priests who stood around the Prince or took it from its precious and
numerous cases. On December the 4th the Prince went on a visit to the
interior of this wonderfully beautiful country and enjoyed the
excitement of an elephant hunt and of killing some of those colossal
creatures of the jungle. Colombo was reached again, three days later,
and another state banquet attended in the evening. On the following day
the new Breakwater was inaugurated by the Prince and in the evening a
farewell banquet received and the city left amid scenes of brilliant
illumination and fantastic Eastern beauty.

The Prince of Wales and his suite landed in Tuticorin on the coast of
India, again, on December 9th, and proceeded inland by train without any
particular or formal reception. The Tamils were found to be a handsome,
mild-natured, respectful people and the land cultivated and apparently
prosperous. At Mainachy, a deputation of six thousand native Christians
and one thousand boys and girls, headed by the Rev. Dr. Caldwell and the
Rev. Dr. Sargent, presented an address and a handsomely-bound Bible and
Prayer-book in the Tamil language, to His Royal Highness. A native
"lyric" was then sung by the children including words of which the
following is a translation: "Crossing seas and crossing mountains, thou
hast visited this southern-most region and granted to those who live
under the shadow of thy Royal umbrella a sight of thy benign
countenance." Madura was reached a few hours later and found to be
profusely decorated, one of the arches being made of native work in
perforated paper, covered with talc plates and silver plaques in front
of a screen of red. The name of the town signified "sweetness" and it
turned out to be a place of great charm, imposing buildings and unusual
cleanliness. The Rajah of Pudducottah was duly received and during his
visit he showed the Prince a book consisting of original letters,
dispatches etc., which had passed between Clive and his own ancestor
during the times of French and English struggle for supremacy in
Southern India. The Prince visited some of the ancient buildings of the
place, including the Temple of Minakshee, where Nautch girls scattered
flowers before him and garlands were placed over his shoulders, and the
Tank of the Golden Lotus and received a number of interesting presents
from the Rajah and from the Ranee of Shivagunga. He left on December
11th for Trichinoply, where he arrived in a few hours