Across India Part 8

"That was precisely the right thing to do," said the commander.

"Probably it enabled us to float a short time longer than we should otherwise have done; but the yacht had taken in too much water before we applied the remedy, for suddenly, on the top of a huge wave, she made a heavy roll, capsized, and came up with her keel in the air. I am only afraid that I did not do all that might have been done."

"I could have done no more if I had been there with all my ship's company,"

the commander declared; for the amateur captain of the Travancore was a conscientious man, and desired to relieve his mind of all blame for his conduct; and he had really done all that could be done, though the remedy applied was a failure.

"My chief engineer was an experienced man, and I followed his counsels in everything," added the viscount.

"His lordship did all that it was possible for any man to do in such a case," interposed the chief engineer of the Travancore, who was seated on the platform. "I can only thank G.o.d that we were all saved, and I am sure that no one is to blame."

"I am told that our cabin waiter and four coolies were picked up by the other steamer," said Lord Tremlyn, as he looked about him.

"That is true, sir," interposed Mr. Boulong, who stood on the deck by the platform. "Sir Modava told me there were eleven persons on board of the wreck. I saw that number saved myself."

The details of the wreck of the Travancore were fully explained, though individuals continued to talk about it until lunch-time. At the mid-day repast the commander gave up his plan of seating the party, and invited the members of it to select their own places; and they all took those they had occupied at breakfast. In the afternoon the rough sea had almost entirely subsided under the influence of the north-east monsoon, and the motion of the steamer was easy and pleasant.

The company a.s.sembled in the music-room after a walk on deck, and the captain, with the three notable guests, joined them after they had finished their cigars; for all of them smoked. The "Gospel Hymns" and other hymn and tune books were distributed. It was the usual time for singing, and the trio from the Travancore contributed largely to the volume of tone on the occasion. The new third officer had been stationed in the watch with Mr.

Boulong, and Scott had the first part of the afternoon watch. The officers and engineers not on duty, as well as the members of the party from the wreck, gathered at the windows of the music-room, and the commander invited them to take seats in the apartment, thus adding still more to the volume of the harmony. The music was all sacred, and nothing purely secular was permitted by the captain.

Dr. Ferrolan, who had a fine ba.s.s voice, was invited to sing "Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep," at the suggestion of Lord Tremlyn. His lordship sang "Oh that I had Wings!" and Mrs. Belgrave, who was the pianist of the occasion, gave a solo, while Sir Modava sang the "Missionary Hymn," which is still a favorite in England and America, translated into the Hindu language. The party who could not understand him followed in the hymn-books.

"I wonder who wrote that beautiful hymn," said Mrs. Blossom, when there was a pause as the singer finished. "It says Heber in my book, but I don't know who he was."

"Reginald Heber was an English clergyman and poet, born in 1783. He was a student in an Oxford college; I forget which," replied Sir Modava.

"Brasenose," prompted the viscount.

"As a student in this college he wrote 'Palestine,' for which he obtained the prize; and it still holds a place in the literature of England. He soon obtained a living, and occupied a prominent position among the clergy of his native island. In 1823 he was made Bishop of Calcutta.

"Three years later, in the midst of his zealous labors in the service of his Master, he died at Trichinopoly of apoplexy, greatly lamented. Perhaps

'From Greenland's icy mountains, From India's coral strand,'

which you have sung this afternoon, is the widest-known of Bishop Heber's hymns; but will you indulge me if I ask you to sing another of them, which I find in the book I hold in my hand?--

'Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, Dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid.'"

The hymn was sung to Mozart's music by about twenty voices, and the effect was exceedingly agreeable. Sir Modava seemed to be in a rapture, as the piece was his favorite, and came from one who was connected with his native land.

He was a rather tall and slender man, and all the ladies declared that he was very handsome; and his slightly dusky hue added to, rather than took from, the beauty of his countenance. He wore a small mustache, but no other beard. He was a nervous and highly sensitive person, and there was always a smile on his face. He had already become a favorite among the gentlemen as well as the ladies.

Another meeting was held in the evening, which was varied by some speaking on the part of the gentlemen, including the guests, Uncle Moses, Dr.

Hawkes, and the commander. At the conclusion of the exercises, Sir Modava begged the company to close by singing another of Bishop Heber's verses, which he repeated from memory, though it was in one of the books:--

"G.o.d that madest earth and heaven, Darkness and light; Who the day for toil hast given, For rest the night,-- May thine angel guards defend us, Slumber sweet thy mercy send us, This livelong night!"

With this musical prayer on their lips, the company retired. Most of them went to their staterooms; for the guests were very tired, and the regular inmates of the cabin had left their berths at an unusually early hour in the morning. All of them, whether technically religious or not, had been greatly impressed by the music and the speaking of the evening. Dr.

Ferrolan was a more inveterate smoker than his companions in misfortune, and he went with the commander to the deck, and was invited to the captain's cabin, where he was provided with cigars.

"As you have already learned, Doctor, I am greatly interested in the educational feature of my ship," said Captain Ringgold, after they had conversed a while. "I desire to make it as attractive as possible, and I have studied to vary it all I could."

"You have turned your ship into a n.o.ble and useful inst.i.tution," replied the guest. "Lord Tremlyn and Sir Modava have both spoken in the highest terms of this feature. And these lectures are mainly for the benefit of Mr.

Belgrave, your owner?"

"The plan was introduced princ.i.p.ally on his account; but it has grown into an exercise for all the cabin party, and most of them are speakers as well as listeners; for it makes all of them feel a greater interest in the conferences," replied the commander. "To-morrow we are to begin upon India, dwelling upon its geography, civilization, government, and history. Now, I wish to ask you, Doctor, if there would be any impropriety in my asking the members of your party berthed in the cabin to take part in these exercises?"

"Not the slightest, Captain Ringgold."

"Probably you are all better informed in regard to the affairs of the peninsula than any three other men I could find if I were to search for them here and in England," added the commander.

"You are not far from right, sir, as far as my a.s.sociates are concerned; for officially or unofficially they have visited every part of India, and studied up in detail everything relating to the people, the country, the army, and the inst.i.tutions, both native and British."

"As you have been with Lord Tremlyn in his travels, you must be very familiar with the affairs of India, Doctor."

"Reasonably familiar; but not so well acquainted with them as my companions," answered the physician. "Perhaps I do not violate any confidence in saying that his lordship and his Hindu friend had a conversation just before dinner to-day, in which they were discussing in what manner they could best a.s.sist you in seeing India. As you suggest, they are the two men who know more of India than any others I think of, not excepting the governor-general and his subordinates."

"I came to this conclusion when I learned the nature of their mission."

"Sir Modava is personally acquainted with all the native princes; and he and his lordship are regarded by them as second only to the viceroy, as he is often unofficially designated. Every door in India, except those of a few mosques and Pa.r.s.ee temples, open to them, and procure for them and their friends all the privileges that can reasonably be expected. We respect the religious exclusiveness of the sects, and do not ask them to exempt our people from the operation of their rules and customs. The British government rules India in the spirit of kindness and toleration, and interferes with the religious, or even political, inst.i.tutions only so far as humanity and progressive civilization require. Both of them propose to volunteer to attend you in your travels in the peninsula, if agreeable to you."

"We should be delighted to have such conductors, and I shall gladly pay all the expenses incurred," the commander declared, with an earnestness that attested his sincerity.

"The expense is a matter of no consequence to the two gentlemen; for both of them would be multimillionaires in America, though pounds don't count so numerously as dollars. I am not at all sure they wouldn't gladly pay the expenses of your party as well as their own; but I am not authorized to speak on this point. I advise you not to mention expense to either of my a.s.sociates. But you can form no idea of the depths of grat.i.tude in the hearts of the three quartered in your cabin for the timely and skilful service you rendered in saving us from certain death. I base my views on what I have heard them say, and what I feel myself," said the doctor with enthusiasm. "I am certain that any suggestion in regard to expense would hurt the feelings of my friends and companions."

"I thank you, Dr. Ferrolan, for the frankness with which you have spoken, and I shall a.s.suredly profit by what you have said," added the commander.

"In what I said about expense I have been moved by what I should do myself if I had the control of the matter, and were as able as Sir Modava and his lordship to incur a heavy outlay; though I have a sufficient income to support a bachelor, I am a poor man compared with them."

The interview closed, and the doctor retired at the end of his cigar. The next morning Captain Ringgold obtained the ready a.s.sent of the two gentlemen to take part in the conference appointed for half-past nine, and later that of Dr. Ferrolan.

CHAPTER IX

CONCERNING THE GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA

"Ladies and gentlemen, it affords me very great pleasure to present to you Sir Modava Rao, who has kindly consented to give you a lesson on the geography of India," said Captain Ringgold when the company were seated in Conference Hall.

This announcement was greeted with unusually stormy applause, in which the ladies joined, and then flourished their handkerchiefs as an additional welcome to the handsome Hindu.

"I have also the pleasure to inform you that Lord Tremlyn and Dr. Ferrolan have indulgently permitted me to call upon them for the instruction in regard to India which they are so abundantly competent to give us,"

continued the commander with a very pleasant smile upon his dignified countenance. "Their subjects have been arranged, and I congratulate you and myself upon the satisfaction with which we shall all listen to these able exponents of the present condition of this interesting country. Sir Modava Rao, ladies and gentlemen."

The Hindu gentleman was again received with vigorous and long-continued applause. His handsome face, the expression of which was intensified by the fascinating smile that played upon his black eyes and around his finely moulded mouth, was not wasted upon the ladies, or even upon the gentlemen; and it was a considerable time before the plaudits of the company permitted him to speak; and he stood upon the rostrum bowing so sweetly that he was irresistible to the a.s.sembly.

"Mr. Commander, ladies and gentlemen," he began, "I have no claim upon you for the exceeding warmth of the reception you have given me, and I thank you with all my heart for all your kindness to me, a shipwrecked stranger on board of your ship. I shall give you as briefly and clearly as I can what I know about the geography of India. I understand that this was the subject to be treated by Captain Ringgold; and I am confident that he could have done it quite as well as I can, though I am 'to the manner born.' But I will proceed with the subject, without wasting any more of your valuable time.