Page:The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago.djvu/154

Rh house is distinguished by a special banner. For every victory gained by the king’s forces gorgeous colours are unfurled. So many, and of such divers shapes and colours are these flags that the city looks as if it has been decked for a grand festival. Detachments of the king’s troops return to the city from their raids into enemies’ territories, bringing with them such booty as horses and elephants, and beautifully carved gates removed from fortresses which they had stormed. Other parties of soldiers return with herds of cattle, lifted at night, in the light of burning villages, and driven with their long spears, which now serve as goading sticks. Feudatory chiefs follow with their tributes to be presented to the king. Later, flower-sellers with trays full of loose blossoms and garlands suspended on their arms, and vendors of fragrant powders, of aracanuts and betel leaves, stroll in the streets or sit in the shade of the lofty buildings. Elderly women with tempting dainties and sweet smelling flowers, go from door to door, offering the articles for sale to the inmates of each house. The wealthy classes drive in chariots drawn by horses or ride on ambling steeds which are trained to special paces. The poor pedlars and petty dealers now run hither and thither, excited and terror-stricken, as a fierce elephant, which had burst its chains and killed its guards, rushes through the street, while men run before and behind it, blowing conch-shells to warn passengers off the road. Now and then the brawls of drunken soldiers also disturb the peace of the street. In the great market which is held in an extensive square, are exposed for sale “carts, chariots and ornament chariot tops; coats of mail and metallic belts which cannot be cut; leathern sandals and fly wisks made of the white tail of the yak; strong spears and curved clubs; elephant goads and shields to protect the face of elephants ; various articles made of copper and of brass; saws and lathes and other tools; pretty garlands of flowers and fragrant pastes to be burned as incense or rubbed on the body, and other articles too many to be set forth.” In the jewellers street are sold diamonds of the four kinds then known to merchants, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, topaz, lapizlazuli, onyx stones, lustrous pearls and bright red coral beads. The gold merchants who dwelt in a separate street, sell the four varieties of