The Life of King Edward VII
the Maharajah Holkar of Indore who was said to have L5,000,000 in gold
stored away; the Maharajah of Jodhpore, who wore an indescribable
glittering mass of gems; the Maharajahs of Jeypore, Cashmere, Gwalior;
the Sultana Jehan, Begum of Bhopal, of whom little more than a shawl and
a silk hood could be seen; and the Maharajah of Rewah, a dignified
personage who was said by some writers to be suffering from leprosy. A
Levee was then held and the Prince, for two hours, with the Duke of
Sutherland on one side of him and Lieutenant-Governor Sir Richard Temple
on the other, stood in full uniform bowing to a steady stream of people.
Another state banquet in the evening, and then attendance at an
entertainment some miles out of town gotten up by Native gentlemen,
brought this Christmas Eve to a close. On the following day the Prince
attended service at the Cathedral accompanied by Lord Northbrook and
listened to a powerful sermon from Bishop Milman--who died of a fever
caught on his Episcopal tour a few weeks later. He then drove to the
harbour and went on board the _Serapis_, which was decked out in
imitation of winter, and here had a sort of Christmas dinner. The rest
of the day was spent at Barrackpoor, the Viceroy's country residence,
but better known as the place where the terrible first signs of the
Mutiny were detected. After church on the 26th (Sunday) the Prince made
an excursion to the little French territory of Chandernagore--one of the
remnants of historic empire.
On the following day His Royal Highness held another reception for
Chiefs attended by envoys from the King of Burmah, the Maharajah of
Punnah in person, an embassy from Nepaul, the noble-looking Rajah of
Jheend, the Maharajahs of Benares, Nahun, and Johore. This was the last
of the Chiefs, for the moment, and the Prince and his wearied suite
could rest from a succession of sights and ceremonies in which
dark-featured magnates with diamonds, emeralds, rubies and pearls and an
infinite variety of Sirdar escorts, must have come to be a mere
picturesque and confused medley. Many splendid presents were received
and on the two following days return visits were paid in state. On
December 21st the Prince witnessed a tent-pegging exhibition by the 10th
Bengal Cavalry, made a round of the hospitals and asylums, and wound up
with a garden party at Belvidere and a dinner and grand ball at
Government House.
On New Year's Day the Prince of Wales held a Chapter of the Order of the
Star of India in place of the Durbar which could only be held by the
direct representative of the Sovereign. Opposite the entrance to
Government House a canopied dais was erected, carpeted with cloth of
gold, covered with light-blue satin and supported upon silver pillars.
Two chairs with silver arms were placed upon the dais and around it were
the marines and sailors of the _Serapis_ while on the left were infantry
of the line. At nine o'clock came the processions, each presaged by a
flourish of trumpets. First came the Companions of the Order, Native and
European, presenting a stream of picturesque uniforms and costumes. Then
the Knights Grand Cross entered the Pavilion followed in the case of
each Indian dignitary by a small procession of Sirdars in rich and
varied dress--the Begum of Bhopal, Sir Salar Jung, the Maharajah of
Puttiala, Lord Napier of Magdala, the Maharajah of Travancore, Sir
Bartle Frere, the Maharajahs of Rewah, Jeypoor, Indore, Cashmere, and
Gwalior. Then came the Prince of Wales wearing a white helmet and plume,
and a Field Marshal's uniform almost concealed by his sky-blue mantle.
Following him was the Viceroy and the two took the chairs placed on the
dais. His Excellency, as Grand Master of the Order, then went through
the ceremonial of opening the Chapter and then, from out the tented
field of, literally, cloth of gold which surrounded the Royal pavilion,
came one by one the Knights to be. Each in turn left his tent with
stately accompaniments, approached, bowed and knelt at the footstool of
His Royal Highness who spoke certain prescribed words and placed the
Collar of the Order around his neck. As he rose the number of guns to
which he was entitled thundered forth their salute. The Maharajahs of
Jodhpoor and Jheend were thus invested with the Grand Cross and a number
of others were made Knights Commander or Companions of the Order. The
proceedings closed with a procession to Government House which lacked no
element of Oriental splendour and displayed untold wealth in jewels and
unique characteristics in costume.
In the afternoon the Prince unveiled an equestrian statue of the late
Lord Mayo and afterwards attended a polo match. In the evening he drove
to see the illumination of the fleet and then attended in state a
theatrical performance with Charles Matthews as the central figure. On
January 2nd, church was attended at Fort William and the arsenal
inspected; the Botanical Gardens and Bishop's College visited; and an
amateur concert of sacred music listened to at Government House in the
evening. The next day's programme included the spectacle of tent-pegging
and polo-playing between rival regiments; the reception of an LL. D.
degree from the University of Calcutta; a visit to a Hindoo Zenana under
arrangements made by Miss Baring, Lady Temple and others; and a farewell
reception at Government House.
The Royal special train arrived at Bankipoor station, near Patna, on the
morning of January 4th and the Prince was duly welcomed by Sir Richard
Temple, Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, his officers and a great
concourse of people. He was driven through an avenue of four hundred
elephants, all gaily caparisoned, to the Durbar tent, where, under a
canopy and in front of a sort of throne, His Royal Highness held a Levee
and marked in every way possible his approval of the splendid work
lately done by Sir R. Temple and his officials in stamping out famine.
Luncheon followed, and then the train was taken for Benares. Here he
arrived at dark and found the magnificent ghauts or terraces alive with
lights. The procession drove over the bridge of boats across the Ganges
and through crowded streets out to the camp of the Lieutenant-Governor,
Sir John Strachey, where a special and beautiful structure had been
prepared for the Prince. On the following day an address was presented
by the Municipality of Benares and answered, a Levee held, the
foundation-stone of a Hospital laid, the Rajah of Vizianagram visited,
the famous Temples inspected. At sunset the Prince embarked in a galley
and went four miles up the Ganges to the old Fort of Ramnagar, where he
was received at a carpeted and decorated landing-place by the Maharajah
of Benares and witnessed a beautiful spectacle of illuminated river and
battlements. Preceded by spearsmen and banners, carried in gold and
silver chairs, passing between lines of cavalry, accompanied by
elephants and the constant strains of wild music, the host and his Royal
guest then went to the Castle. From the roof was seen another charming
sight--the Ganges and its banks and terraces so lit up as to look like a
myriad of tiny stars passing between banks of flaming gold. More
presents were received and the drive back to the camp commenced.
THE PRINCE VISITS LUCKNOW
Next day, the journey was resumed to Lucknow, on the Oudh and Rohilcund
Railway. At that much-modernized city the Prince of Wales arrived on
January 6th and stayed at what was once Outram's head-quarters. Here,
next morning, he held two Levees--a Native and a European one--and then
drove to see the historic spots of the famous city. In the afternoon he
laid the foundation-stone of a Memorial to the Natives who fell in
defence of the Residency and the Empire during the Mutiny. Lord
Northbrook had succeeded in getting together many of the survivors from
all over India and they stood around His Royal Highness in their old
war-worn uniforms. A touching scene followed the Prince's impromptu
intimation that these veterans might be presented to him, and to each he
said a word of kindness. In the afternoon a Native entertainment was
given in his honour at the ancient Palace of the Kings of Oudh and a
crown set in jewels was presented with the formal address. A reception,
banquet, and fireworks, followed, and on the next day the Prince enjoyed
a little hard riding and "pig-sticking" sport, during which Lord
Carington had his collar-bone broken.
Sunday was spent quietly in visiting various interesting places, after
church, and on the succeeding day the Prince presented colours to a
Native regiment and watched a march-past of troops. In the afternoon
Cawnpore was visited, and then the train taken for Delhi, which was
reached on the morning of January 11th. The entry into the Imperial City
was surrounded with all possible pomp and circumstance. Lines of
soldiery kept the streets from the station to the Royal camp, where rows
of tents, avenues of shrubs and flowers, marquees and beautiful
enclosures, formed a temporary home for the visitor and his suite. The
first function was the reception of an address from the Municipality of
a city which for one thousand years had been the seat of dynasties and
native rule. A Levee followed and then dinner with Lord Napier of
Magdala in his own mess-tent. On the following day a grand review was
held and for an hour and a half a stream of horse, foot and guns flowed
past. Then came a great banquet given by the Prince to the generals and
officers and a ball at Selinghur in those "marble halls of dazzling
light" which have been so often described. During the next few days a
great sham fight was held; a visit paid to the Kootab, where the Prince
mounted the summit of the famous pillar and viewed the wide-spread scene
of ruin; the beautiful Mausoleum of Houmayoun was seen; and the
illumination of the ancient city witnessed.
A REMARKABLE SPECTACLE AT LAHORE
On January 17th the beautiful city of tents disappeared and the Prince
of Wales was on his way to Lahore. There, he was received with the usual
state and drove four miles to Government House under the shade of a
golden umbrella and in the gaze of a vast multitude of people. A
remarkable spectacle was presented on the way by the encampment of the
Rajahs of the Punjaub. In front of them stood a long line of elephants,
caparisoned in gold and silver and gems, with armed retainers and a
salute for the Royal visitor, which included all that the roll of drums,
blare of trumpets and clang and roar of many strange instruments could
produce. Amidst the elephants flashed lance and sword and cuirass and
other things reminiscent of the days of western chivalry. At Government
House an address was presented by the members of the City Council,
wearing turbans of gold tissue, brocaded robes and coils of gems around
their necks. A European Levee followed and then came the Native Chiefs.
Afterwards the Prince visited the citadel and watched the sun set over
the plains from a window once used by the Lion of Lahore in his days of
power.
The next day saw a return visit to the Chiefs in their picturesque,
costly and oriental encampments; the opening of a Soldiers' Industrial
Exhibition at Mean Meer; and a beautiful illumination of the exquisite
Shalimar Gardens in the evening. On January 20th the Prince left for
Jummoo to visit the Maharajah of Cashmere. Later in the day he was
welcomed by this ruler, some seven miles from his capital and, mounted
on an elephant preceeded and followed by a stately _cortege_, the Royal
visitor passed through two miles of winding streets, brilliantly lighted
and lined by Native troops, while piled-up masses of people showed many
types of the Cashmeres, Lamas, Sikhs, Afghans, etc. On the summit of a
great ridge was a specially constructed building created at enormous