Page:"Round the world." - Letters from Japan, China, India, and Egypt (IA roundworldletter00fogg 0).pdf/219

 pockets. Most of these venders are pro- prictors of shops in the Chandnee-Chowd, and bring quantities of Cashmere shawls, Delhi embroidery, paintings and jewelry for your inepsetior, tome of which are very tempting. Qace admitted to your reom, befere you have tims to forbid tiem, these men will haye opened their bundles, and displayed before your now longing eyes the mostexquisite fabries of every Color of the Tainbow, covered with the fzest embroid- ery in gold, silver-thread and silk. If there should bs any ladies in your party you may ag well surrender at once, only stipulatirg far enough to be left in your purse for the expenses to Bombay; far the beantiful opera éloake, raviehing Cashmere shawls, sandalwood ¢arvicgs, and miniatars ypaint- ings tu ivory, gold and siivor filagree orna— ments, with which you find yourself sur- rounded would tempt an anchorite, or any other hater of the pomps and vanitics of life. The prices asked are of course very different from whet is gladly taken after a half hovr’s bargaining; butit isa very un- safe method of purchase, unless one knows the actual value of the gocds, for althongh you may get the article ab half tue price first demanded, you are by no means cartain that you have meda a good bargala.

There are one or twa shops, however, where the prices asked are the fair market value, and to these the traveler in search of genuine articles should go direct. At the shawl store of Manick Chund we were ahown up & narrow and steep flight ef ateps tos mall room, opening on one zide to the court, and on the other to a narrow balcony overlooking the atreei, Ohsits having been provided for us by the proprietor and his as sistants, he unlocked a dcor leading into a lorge closet, and brought outa bundle, like a peddler’a pack, tied up in white cloth. When untied we found this contained about twenty cashmere shawls, worth from five hundred to one thousand rupees esch. These were held up for cur inspection, one after another, then pushed away, and an- other bandle brought out, exhibited to us and thrown aside in the most esreless man- ner. Bundles of bernouses and jackets of esshmere cloth and velvet, most beauti- fally embroidered in silk and gold, chogas, or loose dressing-gownus for gentlemen, smoking caps, table covers, ete.,, until the floor was two feeb deepin a confused litter of the richest dry goods ever eaw. To my unsophisticated eyes these ravishing “cam