Across India Part 22

CHAPTER XXIII

THE UNEXAMPLED LIBERALITY OF THE HOSTS

The Blanche, the elegant white steam-yacht of General Noury, which had sailed in company with the Guardian-Mother from Aden, and which had a.s.sisted in the rescue of the crew of the Travancore, had come into the harbor of Bombay, and lay at anchor not half a mile from her consort. The owner was a Moor of the highest rank, and a Mohammedan; and he had friends in Bombay, though he had never been there before. He had written to them of his intended visit, and they had taken possession of him on his arrival.

The general had been invited, with Captain and Mrs. Sharp, to join the party of her consort in the business of sight-seeing; and Lord Tremlyn and Sir Modava had united with Captain Ringgold in the invitation. The commander of the Blanche had visited the party on sh.o.r.e; but he was engaged in making some changes on board of his s.h.i.+p which required his attention.

The Mohammedan magnates had kept the general very busy, night and day, and _feted_ him like a king.

Lord Tremlyn had taken care of the engineers and other people of the wrecked steam-yacht, and had treated everybody in a subordinate capacity with princely liberality. He and his Indian a.s.sociate were both multi-millionaires, with fortunes inherited from their ancestors and other relatives; and unitedly they had placed a large sum of money in the hands of the captains of the two steamers, to be equitably distributed among their s.h.i.+ps' companies. Captain Ringgold remonstrated against this lavish gift to his own people.

"It is a sailor's duty, and a large part of his religion, to a.s.sist those in peril and distress on the sea, the poor and the rich alike, and I dislike to have my men rewarded in money for a service of this kind," said he rather warmly.

"It was the good Father in heaven who sent your s.h.i.+p to our aid when we were peris.h.i.+ng; but he works through human agencies, and I feel it to be a solemn duty to recognize my obligations to those so providentially sent to save us," replied his lords.h.i.+p, taking the hand of the commander with much feeling in his tone and manner. "I shall never cease to be grateful to Heaven for this interposition in my favor, and that of my companions; for all of us were in the very jaws of death."

"I can understand your feelings, my Lord; but all my people, as well as myself, may soon require the same service we have rendered to others, and I desire to let what we have done be placed to our credit against the possible debt of the future," added the captain.

"I shall feel better and happier when I have done, in connection with Sir Modava, what I propose, and I beg you will withdraw your objections,"

persisted the viscount.

They argued the question for some time; but at last the commander yielded the point. Every seaman, fireman, and waiter received five pounds, and every officer a larger sum, in proportion to his rank, after the manner in which prize-money is distributed on board of s.h.i.+ps of war. The same apportionment was made on board of both steamers, and Lord Tremlyn and Sir Modava were most vigorously cheered by the two s.h.i.+ps' companies.

Due notice had been given to Captain Sharp of the intention to sail for Surat on Tuesday; and on the day before the cabin party of the Blanche, which included Dr. Henderson, the surgeon of the s.h.i.+p, came to dine with their friends at the Victoria Hotel. General Noury, who had been taking leave of his Mussulman hosts, was attended by three of them, who were at once invited by his lords.h.i.+p to join them at dinner, and the band of the Blanche had been sent on sh.o.r.e for the occasion.

The general had been taken about the city and its vicinity by his host, and they were anxious to retain him longer in Bombay. He was on excellent terms with Lord Tremlyn, who, though a strict Churchman, was not a bigot; and his connection with the affairs of India had brought him into intimate a.s.sociation with men of all religions, and there were about thirteen million Mohammedans in the Punjab.

His lords.h.i.+p renewed his invitation to the general to join the party who were going across India, and he seemed to be inclined to accept it. His Mussulman friends declared that he would be most cordially welcomed by all the people of their faith, especially if attended by such excellent Christian people; and they appeared to have none of the bigotry so often found among the followers of the Prophet.

"I don't quite understand your plan, Captain Ringgold," said Captain Sharp.

"You go to Surat, and from there across the country;" for the conductors had decided not to go to Kurrachee. "But what becomes of the s.h.i.+ps?"

"The Guardian-Mother will proceed to Calcutta, as soon as we land, in charge of Mr. Boulong," replied Captain Ringgold. "We shall join her there."

The commander of the Blanche shook his head; and after some discussion he declined to join the tourists, and his wife would not go without him.

Doubtless he had some strong reasons for his decision, though he did not state them; but probably he had not as much confidence in his first officer as Captain Ringgold had in Mr. Boulong. The question was settled that the general should go, and he insisted that Dr. Henderson should go with him; and with three physicians in the excursion they appeared to be provided for any emergency.

The dinner was a very merry affair. The band played to the delight of all; and one of the general's friends declared that they had no such music in Bombay, to which he replied that he had engaged the best he could find in Italy. The company retired to the parlor, and the band played on the veranda for an hour longer. Some of the most distinguished of the civil and military officers located in the city called at this hour by invitation of the viscount, to pay their respects to the visitors; and Mrs. Blossom declared that she was never so "frustrated" in all her life.

"I should like to take my band with me," said General Noury, when the officials had all departed. "I am very fond of music, and I think it will afford us all a great deal of pleasure; of course I mean at my own expense."

"I beg your pardon, General Noury, but it must be at my expense,"

interposed Lord Tremlyn. "I was thinking myself what an addition it would be to have such excellent music on our way, and I am sure it will add a great deal to the earnestness of the welcome we shall everywhere receive.

As to the expense, I hope and beg that not another word will be said about it. The entire party are the guests of Sir Modava and myself."

"I protest"--Captain Ringgold began.

"Pardon me, my dear Captain; you are all our guests, and protests are entirely out of order," interposed Lord Tremlyn.

It was a very pleasant and friendly dispute that followed, and his lords.h.i.+p had carried his point at the close of it. The commander had been to the landlord, and asked for his bill; but the worthy Pa.r.s.ee informed him that it had already been paid. He had remonstrated with the hosts; but they had been inflexible. It was finally decided that nothing more should be said about expense; for his lords.h.i.+p declared that it was a very disagreeable subject to him. The captain believed that he was entirely sincere; and though he had never encountered such extreme liberality before, he gave up the point.

"You can tie your purse-strings with a hard knot, Uncle Moses, for you will not have occasion to undo them again for a month," said Captain Ringgold.

"I don't quite like it."

"I don't know that I wonder at the generosity of our hosts," replied the trustee, as he put his fat arm around the neck of Louis, who stood next to him. "If this young man had been in the situation of Lord Tremlyn and Sir Modava when you picked them up, I am very sure I should not have grumbled if I had been called upon to disburse a sum equal to what this trip will cost them, if they, or any one, had picked him up. There are two sides to this question, Captain."

"Then you fight on the other side, though you hold the purse-strings," said the commander.

"Would I give a hundred thousand dollars for saving Sir Louis's life? His mother would give ten times that sum, and all the rest of the young man's fortune. That is a matter about which we must not be mean; and the other side take that view of it. I quite agree that not another word ought to be said about expense," responded Uncle Moses, giving the young millionaire another hug.

"Uncle Moses is not a bit like the miser that could not afford a candle at his death-bed in the night," added Louis. "If they had done as much for us as we have for them, I should be glad to take them all around the world, and pay for an Italian band of music all the way."

"That's right, Sir Louis! Do as you would be done by," chuckled the trustee.

"It just occurs to me, Captain Sharp," said the commander of the Guardian-Mother, as the former was about to leave, "that there is no reason for your going to Surat, for we can take the general, Dr. Henderson, and the band along with us. You have a voyage of two thousand miles before you."

"Which I can make in seven or eight days without hurrying," replied the captain of the Blanche. "I could get to Calcutta before you do if I sailed two weeks hence."

"Just as you please."

But General Noury seemed to like the idea of getting on board of the Guardian-Mother even for a day, and adopted the suggestion of Captain Ringgold.

"There is next to nothing to be seen at Surat, and we shall go from there immediately to Baroda, on our way to Lah.o.r.e," interposed Lord Tremlyn. "The Maharajah of Gwalior is an old friend of Sir Modava, and I am well acquainted with him. I have no doubt we shall be very hospitably treated there, and that you will be introduced to many things that will interest you. If Captain Sharp desires to see some Indian sports, he can go with us to Baroda, stay a week, and then return to his s.h.i.+p here by railway."

"I like that idea, as my wife wishes to see a little more of India on sh.o.r.e, though she does not wish to take the long journey you are to make,"

added Captain Sharp.

This plan was accepted, and the party separated. The next morning the carriages conveyed them to the Apollo Bunder, and at seven o'clock the Guardian-Mother was under way. The band was playing on the promenade, and the party were taking their last view of Bombay and its surroundings.

Captain Sharp and his wife were on board. The three doctors formed a trio by themselves, and were discussing jungle fever, which existed in the low lands beyond Byculla.

The sea outside was smooth; and at four o'clock in the afternoon the steamer was among the Malacca shoals, in the Gulf of Cambay, with a pilot on board. She soon entered the Tapti River, fifteen miles from its mouth.

The band had scattered after the noonday concert, and the party took the chairs in Conference Hall.

"I suppose you wish to know something about the places you visit, ladies and gentlemen," said Lord Tremlyn, rising before them, and bowing at the applause with which he was heartily greeted. "This is Surat, a hundred and sixty miles north of Bombay, on the Tapti River, which you may spell with a double _e_ at the end if you prefer. It has a population of a hundred and ten thousand. It extends about a mile along this river, with the government buildings in the centre.

"The streets are well paved, and the houses are packed very closely together. There are four very handsome Mohammedan mosques here, so our friend the general will have a place to go to on our Friday." The Mussulman bowed, and gave the speaker one of his prettiest smiles. "The Pa.r.s.ees, of whom a few families own half the place, are prominent in business, as in Bombay; and they supply the most skilful mechanics, the liveliest clerks, and the quickest boys in the schools. They have two fire-temples here. The Hindus, especially the Buniahs and the Jains, are as prominent as in Bombay. The city was founded before 1512; for then it was burned by the Portuguese, who did it again eighteen years later.

"It had a very extensive commerce in its earlier years, and flourished on its cotton trade during the American war. In 1811 it had a population of two hundred and fifty thousand; but five and thirty years later it had less than one-third of that; but has gained somewhat up to the present time.

Nearly a hundred years ago it was the most populous city of India. But I do not propose to exhaust the subject, and now you may see for yourselves."

His lords.h.i.+p and the Hindu gentleman, since their liberality had been whispered through the s.h.i.+p, were exceedingly popular, and both were warmly applauded whenever they opened their mouths. The party found enough to occupy their attention till the s.h.i.+p came to anchor, with its bra.s.s band in full blast, off the public buildings. A steam-launch came off for the pa.s.sengers; for the hosts had written to every place they were to visit, and carriages were in readiness for them when they landed.

They rode over the town after a collation at a clubhouse, and saw all that was to be seen. They were quartered for the night at private residences, and there was almost a struggle to know who should receive them.

CHAPTER XXIV