Our boys in India . out of the paradise of Indra. She wasin Bombay for last night; and, knowing you would be hereto-day, I secured her to dance in the temple. Come quickly,he added, for she is already dancing. They followed him to the outer court and the positionthat he had kindly reserved for them, where they obtained afine view of the figure, upon which all eyes were fixed, — agraceful young girl alone in the centre of the temple, witha bright-colored scarf, and gracefully trailing drapery, a fewbright jewels flashing in her ears and about her neck (butless than most Hindu women wore), while
Our boys in India . out of the paradise of Indra. She wasin Bombay for last night; and, knowing you would be hereto-day, I secured her to dance in the temple. Come quickly,he added, for she is already dancing. They followed him to the outer court and the positionthat he had kindly reserved for them, where they obtained afine view of the figure, upon which all eyes were fixed, — agraceful young girl alone in the centre of the temple, witha bright-colored scarf, and gracefully trailing drapery, a fewbright jewels flashing in her ears and about her neck (butless than most Hindu women wore), while her long, glossyblack hair hung in light waves far below her waist. She was 128 OUR BOYS IN INDIA. softly moaning a weird melody, and slowly whirling about,and gracefully bending her body in time with the singing. It was not precisely what Scott had expected, but — It is beautiful, beautiful! he whispered. Yes, replied Mr. Raymond, just here it is certainlybeautiful ; but the murli dancing and the common nautch. THE MUSICIANS. have been disgraced and degraded by the English in India,till they have lost the charms they once possessed, even forthe Hindus; and, like all the other grand institutions of an-tiquity, they are rapidly becoming demoralized. Sitting beside the altar, ready to take up the service whenNuna should have finished, were three or four other dancers ofless celebrity, with their two musicians ; but Nuna sang withouteven a native accompaniment. IN PALANQUIN AND ROW-BOAT. 129 What has that old fellow got in his hands ? asked Scott,looking at one of the musicians, who had just risen to hisfeet as Nuna began to retreat, and was softly fingering thestrings of his instrument. Which one do you mean? questioned Richard. Why, the fellow that has the floor now, replied Scott. Oh! that is what they call a saringi. It is the modelof the first violin that was ever made; for there, again, inspite of all that people say to the contrary, India led theworld. Just outside the
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