Forty years of 'Spy'

by Sir Leslie Ward

I was fortunate in the case of Mooh-ton-oolk, Sir Salar Jung, Minister of the Nizam of Hyderabad. Sir Salar was received with great acclamation in England on account of the excellent service he had rendered to the English in the suppression of the mutiny. He also did much to break down caste prejudice. I attended his wonderful breakfast at that residence in Piccadilly which is now the Bachelor's Club. Sir Salar had brought with him to England his curry-cook who provided us with innumerable curries, of which very few were familiar to me although I enjoyed them considerably, more than that I was much interested in the distinguished company who were present. Following the breakfast my eminent host gave me an opportunity of making a sketch of him.

Some little time afterwards I accepted an invitation to dinner, which was given on a magnificent scale at the "Star and Garter," Richmond, and organized for him by a mutual friend, a lady whose husband owned the house that Sir Salar Jung temporarily occupied.

Over a hundred guests sat down to the banquet, which was arranged should be followed by a dance. It chanced that I drove down in a hansom and a violent thunder storm came on so that in spite of all precautions the front of my dress shirt became hopelessly splashed with mud. As it was too late to retrace my steps I decided to buy a dicky (this appendage being a novelty to me), and fix it over the damaged shirt front. Twice after I imagined it was safely fixed it flew up with surprising suddenness, and when my hostess asked me to help her with the dance that she had arranged should follow the dinner that evening, I felt more than a shade of embarrassment as I feared the dicky might betray me and my movements were therefore cautious, though with an additional pin I managed to secure it and all went well in the end.

H.H. Ras Makunan, K.C.M.G., who was cousin and heir-apparent to the Emperor Menelik of Abyssinia, was also a warrior and a sportsman, and represented the Emperor at King Edward's coronation.

He was persuaded to make an appointment with me at my studio, and arrived at the early hour of 8 a.m. with his attendant, previous to breakfasting with the officers of the Horse Guards at the Knightsbridge barracks.

Before his visit I had been given the tip to have in readiness a bottle of good port wine, but upon pouring out a glass I was told that he judged it wiser to delay any refreshment until after breakfast. In the meantime small boys had collected at the entrance to my studio, being attracted by the Royal carriage waiting at the door. When they saw the chief occupant enter it they simply stared in amazement with open mouths. Finding a second interview necessary, which was arranged for at the Westminster Palace Hotel, I called at the appointed hour, but being kept waiting for a very considerable time sent up a reminder. Sir John was very angry at the delay, and after persuading the Ras that it was not the custom to treat gentlemen in such a manner he came out from an inner room (where he had been busily occupied sorting coloured silks) and did his duty to me, in fact sat in quite a stately manner, holding his long gun characteristically. During the process of sketching him I was given the hint not to make him quite as black as nature had painted him.

A kind of levee (if I may say so) was occasionally held by Cetewayo when he visited England and was housed in Melbury Road. As I wanted to see him I procured an invitation to one of these receptions.

CHINESE AMBASSADOR. KUO SUNG TUO. 1877.