Page:The Land of the Veda.djvu/73

 Ludora and Putteallah, with forty more elephants, and five thousand people.

It was considered necessary to the dignity of the occasion that the bridegroom's party should expend at least six hundred thousand rupees—$300,000 gold—during the festival. A large part of this sum was to be distributed freely in the procession; so it was loaded on elephants, and persons were appointed to fling it among the crowds as the cavalcade passed on its way. They scattered copper money all along the road from their home till within seven miles of Bullubghur. From this point to the gate of the fort they scattered silver, and from the gate of the fort to the door of the palace they scattered gold and jewels. The son of the Putteallah chief, a lad of about ten years, had the post of honor in the distribution. He sat on his elephant, and beside him was a bag of gold mohurs—each mohur is worth eight dollars gold—mixed up with an immense variety of gold ear-rings, pearls, and precious stones. His turn for scattering began as they neared the palace door. Seeing some European gentlemen, who had come to look at the procession, standing on the balcony, the little chief thought they should have their share, so he heaved up vigorously several handfuls of the pearls, mohurs, and jewels, as he passed them. Not one of them, of course, would condescend to stoop to take up any, but the servants in attendance upon them showed no such dignified forbearance.

The costs of the family of the bride are always much greater than that of the bridegroom. They are obliged to entertain, at their own expense, all the bridegroom's guests which go with him for his bride, as well as their own, as long as they remain.

From this running description of the superficial, self-glorifying, and aunless lives which these men follow, the reader may easily imagine what must be the condition of their minds, their morals, and their characters.

The Mohammedans, a picture of whom we present here, are a more energetic people than the Hindoos. Their aspect is haughty and intolerant, and in meeting them you are under no liability to