the-sun, which seemed to cut into us, and two of our
attendants fanned us with an impromptu fan made of
a sheet held between them, as we all felt so terribly
exhausted from the heat. At length eight men and
one woman came, and later on two children, but Long-
staff had to make several attempts to photograph
R A J IS , OR RAW ATS
them before he succeeded, for every time he stood up
he nearly fainted from the heat.
The above description will convey some impression of
some of the difficulties of touring in the hills in the hot
weather, and of the heat we endured at times. The
climate of the higher levels is very pleasant, but the
heat of some of the valleys is almost intolerable.
We sat and had a long talk with these interesting
people, and, to break the ice (purely metaphorical in
that warm spot), smoked and offered them the contents
of a tobacco-pouch, but they suspected the tobacco;
however, without more ado, they put it into an ordinary
hookah-bowl and placing a hot coal on the top solemnly
handed it to one of our servants to smoke first.
Without question they suspected something wrong, but
our attendants, who knew them well, speedily dispelled
their fears. In a few minutes the hookah was passed
R A J IS , OR RAWATS
from hand to hand and Players’ Navy Cut was duly
appreciated.
These wild men, clad in the scantiest loin-cloth, claim
royal origin, and in the East one is never surprised at
such apparent anomalies. Does not the Brahman chup-
rassi claim that he is a deity ? and do his wages of
six shillings and eight pence a month prevent his being
invariably called “ Maharaj ” ? These royal wild men,