ness of the evening was brought forward; they must act in like manner. with the officials from whom they expected anything. To get hold of the Governor was a very difficult matter, beyond the power of their friend, but he thought he could manage the secretaries for them if they were disposed to go to the expense.

It was at last settled that arrangements should be made for giving a dinner to the three leading secretaries, at which the chiefs should be in attendance, ready to be introduced at the auspicious moment. For the purely English reader it may be necessary for me to remark that they could not sit with Europeans at meals any more than the Jews would with the Gentiles, though I am happy to observe that some few of the upper classes are endeavouring to break through the prejudice.

A house was now procured in a fashionable quarter, dinner and wines ordered, and three European gentlemen, to personate the secretaries, were engaged to attend. These unhappy men were officers dismissed from the army and living by their wits; they were told that all that would be

required of them was a few civil words to certain natives who would be introduced to them, to listen, or at any rate to pretend to listen, to their tale, and in reply to say that they would pay attention to the case. Not being much in the way of enjoying good things, these worthies revelled to their hearts' content in champagne and other luxuries, and the auspicious moment was not therefore long delayed. With their turbans of gold brocade more than a foot high, the chiefs were then solemnly introduced, to make known their grievances, and were received with an air of patronising dignity, and responded to as laid down in the programme, after which they retired, delighted with the interview, and satisfied that the first stone was laid of Akhabhaee's throne.

Next day the intriguer presented himself to congratulate them on their success, and to assure them that, now the point of the wedge had been driven in, they had but to follow it up to secure their ends. How much more money he contrived to victimize out of them besides a thousand rupees advanced for the dinner, if told, I have forgotten;

but the bubble at last burst, and with it ends my story.1

1 The difficulty of an Oriental understanding or appreciating the feeling of honour that leads an Englishman to scorn a bribe is well shown by a conversation I had with Nuthoo Mehta. We were on friendly terms, owing to his having proved himself one of the best arbitrators of the Province, for there being no Civil Courts, disputes and claims are generally adjusted by Punchayuts. How is it,' I asked, 'that one so renowned for sagacity as you are should not have known the British character better than to attempt to bribe the Political Agent?' 'Will you permit me to ask a question?' he replied. Certainly; as many as you please.' Well, then, tell me, if you did not come to India to make money, what did you come for?' I need not give my answer to this, nor to his next question—'What is the use of power if you do not profit by it??

A

CHAPTER V.

SUCCESSION TROUBLES.

FTER the foregoing history it will not be difficult to understand that of all the cases brought before the British Political authorities in India the most troublesome arise from disputed claims to succession on the death of the several Rajas and Chiefs-a difficulty often created and always enhanced by the practice of polygamy universally prevalent in that class, whether Hindoo or Mohammedan. Of the petty potentates, few have less than three or four wives, some of whom bring with them claims of superiority over the others in virtue of higher rank or caste, so that on a Raja's death it may happen that a younger son will have a prior claim to the elder. The mother of each adheres to the cause of her own child as the hunted tigress to her cubs, and it is often no

easy matter for the Political Agent to decide between them.

On the occasion to which I am about to refer the sudden decease of the Nawab of Joonagur left three claimants to the throne-the eldest, in virtue of a written document, signed with the seal of state, formally acknowledging him as heir though he was not the Nawab's son. His mother had been wife to one of the chiefs of the country, but having great personal attractions, she had been induced by the Nawab to obtain a divorce and marry him—-an arrangement she acquiesced in on the condition that her son was acknowledged heir to the throne.

The mother of the second claimant was of an inferior degree, not of noble blood; but after the Nawab had gained his object in securing the former wife, he had habitually treated the deed of succession alluded to as a dead letter, and associated the second claimant's name with his own in deeds of State, publicly proclaimed him heir, and treated him as such.

The third claimant was a child of four or five,