Across India; Or, Live Boys in the Far East Read online

  Produced by Robert Shimmin, Rudy Ketterer and the Online DistributedProofreading Team.

  "He was dressed in the most magnificent robes of India."--Page 234.]

  _All-Over-the-World Library--Third Series_

  ACROSS INDIA

  OR

  LIVE BOYS IN THE FAR EAST

  BY

  OLIVER OPTIC

  AUTHOR OF "A MISSING MILLION" "A MILLIONAIRE AT SIXTEEN" "A YOUNG KNIGHT-ERRANT" "STRANGE SIGHTS ABROAD" "AMERICAN BOYS AFLOAT" "THE YOUNG NAVIGATORS" "UP AND DOWN THE NILE" "ASIATIC BREEZES" AND UPWARDS OF ONE HUNDRED OTHER VOLUMES

  BOSTON

  LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS

  10 MILK STREET

  1895

  * * * * *

  TO

  MY LONG-TRIED FRIEND OF MORE THAN FORTY YEARS, WITH WHOM IN ALL THAT TIME, I HAVE NOT HAD A BICKER OR A SHADOW OF UNPLEASANTNESS THOUGH HE HAS BEEN MY SENIOR PUBLISHER FOR MORE THAN AN ENTIRE GENERATION, AND TO WHOM I HAVE NOT DEDICATED A BOOK FOR THIRTY YEARS

  WILLIAM LEE

  This Volume

  IS RESPECTFULLY AND CORDIALLY INSCRIBED BY HIS FAITHFUL AND EVER GRATEFUL FRIEND

  WILLIAM T. ADAMS

  * * * * *

  PREFACE

  "Across India" is the first volume of the third series of the"All-Over-the-World Library," in which the voyage of the Guardian-Mother iscontinued from Aden, where some important changes were made in the currentof events, including the disposal of the little steamer Maud, which figuredto a considerable extent in the later volumes of the library, though theyalso comprehended the addition of another and larger consort to the ship,in which the distinguished Pacha, as a reformed and entirely reconstructedperson, sails in company with the voyagers.

  A few days out from the port of departure, a stirring event, a catastropheof the sea, adds three very important personages to the cabin passengers ofthe Guardian-Mother, and affords two of the "live boys" an opportunity todistinguish themselves in a work of humanity requiring courage and skill.These additions to the company prove to be a very fortunate acquisition tothe party; for they are entirely familiar with everything in and relatingto India. They are titled individuals, two of the trio, who have not onlytravelled all over the peninsula, but have very influential relations withthe officers of the government, and the native princes, rajahs, kings,maharajahs, and nobles.

  The commander, the professor, the surgeon, the young millionaire, andothers who have hitherto given the "talks" and lectures for the instructionof the young people, and incidentally of the older ones also, findthemselves almost entirely relieved from duty in this direction by thosewhom the ship's company have saved from inevitable death in the stormybillows of the Arabian Sea. The gratitude of the two titled members of thetrio, and their earnest appreciation of the educational object of the longvoyage, induce them to make themselves very useful on board.

  They do not confine themselves to the duty presented to them in "ConferenceHall;" but they are profuse, and even extravagant, in their hospitality,becoming the hosts of the entire party, and treating them like princes inthe principal cities of India, in all of which they are quite at home. Oneof the Hindu maharajahs proves to be an old friend of both of them, and theparty reside a week at his court; and the time is given up to the study ofmanners and customs, as well as to hunting and the sports of the country.

  Felix McGavonty, with Kilkenny blood in his veins, is firm in his beliefthat he ought not to be afraid of snakes, and does for India a little ofwhat St. Patrick did completely for Ireland. The other "live boys," thoughnot so much inclined as the Milesian to battle with the cobra-de-capello,have some experience in shooting tigers, leopards, deer, pythons,crocodiles, and other game, though not enough to wholly satisfy theirnatural enterprise.

  The tour of the party is made by railroad in India, from Bombay, taking inLahore, Delhi, Agra, Cawnpoor, Lucknow, Benares, Calcutta, and by theGuardian-Mother to Madras and Ceylon. On the way and in the cities thetitled conductors continue their "talks" and lectures about the placesvisited, with as much of history as time would permit, including an epitomeof those great events in India, the Mutiny of the Sepoys, the "Black Hole,"and other events of the past. The speakers were assisted by elaborate maps,which the reader can find in his atlas. Statistics are given to some extentfor purposes of comparison. Brief notices of the lives of such men asBishop Heber, Sir Colin Campbell, Henry Havelock, and others areintroduced.

  The party did not claim to have seen all there was of India; simply to haveobtained "specimen bricks" of the principal cities, with a fair idea of themanners and customs of the people.

  WILLIAM. T. ADAMS.

  * * * * *

  CONTENTS

  PAGE

  CHAPTER I.

  ABOUT FINDING THE LONGITUDE. 1

  CHAPTER II.

  THE WRECK IN THE ARABIAN SEA. 10

  CHAPTER III.

  A REVIEW OF THE PAST FOURTEEN MONTHS. 19

  CHAPTER IV.

  FIRST AND SECOND CUTTERS TO THE RESCUE. 30

  CHAPTER V.

  THE TITLED GENTLEMEN OF THE TRAVANCORE 40

  CHAPTER VI.

  THE GENERAL INTRODUCTION IN THE CABIN. 50

  CHAPTER VII.

  DR. FERROLAN'S EXPLANATION OF THE WRECK 60

  CHAPTER VIII.

  AN INTERVIEW IN THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN. 70

  CHAPTER IX.

  CONCERNING THE GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA. 80

  CHAPTER X.

  THE FLORA AND THE SNAKES OF INDIA 90

  CHAPTER XI.

  A PLEASANT DINNER-PARTY AT SEA 100

  CHAPTER XII.

  THE POPULATION AND PEOPLE OF INDIA 109

  CHAPTER XIII.

  LORD TREMLYN DISCOURSES MORE ABOUT INDIA 118

  CHAPTER XIV.

  SIR HENRY HAVELOCK AND THE MUTINY 128

  CHAPTER XV.

  ARRIVAL OF THE GUARDIAN-MOTHER AT BOMBAY 138

  CHAPTER XVI.

  A MULTITUDE OF NATIVE SERVANTS 148

  CHAPTER XVII.

  A HOSPITAL FOR THE BRUTE CREATION 158

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  A SNAKY SPECTACLE IN BOMBAY 168

  CHAPTER XIX.

  MORE SNAKES AND THE CAVES OF ELEPHANTA 178

  CHAPTER XX.

  A JUVENILE WEDDING AND HINDU THEATRICALS 187

  CHAPTER XXI.

  JUGGERNAUT AND JUGGLERS 197

  CHAPTER XXII.

  A MERE STATEMENT ABOUT BUDDHISM 207

  CHAPTER XXIII.

  THE UNEXAMPLED LIBERALITY OF THE HOSTS 217

  CHAPTER XXIV.

&nb
sp; THE RECEPTION OF THE MAHARAJAH AT BARODA 227

  CHAPTER XXV.

  FELIX MCGAVONTY BRINGS DOWN SOME SNAKES 237

  CHAPTER XXVI.

  THE MAGNIFICENT PROCESSION OF THE SOWARI 246

  CHAPTER XXVII.

  VARIOUS COMBATS IN THE GUICOWAR'S ARENA 256

  CHAPTER XXVIII.

  AT THE CAPITAL OF THE PUNJAB 266

  CHAPTER XXIX.

  THE WONDERFUL CITY OF DELHI 276

  CHAPTER XXX.

  THE MAGNIFICENT MAUSOLEUM OF AGRA 286

  CHAPTER XXXI.

  THE TERRIBLE STORY OF CAWNPORE AND LUCKNOW 296

  CHAPTER XXXII.

  MORE OF LUCKNOW, AND SOMETHING OF BENARES 306

  CHAPTER XXXIII.

  A STEAMER TRIP UP AND DOWN THE GANGES 316

  CHAPTER XXXIV.

  ALL OVER THE CITY OF CALCUTTA 327

  CHAPTER XXXV.

  A SUCCESSFUL HUNT IN THE SUNDERBUNDS 339

  CHAPTER XXXVI.

  THE PARTING FESTIVITIES ON THE HOOGLY 351

  CHAPTER XXXVII.

  THE FAREWELL TO CEYLON AND INDIA 367

  * * * * *

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS