DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12673#0197
178
GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.
cows—and at last, ascending a long flight of dark
and narrow steps, suddenly found ourselves in the
" presence." Our Rajah was a little dark man,
injudiciously attired in a magnificent coat of gold
cloth, a strangely-shaped cap of the same material,
and red silk tights. The room was small, and
choked with furniture ; chairs, tables, clocks,
drawers, washing-stands, boxes, book-shelves, and
stools, were arranged, or rather piled up around
it, with all the effect of an old curiosity-shop.
The walls exhibited a collection of the cheap-
est and worst of coloured prints — our late
gracious queen dangling in dangerous proximity
to the ferocious-looking Beau Sabreur, and La
Belle Americaine occupied in attentively scrutinis-
ing certain diminutive sketches of Richmond Hill,
and other localities, probably torn out of some
antiquated Annual. Our host met us a PAnglaise
—that is to say, with a warm, moist, and friendly
squeeze of the hand : he was profuse in compli-
ments, and insisted upon our sitting on the sofa
opposite his chair. With the assistance of an in-
terpreter—for the Rajah understands little Hinclo-
stani, and we less Malayalim—some twenty minutes
were spent in conversation, or rather in the usual
exchange of questions and answers which composes
GOA AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.
cows—and at last, ascending a long flight of dark
and narrow steps, suddenly found ourselves in the
" presence." Our Rajah was a little dark man,
injudiciously attired in a magnificent coat of gold
cloth, a strangely-shaped cap of the same material,
and red silk tights. The room was small, and
choked with furniture ; chairs, tables, clocks,
drawers, washing-stands, boxes, book-shelves, and
stools, were arranged, or rather piled up around
it, with all the effect of an old curiosity-shop.
The walls exhibited a collection of the cheap-
est and worst of coloured prints — our late
gracious queen dangling in dangerous proximity
to the ferocious-looking Beau Sabreur, and La
Belle Americaine occupied in attentively scrutinis-
ing certain diminutive sketches of Richmond Hill,
and other localities, probably torn out of some
antiquated Annual. Our host met us a PAnglaise
—that is to say, with a warm, moist, and friendly
squeeze of the hand : he was profuse in compli-
ments, and insisted upon our sitting on the sofa
opposite his chair. With the assistance of an in-
terpreter—for the Rajah understands little Hinclo-
stani, and we less Malayalim—some twenty minutes
were spent in conversation, or rather in the usual
exchange of questions and answers which composes