Introduction — Vikas Arya
Illustrations
I. India: The Land of Dreams and Romance
Steamer Rosetta to Bombay—Limes 14 cents a Barrel—Bombay, a Bewitching City—Descriptions of People and Dress—Woman as a Road Decoration—India: The Land of Dreams and Romance—Fourteen Porters to Carry Baggage—Correcting a Servant—Killing a Slave—Arranging a Bedroom—Three Hours’ Work and a Terrible Racket—The Bird of Birds, the Indian Crow
II. Bombay as a Kaleidoscope
God Vishnu, 108 Names—Change of Titles or Hunting for an Heir—Bombay as a Kaleidoscope—The Native’s Man Servant—Servants’ Recommendations—How Manuel got his Name and his English—Satan—A Visit from God
III. The Towers of Silence
The Government House at Malabar Point—Mansion of Kumar Shri Samatsin Hji Bahadur—The Indian Princess—A Difficult Game—Wardrobe and Jewels—Ceremonials—Decorations when Leaving—The Towers of Silence—A Funeral
IV. Nautch Dancers
A Jain Temple—Mr. Roychand’s Bungalow—A Decorated Six-Gun Prince—Human Fireworks—European Dress, Past and Present—Complexions—Advantages with the Zulu—Festivities at the Bungalow—Nautch Dancers—Entrance of the Prince—Address to the Prince
V. A Hindoo Betrothal
A Hindoo Betrothal, midnight, Sleepers on the ground, Home of the Bride of Twelve Years Dressed as a Boy—Illumination—Nautch Girls—Imitating Snakes—Later—Illuminated Porch Filled with Sleepers—The Plague
VI. India First in Everything
Murder Trial in Bombay—Confidence Swindlers—Some Specialities of India—The Plague, Juggernaut,
Suttee, etc.—Everything on Gigantic Scale—India First in Everything—80 States, more Custom Houses than Cats—Rich Ground for Thug Society
VII. Official Thug Book
Official Thug Book—Supplies for Traveling, Bedding, and other Freight—Scene at Railway Station—Making Way for White Man—Waiting Passengers, High and Low Caste, Touch in the cars—Our Car—Beds made up—Dreaming of Thugs—Baroda—Meet Friends—Indian Well—The Old Town—Narrow Streets—A Mad Elephant
VIII. Elephant Riding
Elephant Riding—Howdahs—The New Palace—The Prince’s Excursion—Gold and Silver Artillery—A Vice-royal Visit—Remarkable Dog—The Bench Show—Augustin Daly’s Back Door—Fakeer
IX. The Thugs
The Thugs—Government Efforts to Exterminate them—Choking a Victim—A Fakeer Spared—Thief Strangled
X. A Joy of Hunting
Thugs, Continued—Record of Murders—A Joy of Hunting and Killing Men—Gordon Cumming—Killing an
Elephant—Family Affection among Thugs—Burial Places
XI. The Suttee
Starting for Allahabad—Lower Berths in Sleepers—Elderly Ladies have Preference of Berths—An American Lady Takes One Anyhow—How Smythe Lost his Berth—How He Got Even—The Suttee
XII. Pyjamas
Pyjamas—Day Scene in India—Clothed in a Turban and a Pocket Handkerchief—Land Parceled Out—
Established Village Servants—Witches in Families—Hereditary Midwifery—Destruction of Girl Babies—Wedding Display—Tiger-Persuader—Hailstorm Discouragers—The Tyranny of the Sweeper—Elephant Driver—Water Carrier—Curious Rivers—Arrival at Allahabad—English Quarter—Lecture Hall Like a Snowstorm—Private Carriages—A Milliner—Early Morning—The Squatting Servant—A Religious Fair
XIII. On the Road to Benares
On the Road to Benares—Dust and Waiting—The Bejeweled Crowd—A Native Prince and his Guard—Zenana Lady—The Extremes of Fashion—The Hotel at Benares—An Annex a Mile Away—Doors in India—The Peepul Tree—Warning against Cold Baths—A Strange Fruit—Description of Benares—The Beginning of Creation—Pilgrims to Benares—A Priest with a Good Business Stand—Protestant Missionary—The Trinity Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu—Religion the Business at Benares
XIV. Benares: A Religious Temple
Benares: A Religious Temple—A Guide for Pilgrims to Save Time in Securing Salvation
XV. The Banks of the Ganges
A Curious Way to Secure Salvation—The Banks of the Ganges—Architecture Represents Piety—A Trip on the River—Bathers and their Costumes—Drinking the Water— A Scientific Test of the Nasty Purifier—
Hindoo Faith in the Ganges—A Cremation—Remembrances of the Suttee—All Life Sacred Except Human Life—The Goddess Bhowanee, and the Sacrificers—Sacred Monkeys—Ugly Idols Everywhere—Two White Minarets—A Great View with a Monkey in it—A Picture on the Water
XVI. Dancing in a Sepulchre
Still in Benares—Another Living God—Why Things are Wonderful—Sri 108 Utterly Perfect—How He Came so—Our Visit to Sri—A Friendly Deity Exchanging Autographs and Books—Sri’s Pupil—An Interesting Man—Reverence and Irreverence—Dancing in a Sepulchre
XVII. The “City of Palaces”
Rail to Calcutta—Population—The “City of Palaces”—A Fluted Candle-stick—Ochterlony—Newspaper
Correspondence—Average Knowledge of Countries—A Wrong Idea of Chicago—Calcutta and the Black Hole—Description of the Horrors—Those Who Lived—The Botanical Gardens—The Afternoon Turnout—
Grand Review—Military Tournament—Excursion on the Hoogly—The Museum—What Winter Means in
Calcutta
XVIII. The Plains of India
On the Road Again—Flannels in Order—Across Country—From Greenland’s Icy Mountain—Swapping
Civilization—No Field women in India—How it i in Other Countries—Canvas-covered Cars—The Tiger
Country—My First Hunt—Some Wild Elephants Get Away—The Plains of India—The Ghurkas—Women for Pack-Horses—A Substitute for a Cab—Darjeeling—The Hotel—The Highest Thing in the Himalayas—
The Club—Kinchinjunga and Mt. Everest—Thibetans—The Prayer Wheel—People Going to the Bazar
XIX. Nightingales and Cue Owls
On the Road Again—The Hand-Car—A Thirty-five-mile Slide—The Banyan Tree—A Dramatic Performance—The Railroad Loop—The Half-way House—The Brain Fever Bird—The Coppersmith Bird—Nightingales and Cue Owls
XX. India: The Land of Wonders
India the Most Extraordinary Country on Earth—Nothing Forgotten—The Land of Wonders—Annual
Statistics Everywhere about Violence—Tiger vs. Man—A Handsome Fight—Annual Man Killing and Tiger
Killing— Other Animals—Snakes—Insurance and Snake Tables—The Cobra Bite—Muzaffurpore—Dinapore—A Train that Stopped for Gossip—Six Hours for Thirty-five Miles—A Rupee to the Engineer—Ninety Miles an Hour—Again to Benares, the Piety Hive—To Lucknow
XXI. The Great Mutiny
The Great Mutiny—The Massacre in Cawnpore—Terrible Scenes in Lucknow—The Residency—The Siege
XXII. The Taj Mahal
A Visit to the Residency—Cawnpore—The Adjutant Bird and the Hindoo Corpse—The Taj Mahal—The True Conception—The Ice Storm—True Gems—Syrian Fountains—An Exaggerated Niagara
XXIII. In Rajputana
To Lahore—The Governor’s Elephant—Taking a Ride—No Danger from Collision—Rawal Pindi—Back to
Delhi—An Orientalized Englishman—Monkeys and the Paint-pot—Monkey Crying over my Note-book—
Arrival at Jeypore—In Rajputana—Watching Servants—The Jeypore Hotel—Our Old and New Satan—Satan as a Liar—The Museum—A Street Show—Blocks of Houses—A Religious Procession
XXIV. A Little Book from Calcutta
Methods in American Deaf and Dumb Asylums—Methods in the Public Schools—A Letter from a Youth
in Punjab—Highly Educated Service—A Damage to the Country—A Little Book from Calcutta—Writing
Poor English—Embarrassed by a Beggar Girl—A Specimen Letter—An Application for Employment—A Calcutta School Examination—Two Samples of Literature
