Page:Littell's Living Age - Volume 129.djvu/466

458 the mountains behind it. This palace, with its splendid proportions, appeared to soar, like the New Jerusalem, above the terrestrial city.

Scanty attention was at first paid to M. Rousselet's party, owing to the temporary absence of the British political officer, and to some suspicions entertained by the native authorities. All this was, however, speedily rectified. An elephant and an escort were sent to conduct them to suitable quarters, supplies in abundance were forwarded, and every possible assistance was rendered by the rao of Baidlah, a handsome old Rajpoot nobleman, who during the troubles of 1857 afforded to European fugitives protection duly acknowledged by the British government, and eventually received from the queen of England a magnificent sword of honour, shown by him to M. Rousselet "with no little pride." By the rao's order the travellers were located on the island of Jugnavas, on the western side of which those who escaped from Neemuch and Indore in 1857 found an asylum, the boats on the lake Peshola, which surrounds the island, having been taken away and placed out of the reach of the fanatics who then filled the town of Oudeypoor. This island is described as a spot of extraordinary loveliness. It contains a series of palaces, covering an area of one hundred and sixty acres, built entirely of marble, of great architectural beauty, and ornamented with an almost fabulous richness.

Each mass of buildings has a garden attached to it, surrounded by galleries, where flowers and orange and lemon trees grow near a stream, the different channels of which form a curious pattern. Immense mango-trees and tamarinds shade these beautiful palaces, while the cocoa-nut and the date-palm raise above the very domes their feathery heads, which are gently swayed to and fro by the breeze from the lake. The smallest details harmonize with the beauty of the whole scene.

In this fairy retreat the travellers remained for some time, the kindness of the old rao of Baidlah being unremitting, and shown "by inventing new amusements every day." One fine morning, however, the firing of cannon announced the return of the political agent, Major Nixon, and within an hour they were sitting at breakfast with him, and were then told by him that they had been, on first arrival, taken for Russian spies. They were now comfortably lodged near the British residency, and introduced to the doctor and engineer, who, with Major Nixon, constituted the whole European society. A few days later they were received at a grand durbar by the maharana, who apologized for his inability earlier to notice them, and invited them to prolong their stay. This they did, and during several weeks were right royally treated. Hunting parties were constantly organized, and the camp-life was delightful. Of this camp-life M. Rousselet gives the following excellent description:—

Our sleeping-tents were placed in a circle round two pavilion tents surrounded by verandahs and luxuriously furnished. Of these, one was the dining-room, the other the sitting-room, or reunion-tent. At six o'clock in the morning I was roused by the servant bringing me a glass of sherry. Jumping out of my charpoy with silver feet, I pulled off my clothes, and donning a simple janghir, or close-fitting drawers, issued from my tent. I then took my place on a little heap of straw, and, on looking round, saw each of my companions in front of his tent, in the same position and costume as myself. The bheestees arrived with their mussucks, and douced us liberally with cold water. In a few minutes more we all assembled, in a more suitable dress, round the table in the mess-tent, busily employed in discussing a chota hazree, or early breakfast. After a pleasant chat, while smoking some Manilla cheroots, we mounted our horses, and went to explore the surrounding country, shooting a few wildfowl on the neighbouring lake. At eleven o'clock the process of dressing was again gone through, and a second breakfast served A long file of servants, bearing dishes laden with a variety of meats, haunches of wild boar, breast of kid, and strongly flavoured ragouts and curries; some of them, however, would do credit to the tables of our European grandees. About a dozen plates were filled with pickles of all kinds, roasted berries, and sweetmeats. We merely went through the form of tasting this huge breakfast, which served to regale our attendants, as we preferred the excellent cuisine of the burra sahib (Major Nixon), and the Moselle from the royal cellars. The middle of the day was set apart for the hankwa (hunt). At four o'clock, after refreshing myself with a second bath, I received visits from the Hindu nobles, who chatted pleasantly on all kinds of subjects. The dinner, as is usual in India, lasted till late, and we were entertained up to midnight by the nautch-girls, jugglers, and fireworks.

The scene of so much hospitality and kindness was quitted with some reluctance, after a farewell audience of the maharana. M. Rousselet left the palace arm-in-arm with the rao of Baidlah, and felt, when on mounting his elephant he wrung the hand of the venerable rao for the last time, as though he "were parting forever from old and true friends." The next morning, after a late breakfast at