Across India; Or, Live Boys in the Far EastOptic, Oliver
General
Across India; Or, Live Boys in the Far East
Optic, Oliver
India -- Juvenile literature
The company returned to the hotel at an early hour, and all of them were
tired enough to retire at once. But they were up at six in the morning, and
the four boys went out to explore the city by themselves for a couple of
hours. Even at this early hour the ladies, old and young, were in the
balconies, and they were much occupied in observing the latter. Though the
yashmak, or veil, was not often used to cover the face, it appeared to have
been only thrown back upon the head.
After breakfast carriages were at the door to convey the party to the more
interesting sights of the city. At the request of Lord Tremlyn, they were
driven first to the office of the lieutenant-governor, to whom they were
presented. The government buildings are in Lawrence Hall Gardens, where
there is also a memorial building in honor of Lord John Lawrence, the first
lieutenant-governor, who won his distinction in subduing and ruling over
the Punjab.
They were next conveyed to the mosque of Jehanghir, built of red stone, and
so much like a score of other mosques that they were not much interested in
the building. The mosque of Vazir Khan pleased them more; for it was a
beautiful edifice, though crumbling before the ravages of time. But even
here they were more pleased on observing the loafers around the entrance
and in the court in front of it. An old bald-headed Hindu, with a beard as
white as snow, was a study to the boys; and perhaps it was fortunate that
the subject of their remarks did not understand English, or there might
have been another war in the Punjab.
The cook-shops in the street were instructive to them, and they watched the
customers with interest; but, as they had attempted to eat in a Turkish
restaurant in Constantinople, they were content with looking on. The
minarets of the Vazir Khan pleased all the party, for they were certainly
very beautiful. They went to the Golden Temple of Amritsar in the
afternoon, and were impressed with the beauty of its surroundings.
Lahore was rather a disappointment to the tourists, though it would not
have been if they had not spent some days in Bombay before visiting it. The
train in which they had come from Baroda was to be used by them as far as
Calcutta, and they were ready to leave that night. The journey was by a
different route from that by which they had come, and through a more
densely populated region. It was a bright moonlight night when the train
passed out of the capital of the Punjab.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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