These are only a few amongst the many sports our genial host had provided for our amusement during the short stay we made at Ulwur. Every hour of our time was most fully employed driving, riding, or steaming, to visit this most admirably governed kingdom.
One of the sights, however, which deserves special mention, is that of the Crown jewels, belonging to the hereditary prince. A vast, strong, fire-proof room in the palace has been fitted up with large Tann’s safes, reaching from floor to ceiling. A guard stands sentry night and day at the door of this chamber, the keys of which are in the keeping of two trustworthy members of the Government.
In order that we may better inspect this wonderful and valuable collection of gems, a large table, covered with blue cloth, had been placed in the gallery facing the door, and seats provided round it. Our friend Sri-Ram asked the ladies which kind of precious stones they gave preference to. With true feminine acumen diamonds had the majority of votes. Several of the safes were opened; sliding trays, lined with purple velvet, were placed on the table, which at once glittered with most costly jewellery, set with that most precious of all gems. Rings, bangles, brooches, stars, necklaces, tiaras, lockets—indeed, ornaments of all kinds, shapes, and fashion. After these, pearls, lapis lazuli, emeralds, amethysts, rubies, garnets, topazes, cat’s-eyes, turquoise, &c., &c., were laid before us in the same profusion, the last of the “show” being a collection of twelve hundred watches!—the last addition having been made only a few days before in the shape of a shell of diminutive dimension, the case on both sides being most marvellously enamelled work, studded with pearls and brilliants, a chef-d’œuvre of Parisian art.
On inquiry from Sri-Ram I was told that of course the Maharajah and his wives had in their private apartments, and for daily use, some of the most valuable gems; but what this strong room now held was computed to be worth close on a million sterling!
To proceed in the usual course, going from the “sublime to the ridiculous,” we left this gem room, and descended into the vault of the palace, where the coin is kept. Vulgar and ridiculous though they might seem, next to the dazzling sight we had just left, the piles of bags containing gold mohurs, silver rupees, or four-anna pieces, were nevertheless very tempting.
Ulwur is one of the few native princes to whom the British Government has granted the right of coinage, consequently he now issues coins of his own—with, of course, the Empress of India’s effigy. In this strong-room, however, we found many chests or sackfuls of ancient coins, and were permitted to annex a certain number of great antiquity—some bearing dates, in Arabic figures, long, long before the Christian era. Some of the smaller coins were actually beyond computation as to age.
Whilst on the subject, which might prove of interest to archælogists, I will mention that one day while on a hunting expedition in the jungle between Dholpore and Ulwur, we came across a most interesting piece of antiquity in the shape of a bronze cannon—some twenty-five or thirty feet long, and, I should say, weighing several tons. The whole of this piece of ordnance represented a mythological animal something like a griffin—the mouth of the monster forming the muzzle of the gun, whilst its tail ended it. The whole length of the piece is covered with carvings or castings, intermingled with Arabic characters, which, I am sorry to say, I was not able to read. When I mentioned this “find” to the Prince (Dholpore), he told me that his people were aware of the existence of this gun, but no one could say how it came there, though, from some ruins in the neighbourhood, it is evident that at some early period a fort or a city must have existed in the locality.
I regretted very much that time did not allow of my pushing my enquiry further. But it is evident that this gun, which showed great artistic beauty, a perfect knowledge of “powder,” and the use of the appliances in boring metal, must have been manufactured some thousands of years ago, the Arabic characters being quite identical with those I find on the coins given to me by the Maharajah of Ulwur, which bear dates many centuries anterior to the Christian era.
While so much time and so much money are spent in searching the ruins of Pompeii, Herculanum, and Nineveh, I wonder that no one has yet deemed it expedient to search Ceylon or India, where, I am quite sure, most interesting relics of the early history of the world could be traced. I cannot but think that if a corner of the veil which hides the past of India was raised, many secrets would be divulged which would upset old established theories.
Our holiday tour was drawing to a close. The time for sailing from Bombay did not permit of our going to Hyderabad, as we had promised the Nizam to do. We returned to Delhi, and after a short but interesting visit through old Delhi, started direct from Bombay, finding most comfortable quarters at the Waverley Hotel. Whilst Calcutta is essentially an Indian city, Bombay justly claims to be in many respects more European, owing doubtless to its Portuguese origin—the very name, both of the province as well as its metropolitan city, being quite Portuguese—“Bom Bahia”—which in that country’s language means “good harbour,” as that of Bombay most undeniably is. This great mercantile centre, inhabited by nearly three-quarters of a million of people of all nationalities and creeds, has quite a distinctive aspect from any of the other Indian cities, owing, no doubt, to the fact that the town is built on what at one time was an island, which therefore cannot possibly extend in area. The houses are constructed in numerous flats, most of these dwellings being six, seven, and eight stories high.