" This is the courteous Eastern fashion of saying "Now I bid
you good-bye." The Military Secretary performs a like office to
the members of the Rajah's suite, who, however, have to content
themselves with attar sprinkled from a silver bottle and "pans"
wrapped in silver paper. Then all the traditional requirements of
Oriental politeness have been fulfilled, and the Rajah takes his
leave with the same ceremonies as attended his arrival. At the
beginning of a Durbar "tribute" is presented--that is to say that
a folded napkin supposed to contain one thousand gold mohurs is
handed to the Viceroy, who "touches it and remits it." I have
often wondered what that folded napkin really contained.
When I first knew Calcutta, most of the grain, jute, hemp and
indigo exported was carried to its various destinations in
sailing-ships, and there were rows and rows of splendid full-
rigged ships and barques lying moored in the Hooghly along the
whole length of the Maidan. The line must have extended for two
miles, and I never tired of looking at these beautiful vessels
with their graceful lines and huge spars, all clean and spick and
span with green and white paint, the ubiquitous Calcutta crows
perched in serried ranks on their yards.
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