t in lovely Barn Pool, under the shadow of the Mount Edgcumbe
trees. As we steamed over the bar and, aided by a strong flood-tide,
quickly ascended the river, we next came to the pretty village of
Raibandar, passing between low reedy banks fringed with cocoa-nut
palms and other vegetation. The distant Ghats formed a fine background
to the picture, which included several white-spired English-looking
churches, perched here and there on convenient knolls. The inhabitants
of the district, however, composed as they are of descendants of the
original natives found here by the Portuguese conquerors at the
beginning of the sixteenth century, with a subsequent slight
admixture of European blood, bore no resemblance to the British type.
Those whom we saw on the river wore scarcely any clothing, and paddled
about in little canoes somewhat similar to those used in the South Sea
Islands and Ceylon. These boats are extremely narrow, and are provided
with an outrigger in the shape of an enormous rough block of wood,
connected with the canoes by bent spars some four feet long.

After a pleasant voyage of about eleven miles in tow of the
steam-launch, we were suddenly cast off at some steps leading to a
small pier, in the midst of a large grove of palm-trees, and were told
that we had reached our destination. But where was Goa? We were all
expecting to see ruined palaces, churches, and houses; whereas all
that was visible was one massive arch and gateway about a hundred
yards distant, standing, like the Irishman's 'main gate,' in the
centre of a field, with no wall on either side of it. Meaningless as
it now looked, this was the celebrated _Arco dos Vicereys_, or Arch of
the Viceroys, originally built in 1599, and composed of blocks of
black granite, now partially whitewashed. Through this gateway each
successive ruler of Goa passed on his way to the ancient capital; on
which occasions it was always splendidly decorated. A statue of St.
Catherine, patroness of the city of Goa, occupies an upper niche,
while beneath her is a figure of Vasco de Gama, with features somewhat
defaced by time. The facade used to be adorned with paintings
representing incidents of the Portuguese war in the Indies; but they
are now effaced by whitewash. The portico bears an inscription
dedicating it to the Immaculate Conception, and commemorating the
emancipation of Portugal from Spain in 1656.

[Illustration: BENARES AND THE SACRED GANGES]

By this time the