A Journey to Katmandu | Page 8

themselves by too much condescension. An instance of
this occurred during another visit. While we were chatting on
indifferent subjects a native rajah was announced, as being desirous of
paying a visit of ceremony. Jung immediately stepped forward to

receive him with much politeness. The rajah commenced apologising
for not having called sooner, excusing himself on the plea of the
present being the only auspicious hour which had been available since
his Excellency's arrival; a compliment which the latter returned by
remarking that it was unfortunate that his immediate departure would
preclude the possibility of his returning his visit, which he the more
regretted, as he was at present most particularly engaged in matters of a
pressing nature with the English gentlemen, and he therefore hoped he
would be excused thus abruptly, but unavoidably, terminating an
interview which it would otherwise have given him the greatest
pleasure to have prolonged. Thus saying, he politely rose and led the
rajah in the most graceful manner to the front door, which was no
sooner closed behind him than he returned, rubbing his hands with
great glee, as he knowingly remarked, "That is the way to get over an
interview with one of these natives."
A detachment of a regiment had come to Benares to escort the General
on his journey to Katmandu, and he accordingly determined to favour
the inhabitants generally, and the English in particular, with a review.
The men were tall and well-made, and were dressed in a light-green
uniform with yellow facings. They went through various evolutions
with tolerable regularity; but the performance which excited the most
interest was the platoon exercise, no word of command being given,
but everything done with the utmost precision at different notes of the
music, the men beating time the whole while and giving a swaying
motion to their bodies, which produced a most curious effect. The
origin of this novel proceeding, his Excellency told us, was a request by
the Ranee that some other means should be invented of putting the men
through their exercises than by hoarse shouts, which grated upon her
ear. The minister immediately substituted this more euphonious but less
business-like method.
At this review Jung Bahadoor and his brothers were dressed in the
costume they wore when in England: the handsome diamonds in their
turbans glittering in the sunshine.
I accompanied him one day on a visit to the Benares college, a

handsome building in process of erection by the Indian Government.
The Gothic and Oriental styles of architecture are most happily
combined, and there is an airiness about the building; but this did not in
any way detract from its solidity. The cost of the college and
professor's house is not to exceed 13,000 pounds; the length of the
large school-room is 260 feet, its breadth 35; and there are six large
class-rooms on each side.


CHAPTER III.
_Jaunpore--A shooting-party--Scenes in camp and on the march--A
Nepaulese dinner--Ghazipore--The Company's stud--Indian
roads--Passage of the Gograh--Jung Bahadoor's mode of despatching
an alligator_.
Being anxious to visit Jaunpore, I left Benares one evening after dinner,
and accomplished the distance, 36 miles, with one set of bearers, in
seven hours and a half.
The first object that attracts the eye of the traveller as he enters
Jaunpore is the many-arched bridge thrown by the Mahometans over
the Goomte, and considered the finest built by them in India; on each
side are stalls, in which sit the vendors of various wares, after the
fashion of old London Bridge. On an island in the middle of the river
was discovered a huge figure of a winged lion guarding an elephant,
which would suggest some connexion with the sculptures found at
Nineveh, and must date much further back than the erection of the
bridge.
Passing through a serai, which was filled with travellers, we reached
the fort, built, it is supposed, by Khan Kan, or one of the kings of the
Shirkee dynasty, about the year 1260. From one of its turrets we had a
magnificent view of the town and the surrounding country, while
immediately below is seen the river, spanned by the picturesque old

bridge, unmoved by the fierce floods which so constantly destroy those
arched bridges that have been erected in India by Europeans.
The appearance of the town is diminished in size, but increased in
beauty, by the many stately trees which are planted throughout it, while
here and there a huge screen of some musjid rears its Egyptian-looking
crest, and gives to the town an appearance peculiar to itself; Jaunpore is,
in fact, the only city in India in which this style of architecture prevails.
On our way out of the fort we passed a monolithe, on which was an
inscription in the same character as that on Ferozeshah's Lath