BEING delayed at the close of the Exhibition in settling accounts with the Government, facilities were given us to visit the interior of the country. A train was placed at our disposal, with instructions sent to the various lines to take it wherever we wished to go. Our farewell from Calcutta was such as to leave an ever-lasting impression. The kindness and hospitality of the many friends we made during our stay in that great city will never be forgotten.
Our first stop was at the great sacred city of Benares, passing through Burdwan and Khana, in the province of Moorshedabad, Luckeeserai and Putna, reaching Dinapure at daylight next morning.
This first night spent in a sleeping car, being a novelty, was not quite as productive of rest as might have been expected, although every comfort had been provided for us: the narrow bunks, the jolting, and last, though not least, the want of the punkah, which we had become used to in Calcutta, kept us awake part of the time, and in order to wile away the hours, we improvised sundry meals—supper, tea and coffee, and early breakfast—which, however, did not in any way prevent us doing complete justice to that which awaited us at Dinapure.
Here we availed ourselves of the privilege granted to stop whenever we chose, and after breakfast went for a stroll through the Bazaar, and to see the junction of the various branches of the mighty Ganges. Here the Tone, and a short distance further the Gogra join the main stream, fertilising the plains, which, even under the most primitive mode of tillage, yield enormous quantities of wheat, which we saw in huge piles in the open market, retailed at one rupee a bushel.
What these plains could produce in the hands of skilled husbandmen would feed the world.
When the great railway extension scheme now under consideration by the Government of India is carried out, the wheat production of the central provinces of India will materially affect the price of bread stuffs throughout the world.
Indian natives have an excellent memory for faces. We had not been many minutes in the Dinapure Bazaar before we were recognised as the “Exhibition Wallahs,” and treated accordingly. Indeed, throughout the whole of our trip, we met with similar treatment, which doubtless had a great influence in the good feeling we all have, and shall ever cherish, of India and the Indians.
Another train being due at 11 a.m., we caused our “caravan” to be hooked on, and proceeded to Moghal-Serai, the nearest station to the sacred city.
Here dwell the celebrated artistic “potters” of Central India. From Moghal-Serai come all the black, black and silver jars, figures, and ornaments which one sees all through India. Ornaments highly valued in Europe can here be purchased for a few “pice” (farthings). I need not say that we nearly filled a waggon with some of these specimens of Indian pottery, which, however, did not lumber us long. If they are pretty, and even artistic in design, they fail in the baking. The first jolting of the train materially decreased our collection. The few pieces we have brought out safe were those which were packed in our valises, carefully wrapped with soft materials. The fragility easily accounts for the increased value this ware acquires at a distance from the place whence it comes.
Having left our goods and chattels and servants in the train, we drove to the river side, and were ferried across the Ganges—Benares being situated on the west bank, the native town skirts the sacred river. The Burna flows into the Ganges, just north of the Raj Ghât, and flows between the civil station and the cantonments.