of butter. Your blossoming fruit trees can yield only apricots and peaches and apples, while here I can revel in custard, apples and pummeloes, limes and plantains, and I can look forward to guavas and mangoes and sapcdillas and other delicious fruits that combine the flavour of unripe plums and turpentine. We have had a pleasant time at Mysore, and we shall return to Madras on Monday, your birthday. This afternoon we wont again to see the wonderful palace, and it seemed more wonderful than before. The carved ceiling in the durbar hall is marvellous. This ceiling is divided into squares, each square is intersected by lines, and the spaces between the lines filled with a conventional design. The centre is a large lotus flower half open, and brandling from this to tlie four corners are bunches of the leaves and flowers of a kind of bignoaia. Every flower and leaf is perfect. Then w© found that nearly all the arches in the great entrance colonnades and the balconies above were of marble inlaid with precious stones, or what are called precious stones here. The patterns were mostlv flowers, such as the blue convolvulus and other flowers common to the country, and the colours of the stones were as near as possible to the colour of the flower —red, blue, brown and so on—green being need for the leaves. The stones are lapis lazuli (a beautiful blue), red and purple porphyry, the matrix of turquoise, a green stone, and others. I did wish I could annex some pieces to bring home. You will understand the revolution that India works in one’s habits when I explain that Ihorning church is at 8 a.in. Then me meal hours in this house are: Chcta at 7 a.m., or earlier if necessary j for chota we get tea and a couple ot small—very small—slices of toast. Breakfast 11 a.m.; afternoon tea, 3 p.m. or thereabouts; and dinner, 7.30 p.m. 1 cannot get accustomed to this, so I feel desperately hungry before breakfast and before dinner. The “boys” are awfully conservative iu their ways, and stick to what they call “custom” though the heavens should fall. In Madras, in Bangalore, in Mysore, and all along the railway from Tnticorin in the south, northwards, two slices of toast are the regulation allowance. If you could see the apparent reluctance with which they produce more bread, vou would suppose it was worth its weignt m gold. The loaves are so small that I could easily eat a whole one. A. calks them two-pound loaves, but they do not weigh a pound, I am sure. Then they are extremely spongy, and quite tasteless. Occasionally the toast is flavoured by being well smoked.

My serenity has been ruffled this morning. I think I have told you that the dirtiest and nastiest work about the houses is left to women. Not having seen a woman about this house I concluded that this was an exception. This morning, however, the womqii made her appearance; 1 had not happened to see her before. Men won’t do the dirty work, and even starvation doesn't drive them to it apparently. I suppose that in those circumstances they take to a “ holy ” life and live on the charity of others. The family system is responsible for a good deal of loafing. A man may throw up his billet in a pet and quarter himself on hia relations, and they are bound to give him and his family food, clothes and shelter. Indeed, the head of the family may have to support all his own relatives and his wife’s as well, but, of course, he may quarter himself upon them. A. says that when she was fixing up the marriage of an orphan girl site used to urge as one of the special advantages to be gained by the husband that the girl had no relatives, hut the answer 'to that would he: “Then who’s going to tmpport mo if 1 want it?”

A strange peculiarity of many Hindus is their desire to be fair, not white like Europeans, but a light-brown or olive. This is because the Brahmins are usually a. fair brown, consequently it if ; i regarded as a patent of aristocracy, and A. is often asked by the would-be husband Te she fair?’ If she is fair I don’t mind about anything else.” To stimulate this fairness many women rub themselves and their little daughters with turmeric, which makes their skins an ugly yellow colour. Here in Mysore it is quite a common practice. I went to church last evening when all of you were safe and sound asleep I hope. There is something that appeals to one very strongly in a church service in India. So many—nearly all—the missionaries have children or relatives in other lands, and they keep in such close touch with them that prayers for absent ones must be really heartfelt. On our way to church we drove right through a succession of streets in the closely-populated part of the city./ Tho Hindus have no day that is' equivalent to Sunday, while . the Mohammedans observe Friday! So the native bazaars were in full swing, and the streets swarmed with people. On Saturday the great Mohammedan fast of Ramazan began. This lasts a month, so the Mohammedans were out in strong force, and when they wear their best clothes they are far more gorgeous than the Hindus. Silk, satin and velvet are the materials worn. Old, good satin trousers are a mere circumstance. Yesterday was apparently nob a day of great importance, because most we saw were in white, but spotlessly clean, and every man carried a shawl or a Madras handkerchief—green, orange, scarlet, pink, any colour, but always coloured. A few young dandies were gorgeous in satin or velvet waistcoats and velvet caps, embroidered with gold, while many of the tiny boys were bedizened like monkeys in bright green, or orange cap, jacket and trousers, the cap being

a kind of bonnet, always lavishly embroidered with gold tassel braid. The town abounds in Mohammedan, mosques, and as wo went to church the Muezzins were calling the faithful to prayer. Five times every day the Muezzin mounts a platform in front of the mosque, turns to the west, so that he is looking towards Mecca, and calls upon the. faithful to come and pray. I suppose they practise the call, for their voices carry a long way, though they don’t shout.

Of course, Mission work and Mission hospitals and schools fill up the horizon here, and we have had to, do our duty in that respect. The "Wesleyans and Roman Catholics have the field pretty much to themselves, and both bodies have a number of schools, while the Wesloyans have just opened a fine hospital for women, and children. I don’t intend tc f devote my time to -going over missionary institutions, for when you have seen one you have seeeu them all. One school is just like another, but very few have any industrial work, such as A runs. Only yesterday she got a request from another Mission that she would take a girl to learn lacemaking. The difficulty about grants has not been settled yet, hut it seems to be only a question of time. When a new system is introduced someone must suffer. It was, of most unfortunate that the change was made when it was, because she had just opened another industrial' school in Madras.