Across India; Or, Live Boys in the Far East, Oliver Optic [read along books TXT] 📗
- Author: Oliver Optic
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AUTHOR OF "A MISSING MILLION" "A MILLIONAIRE AT SIXTEEN" "A YOUNG
KNIGHT-ERRANT" "STRANGE SIGHTS ABROAD" "AMERICAN BOYS
AFLOAT" "THE YOUNG NAVIGATORS" "UP AND DOWN
THE NILE" "ASIATIC BREEZES" AND UPWARDS
OF ONE HUNDRED OTHER VOLUMES
To
MY LONG-TRIED FRIEND OF MORE THAN FORTY YEARS,
WITH WHOM IN ALL THAT TIME,
I HAVE NOT HAD A BICKER OR A SHADOW OF UNPLEASANTNESS
THOUGH HE HAS BEEN MY SENIOR PUBLISHER FOR MORE
THAN AN ENTIRE GENERATION, AND TO WHOM
I HAVE NOT DEDICATED A BOOK
FOR THIRTY YEARS
This Volume
IS RESPECTFULLY AND CORDIALLY INSCRIBED BY HIS
FAITHFUL AND EVER GRATEFUL FRIEND
WILLIAM T. ADAMS
PREFACE"Across India" is the first volume of the third series of the "All-Over-the-World Library," in which the voyage of the Guardian-Mother is continued from Aden, where some important changes were made in the current of events, including the disposal of the little steamer Maud, which figured to a considerable extent in the later volumes of the library, though they also comprehended the addition of another and larger consort to the ship, in which the distinguished Pacha, as a reformed and entirely reconstructed person, sails in company with the voyagers.
A few days out from the port of departure, a stirring event, a catastrophe of the sea, adds three very important personages to the cabin passengers of the Guardian-Mother, and affords two of the "live boys" an opportunity to distinguish themselves in a work of humanity requiring courage and skill. These additions to the company prove to be a very fortunate acquisition to the party; for they are entirely familiar with everything in and relating to India. They are titled individuals, two of the trio, who have not only travelled all over the peninsula, but have very influential relations with the officers of the government, and the native princes, rajahs, kings, maharajahs, and nobles.
The commander, the professor, the surgeon, the young millionaire, and others who have hitherto given the "talks" and lectures for the instruction of the young people, and incidentally of the older ones also, find themselves almost entirely relieved from duty in this direction by those whom the ship's company have saved from inevitable death in the stormy billows of the Arabian Sea. The gratitude of the two titled members of the trio, and their earnest appreciation of the educational object of the long voyage, induce them to make themselves very useful on board.
They do not confine themselves to the duty presented to them in "Conference Hall;" but they are profuse, and even extravagant, in their hospitality, becoming the hosts of the entire party, and treating them like princes in the principal cities of India, in all of which they are quite at home. One of the Hindu maharajahs proves to be an old friend of both of them, and the party reside a week at his court; and the time is given up to the study of manners and customs, as well as to hunting and the sports of the country.
Felix McGavonty, with Kilkenny blood in his veins, is firm in his belief that he ought not to be afraid of snakes, and does for India a little of what St. Patrick did completely for Ireland. The other "live boys," though not so much inclined as the Milesian to battle with the cobra-de-capello, have some experience in shooting tigers, leopards, deer, pythons, crocodiles, and other game, though not enough to wholly satisfy their natural enterprise.
The tour of the party is made by railroad in India, from Bombay, taking in Lahore, Delhi, Agra, Cawnpoor, Lucknow, Benares, Calcutta, and by the Guardian-Mother to Madras and Ceylon. On the way and in the cities the titled conductors continue their "talks" and lectures about the places visited, with as much of history as time would permit, including an epitome of those great events in India, the Mutiny of the Sepoys, the "Black Hole," and other events of the past. The speakers were assisted by elaborate maps, which the reader can find in his atlas. Statistics are given to some extent for purposes of comparison. Brief notices of the lives of such men as Bishop Heber, Sir Colin Campbell, Henry Havelock, and others are introduced.
The party did not claim to have seen all there was of India; simply to have obtained "specimen bricks" of the principal cities, with a fair idea of the manners and customs of the people.
WILLIAM. T. ADAMS.
CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER I.ABOUT FINDING THE LONGITUDE 1 CHAPTER II.
THE WRECK IN THE ARABIAN SEA 10 CHAPTER III.
A REVIEW OF THE PAST FOURTEEN MONTHS 19 CHAPTER IV.
FIRST AND SECOND CUTTERS TO THE RESCUE 30 CHAPTER V.
THE TITLED GENTLEMEN OF THE TRAVANCORE 40 CHAPTER VI.
THE GENERAL INTRODUCTION IN THE CABIN 50 CHAPTER VII.
DR. FERROLAN'S EXPLANATION OF THE WRECK 60 CHAPTER VIII.
AN INTERVIEW IN THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN 70 CHAPTER IX.
CONCERNING THE GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA 80 CHAPTER X.
THE FLORA AND THE SNAKES OF INDIA 90 CHAPTER XI.
A PLEASANT DINNER-PARTY AT SEA 100 CHAPTER XII.
THE POPULATION AND PEOPLE OF INDIA 109 CHAPTER XIII.
LORD TREMLYN DISCOURSES MORE ABOUT INDIA 118 CHAPTER XIV.
SIR HENRY HAVELOCK AND THE MUTINY 128 CHAPTER XV.
ARRIVAL OF THE GUARDIAN-MOTHER AT BOMBAY 138 CHAPTER XVI.
A MULTITUDE OF NATIVE SERVANTS 148 CHAPTER XVII.
A HOSPITAL FOR THE BRUTE CREATION 158 CHAPTER XVIII.
A SNAKY SPECTACLE IN BOMBAY 168 CHAPTER XIX.
MORE SNAKES AND THE CAVES OF ELEPHANTA 178 CHAPTER XX.
A JUVENILE WEDDING AND HINDU THEATRICALS 187 CHAPTER XXI.
JUGGERNAUT AND JUGGLERS 197 CHAPTER XXII.
A MERE STATEMENT ABOUT BUDDHISM 207 CHAPTER XXIII.
THE UNEXAMPLED LIBERALITY OF THE HOSTS 217 CHAPTER XXIV.
THE RECEPTION OF THE MAHARAJAH AT BARODA 227 CHAPTER XXV.
FELIX MCGAVONTY BRINGS DOWN SOME SNAKES 237 CHAPTER XXVI.
THE MAGNIFICENT PROCESSION OF THE SOWARI 246 CHAPTER XXVII.
VARIOUS COMBATS IN THE GUICOWAR'S ARENA 256 CHAPTER XXVIII.
AT THE CAPITAL OF THE PUNJAB 266 CHAPTER XXIX.
THE WONDERFUL CITY OF DELHI 276 CHAPTER XXX.
THE MAGNIFICENT MAUSOLEUM OF AGRA 286 CHAPTER XXXI.
THE TERRIBLE STORY OF CAWNPORE AND LUCKNOW 296 CHAPTER XXXII.
MORE OF LUCKNOW, AND SOMETHING OF BENARES 306 CHAPTER XXXIII.
A STEAMER TRIP UP AND DOWN THE GANGES 316 CHAPTER XXXIV.
ALL OVER THE CITY OF CALCUTTA 327 CHAPTER XXXV.
A SUCCESSFUL HUNT IN THE SUNDERBUNDS 339 CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE PARTING FESTIVITIES ON THE HOOGLY 351 CHAPTER XXXVII.
THE FAREWELL TO CEYLON AND INDIA 367 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS "HE WAS DRESSED IN THE MOST MAGNIFICENT ROBES OF INDIA" Frontispiece "A READY SEAMAN SEIZED HIM BY THE ARM" 45 "MISS BLANCHE WAS WALKING THE DECK WITH LOUIS AND SIR MODARA" 90 "THE YOUNG MILLIONAIRE WALKED BY THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE" 155 "SNAKES! SCREAMED MRS. BELGRAVE" 184 "HE SAW A HUGE COBRA DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM" 242 "THE STRIPED BEAST WENT UP INTO THE AIR" 263 "CAPTAIN RINGGOLD BROUGHT DOWN ANOTHER" 349
"Well, Captain Scott, what is the run to-day?" asked Louis Belgrave, the owner of the steam-yacht Guardian-Mother, which had at this date made her way by a somewhat devious course half way round the world, and was in the act of making the other half.
The young magnate was eighteen years old, and was walking on the promenade deck of the steamer with a beautiful young lady of sixteen when he asked for information in regard to the run, or the distance made by the ship during the last sea-day.
"Before I answer your question, my dear Louis, I must protest against being any longer addressed as captain, for I am not now entitled to that honorable appellation," replied the young man addressed by the owner.
"Once a captain always a captain," replied Louis. "One who has been a member of Congress is still an 'Honorable,' though his term of office expired twenty or forty years ago. The worthy commander of the Guardian-Mother was always called Captain Ringgold in Von Blonk Park and New York, though he had not been in command of a ship for ten years," argued Louis.
"That's right; but the circumstances are a little different in my case. In the first place, I am only eighteen years old, and my brief command was a very small one, as the world goes. It hardly entitles me to be called captain after I have ceased to be in command. In charge of the little Maud I was the happiest young fellow on the Eastern Continent; but I am just as happy now, for this morning I was formally appointed third officer of the Guardian-Mother, at the wages paid to Captain Sharp when he had the same position."
"I congratulate you, Mr. Scott," said Louis, grasping the hand of the new officer, though he had been duly consulted in regard to the appointment the day before.
"Permit me to congratulate you also, Mr. Scott," added Miss Blanche, as she extended to him her delicate little hand.
"Thank you, Miss Woolridge," replied the new third officer, raising the uniform cap he had already donned, and bowing as gracefully as a dancing-master. "Thank you with all my heart, Louis. I won't deny that I was considerably broken up when the Maud was sold; but now I am glad of it, for it has given me a position that I like better."
"Now, Mr. Scott, what is the run for to-day?" asked Louis, renewing his first question.
"I don't know," replied the third officer with a mischievous smile.
"You don't know!" exclaimed Louis.
"I do not, Louis."
"I thought all the officers, including the commander, took the observation, and worked up the reckoning for the . We got eight bells nearly an hour ago, and the bulletin must have been posted by this time."
"It was posted some time ago. All the officers work up the reckoning; and I did so with the others. The commander and I agreed to a second."
"What do you mean by saying you do not know the run?" demanded Louis.
"I do know the run; but that was not what you asked me," answered Scott with the same mischievous smile.
"What did I ask you?"
"The first time you asked me all right, and I should have answered you if I had not felt obliged to switch off and inform you and Miss Woolridge of my new appointment. The second time you put it you changed the question."
"I changed it?" queried Louis.
"You remember that when Mrs. Blossom asked Flix where under the sun he had been, he replied that he had not been anywhere, as it happened to be in the evening, when the sun was not overhead."
"A quibble!" exclaimed Louis, laughing.
"Granted; but one which was intended to test your information in regard to a nautical problem. You asked me the second time for the run of to-day for the last twenty-four hours."
"And that was what I asked you the first time," answered Louis.
"I beg your pardon, but
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