as they had come. Murder, however, was not part
of their programme, and they had no connection
whatever with Thuggists ; in fact, the two factions
hated each other most cordially. Dacoitism is not
quite extinct, and raids are sometimes heard of even
in the present days of high-pressure civilization.
To return for a moment to the School of Industry,
I found its inmates occupied in the manufacturing , of
carpets, as well as towels, shoes, and specially tents.
The latter are known far and wide ; they are used by
all the army, and beautiful specimens m colours are produced
for State occasions. The place is well worth
a_ visit, if only to watch the weaving of rugs and
carpets, done entirely by hand. Their old native
patterns are deservedly prized, as well as the combination
of colours, all harsh contrasts being avoided.
Excepting, at Vellore, I don’t think there are finer
specimens produced in India.
The town of Jubbulpore, although not large, is
rather p re tty ; it has a handsome bazaar, consisting of
numerous arcades, supported by columns, where there
must have been many hundreds of people engaged
in buying and selling every description of provision,
and small shops well stocked with silver ornaments,
bangles, bracelets, ear, nose, and ankle rings—these
are much coveted all over India. Most of the
I native houses here of the better class have a
I verandah below, often constructed of blackwood I I tastefully carved. There are also a number of
I Hindu temples and Mahomedan mosques, with gilt
I domes and slender minarets to call the faithful to
I prayer.
Owing to the cooler climate, the town standing In nearly two thousand feet above the level of the sea,
I the natives here wear more clothing than they do
I in the plain, and those in Government situations
I adopt a very becoming fashion of winding their
[ snow-white muslin cloth in graceful folds round the
lower part of the body, often touching the heel,
II a white jacket and a small, embroidered skull cap
I completing their costume. Nearly all the women
I I saw here were ugly, and wrapped up in endless
| muslin, or other coloured material. Adjoining the
south side of the city there is a very large tank,
around which, during the cool hours of the evening,
gaily-dressed natives squat in groups, either talking
and gesticulating violently, or else listening to a professional
raconteur. I t is amusing to watch the people
attentively taking in every word, and in the end
readily rewarding their benefactor with a few coppers.
This custom of relating wonderful stories is pre-
| valent all over the East, and especially amongst