Punch: Punch (69.1875)

208

PUNCH, OK THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

[November 20, 1875.

THE PRINCE'S VISIT TO INDIA.

(Our Own Representative at Bombay, and all over the place.)

Deae, Veet Deae Sie,

Heee's local colour for you ! Here we are again ! I send you a picture
—a mere sketch—" a poor thing, Sir, but mine own," which I knocked off on
the spot. Isn't there about it a life and a go—quite a man-go—(ba! ha!
Indian joke too!)—which is racy of the soil P—Yes, you won't see many illustra-
tions so up to the time of day as tbis.

THE INDIAN VISIT.

mr. blank calling and giving card to " the butler."
The Ayah (knowing he wishes to see the Daughter of the House). " Master can't

SEE MlSSEE. MlSSEE in BATH-t0b, EATUM THE MANGO PfiUIT, SaK."

Of course I do not say who the Gentleman with his back to the audience is.
No. Fine man, isn't he ? But delicacy forbids to make any remark behind a
Gentleman's back, which I would not make to his face. I mean before his face.
Look.at my puggaree ! Look at the umbrella ! Tbere's Local Colouring, my
boy ! "When I told the story—which this cut illustrates—to tbe gallant ——th,
at mess, they yelled and sbouted. It went immensely. Of course I imitated
the native dialect, which I can do to admiration, so if the picture seems to go a
little flat, try reading the words underneath out loud. I need hardly say tbat
directly a certain Exalted Personage, in whose company I happen to pass most
of my time just now, heard it, he clapped me on the shoulder, and exclaimed,
"By jove, Billy, it's the best thing I 've heard for years ! It's a side-splitter !
It's a screamer ! Send it to Punch."

"So, Sir, it is at his wish I have forwarded this now invaluable sketch to you.
Treasure it, cherish it, prize it, for England's Royalty has laughed at it,
England's Hope and Star of India has approved of it, and what more can you
want ?

We had an interesting Masonic ceremony at Bombay. "We laid a stone :
pretty sigbt! You should have seen me with my orders, sashes, buckles,
sword, and apron, with a trowel in my hand, and H.R.H. leaning gracefully
on my sboulder, haranguing the assembled Brethren, I prompting him.

" Brothers," said he, " when I come to this foreign shore, which is my own
home, I feel that whether the sun is in the East, the moon in the West, or the
stars are shining bright, there is but one sense of universal Brotherhood, which
we experience in following the commands of our Great Master Hibamabief.
{Masonic applause.) Brothers, let us make the signs secretly to one another
{here all made signs secretly to one another), and let each place his hand on his

heart, and in the presence of the two elder Pillars of
Brotherhood, Brothers Jachin and Boaz, let us pro-
nounce the Shibboleth of the password; and-giving the
grip in the third degree (here every one gave the grip in the
third degree, a most touching sight), let us say, with one
voice, 1 Fidelity, Fidelity, Fidelity !' "

Myself. So mote it be.

Then the Masonic hymn was sung : —

0, Masons all, with one accord,

Sing out with tuneful fire,
And praise the ?reat King Solomon,

And Hieam King of Tyre.

Let Indian Brothers hymn the strain,

O'er mountains, hills, and dales,
And after Solomon and Hirams twain,

God bless the Prince oe Wales !

You '11 observe that the third line in the second stanza
is a trifle out, but it exactly suits the tune which has
here a florid passage. The chorus was repeated enthusi-
astically. The author was called for, then the composer.
Need I say that representing both, I stepped forward and
bowed my acknowledgments. This was one of the first
and biggest successes of the Prince's tour as far as we've
gone.

On Tuesday last we saw a Nautch dance in a Chu-
prassee, and walked round a Cummerbund. After ,this
we returned to our Bheiree, where we partook of Auhoos
and a Hackery (iced). Before retiring for the night, we
smoked a mild Jemadar, and had a short conversation
with a native Chunam, played three games of Chowne
(at which I politely and loyally came off second best.
H.R.H. is so pleased, even if its only half a Gongwala on
the rub—he does like winning)—and then turned in,

Yours ever,
Your Own Indian Representative.

Foot-Note by the Editor.—Once more we have our doubts.
On referring to an Indian dictionary we find that a Chuprassee is
"an upper servant;" a Cummerbund is "a waistcloth;" a
Bheiree is " a long-winded hawk ; " Aukoos " a goad for driving
elephants ; " Hackery (which he says he drank iced), " a cart; "
Jemadar (which he represents himself as smoking) is "a Sepoy
sergeant; " Chunam (with whom he says he held a conversation)
is " a cement made of shells ;" Chowrie (which he speaks of as
a game at cards) is " a fly-flapper formed of the tail of a Thibet
cow ; " and the Gongwala (which he mentions as a coin) is " a
villager." Either Our Correspondent is incorrect, or a new
Anglo-Indian dictionary is a want which should be speedily
supplied. But we have our suspicions.

PYEOTECHNICS AT THE PYBAMLDS.

An Allegory on the Banks of the Nile.

" After dinner came the event of the evening—the illumination
of the Great Pyramid . . . First Bengal fires, placed at short
intervals round the Pyramid, were lighted, and each stone
shone out as clear as day. Bockets, Boman Candles, and other
more complicated feux d'artifice, filled the air with many colours.
Then lights of all imaginable colours, which had been placed on
every course of stone, and up each angle of the Pyramid, were so
simultaneously lit that the blaze seemed to run up the vast mass,
and, in a moment, enveloped it in one great blaze of variegated
fire, while magnesium wire shone out bright and clear from the
apex. Every sort of firework crackled and blazed and made
cascades of coloured stars in the heavens. . . . Soon all was
grey and cold again, and the lonely, sad-eyed Sphinx was left
behind in the gloom."—Times.

Father Nile. Are there no Gods in Egypt ? Hath the
Sphinx

No voice to startle these mad fools ?
Sphinx. Methinks

E'en Memnon might find utterance! 'Tis a crisis

To move bis lips to murmuring. Though, by Isis,

Silence is sweetest!
Father Nile. Silence never more

Shall haunt thy spreading sands, my reedy shore.

The West overwhelms us !
Sphinx. Could not Horus bid

These blatant Britons spare the Pyramid,

Leave the lone Sphinx in happy, haughty scorn

Of the false fires of Sydenham and Cremorne ;

Nor shame old Egypt's night—the vulgar Van-
dals !-