t;
at any rate, he is very queer, very fat, and very independent, with his
allowance of half a million dollars per annum from the English
government who dethroned him, at which time he was King of Oude, one of
the richest provinces of India, Lucknow being the capital. He is said to
be still a rebel at heart, and was a strong supporter of the mutiny. He
is really a sort of state's prisoner in his own palace at Garden Reach,
as the place is called, where he has a whole menagerie of animals, and
is especially fond of tigers, of which he keeps over twenty in stout
cages. He has also a large and remarkable collection of snakes, all
Indian, and "millions" of pigeons. He pays fabulous prices for any bird
or animal to which he takes a fancy, and is, of course, duly victimized
by cunning dealers. He is a fanatic in religious observances, and
confines himself within the palace walls, from one year's end to
another, with his tigers, snakes, pigeons, priests, and women. He
permits tourists to visit his grounds, but will himself see no one. It
would not seem that he owes any affection to the English, who, under
some specious pretense, seized his private property, including his
valuable jewels, and sold them for the benefit of Queen Victoria's
treasury. As was said by the British press at the time, the English had
no more right to those precious stones and private property than they
had to the crown diamonds of Russia.

The government fortifications here will interest travelers, as they are
remarkable for completeness, and presenting the advanced ideas in the
line which they represent. But we were most entertained and longest
occupied in Calcutta by the native bazars, which, as usual, gave one a
special insight into the character of the people, their tastes and
occupations. An hour was passed of quite an impressive character at a
large building inclosing a high-walled area on the banks of the river,
known as the Burning Ghat, where the ceremony of cremating the dead is
going on at all hours of the day and night. Seven corpses were brought
in and placed upon the pyres, built up of unsawed cord wood in cob
style, raised to the height of four feet, the fire being applied to a
small handful of specially combustible material at the bottom. The whole
was so prepared as to ignite rapidly, and in a very few moments after
the torch was applied to it, the pile was wreathed in the devouring
element. The atmosphere was impregnated with offensive