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 houses were built chiefly of stone quarried in the neighbourhood. The stone was white and soft—easily worked but hardening under exposure, so that, in time, these buildings became like solid blocks of marble fitted to endure an age. There was some approach also to architectural excellence, and although most of the streets were narrow, and the bazaars crowded, the effect was wonderfully picturesque. That "White City," with its massive walls seen from a distance, in the coloured glory of the setting Sun, was a vision of beauty never to be forgotten. Unfortunately, there were few trees in Porbandar. The palace and garden of the Rana Sahib were within the walls, but apart from these, the tropic loveliness of those spots.


 * "... Where the feathery palm-trees rise,
 * And the dates grow ripe under sunny skies,"

had no place in the scene. The only green things which were common in the city were the tulsi-plants, in their pots or tubs, before which puja was done.

Outside the walls, the sea was almost within a stone's throw. It swept around the city so closely, that at times it made almost an island of Porbandar, changing the neighbouring fields into a swamp,