"An attempt was made to check the advance of the rebels eight miles from the city; but it was a failure, with the small available force, and two days later the enemy attacked the British at the Residency. Three times the brave defenders5 beat back the assaults of the assailants. These events on the spot you have visited occurred between the last of May and the first of July. It was not till the twenty-second of September that Havelock and Outram arrived, and captured the Alum-Bagh, which we shall visit this morning. It was a terrible summer that the beleaguered6 people and their brave handful of soldiers passed; and Tennyson has commemorated7 Lucknow in his immortal8 verse.
"But the coming of Havelock was not the end; for the rebels besieged9 the place again, and it was near the middle of November before Sir Colin Campbell arrived, with a considerable force. He captured the Alum-Bagh, and, leaving in it a force of three thousand five hundred men, he escorted the women and children and the civilians10 to Cawnpore; but returned in March to subdue11 the rebels. For a week he fought them, drove them from the intrenchments in which they had fortified12 themselves, and the mutiny was ended, as I related to you on board of your ship."
The carriages were at the door as soon as the party had breakfasted. They were driven to the cemetery13, where they saw the grave of Lawrence, whose memorial is that "He tried to do his duty." In the Alum-Bagh, which means the Queen's Garden, was the grave of Havelock. It was here that Outram had his camp and fortifications for the defence of Lucknow during the absence of Campbell.
The Kaiser Bagh, or Cæsar's Garden, contains some of the principal sights of the city, which the viscount pointed14 out and described. It is a forest of domes16 and cupolas; and the company halted at the pavilion of Lanka, which a French writer called the least ridiculous of the structures in the enclosure, though the professor insisted that it was quite as bad as the worst. It had an abundance of cupolas with arabesque17 domes; but the edifice18 looked like a shell, for the veranda19, with lofty columns supporting the roof, appeared to take up the greater portion of the enclosed space.
The most grotesque20 feature was at the entrance. A flight of broad stairs led to the principal floor, over which was extended what looked like an imitation of the Rialto bridge in Venice, with a small temple under the middle arch and at the head of the stairs. The top of the bridge was on a level with the flat roof, and the two side-arches started from the ground. The building was handsome in some of its details; but the professor said it was an "abomination," and Dr. Hawkes called it "queer." The various edifices21 are now occupied by the civil and military officials.
"Where does the name of this place come from?" asked Captain Ringgold. "Kaiser Bagh seems to be half German."
"But it is not German," replied Lord Tremlyn. "These buildings were mostly erected22 no farther back than 1850, by Wajid Ali Shah, the King of Oude, who was deposed23 by the British government in 1856. He called himself Cæsar, and Kaiser is simply a corruption24 of that name, with no German allusion25 in it. He was the husband of the Queen of Oude, whose burial-place you saw in Père-la-Chaise."
The next visit was to the palace of Claude Martine, a conglomeration26 of all the styles of architecture ever known, and some that were never heard of. At first view it looks like a small palace set on the top of a large one. It is certainly very original and very elaborate. Going to the citadel27, they entered by a highly ornamental28 gateway29, which opened to the visitors the view of the vast pile of buildings, in the middle of which is the Imambara. The vastness of the pile presented before them was bewildering, though they had seen so many immense structures that mere30 size did not now overwhelm them. The Great Imambara is considered the marvel31 of Lucknow, and should not be confounded with another in the citadel bearing the same general name. To walk around or through this enormous building was simply impossible, and the party contented32 themselves with a general view from different points. It is located on a lofty terrace; and its long line of walls, crowned with Arabic domes, is very imposing33.
"This palace was erected at the close of the last century, by Nawab, with half a yard of other names to fetch up its rear," said Major Shandon, the military officer who was doing the honors of the city, with a pleasant smile. "Like many others of the Indian monarchs35, he desired to immortalize his name by erecting36 a monument in his own honor; and he offered a prize for the competition of all the architects of India, for one that would surpass all others. We think he produced a plan that was worth the money he received; though we don't think he surpassed the Taj, or some other buildings that might be mentioned."
This immense structure is now a vast arsenal37. The other building, which sometimes robs this one of its honors, is called the Hoosseinabad Imambara; and perhaps the length of the added name may account, to some extent, for the robbery. It is in the citadel, and in sight of its namesake; but the mausoleum, for it is the tomb of Ali Shah, who died in 1841, stands alone; and it does not fatigue38 the eyes to look at it. It is a light, ethereal sort of structure, and looks like lacework. It is surmounted39 by a beautiful dome15, and the roof bristles40 with the points of turrets41 and towers. It contains, besides the tomb of the monarch34, a mosque42, a bazaar43, and a model of the Taj, which make up a sufficient variety for an edifice erected for a tomb.
This temple completed the list marked out for inspection44 in Lucknow. The party had not supposed there was much of anything here to be seen except the memorials of the Mutiny; and for these alone they would not have missed seeing the historic locality. The rest of the day was devoted45 to rides through the streets and suburbs of the city. The avenues were wide, the houses neat and commodious46, and the gardens laid out with English taste. The evidences of British thrift47 were to be seen in many portions of the place.
Lochner's Hotel was their abiding-place, and Major Shandon regaled the party at dinner and in the evening with stories of the place, and proved himself to be a gentleman of "infinite humor." The next morning the company took the train for Benares. They were a very sociable48 party, and preferred the conference carriage to being confined to the smaller compartments49. The route was along the Boomtee River at first, which, some one has said, is the crookedest stream in the world, and the scenery was worth looking at. But as soon as the ladies and gentlemen had satisfied themselves with looking out the windows the commander presented Sir Modava as the "talkist" for the trip of six hours, or as much of the time as he chose to occupy.
"I shall not take more than half an hour for what I have to say, my much-loved friends," the Hindu gentleman began, "though I know you are very patient and long-suffering; and I assure you that I shall not take offence if you look out the windows while I am talking. The Boomtee River is as pretty as it is sinuous50. If you write to your friends in the United States about it, you can spell the last syllable51 t-i, if you prefer; for Indian orthography52 is not yet controlled by statute53, as I hope it will be when we have established an Académie Indienne, such as they have in France. But Benares is my subject, and not spelling.
"Where is Benares? It is four hundred and twenty miles by rail from Calcutta, and is on the left bank of the Ganges. I suppose you know which side that is."
"Of course we do," laughed Mrs. Belgrave. "It is on the left-hand side."
"You have put your foot in it, mother," rallied Louis.
"Into the Ganges?" queried54 the lady. "I did at Cawnpore, but not here."
"Suppose you were coming up the river in a steamer from Calcutta, which would be the left bank?" asked Louis.
"On my left, of course."
"Then Sir Modava will have to oblige you by locating Benares on both sides of the Ganges, and I don't believe it would be convenient for him to do that," said Louis, laughing at the expense of his mother, who blushed, though she did not see what was wrong, when she realized that she had made a blunder of some kind.
"Better not have said anything," whispered Mrs. Blossom in retaliation55; for hitherto she had had a monopoly of all the blunders."
"Will you tell me, Sarah, which is the left bank of a river, for it appears that I don't know," added the lady out loud.
"The left bank of the Ganges is the one Benares is on," replied the worthy56 woman; and she was greeted with a roar of laughter, and a volley of applause started by the live boys who were making their way across India.
"Quite right, madam!" exclaimed Sir Modava, applauding with the others. "It may be a matter of no particular consequence; but you will excuse me for saying that the left bank is the one on your left as you go down the stream, and not at all as you go up."
"I remember now, for I learned that in my geography when I first went to school; and it is strange that I should have forgotten it," added Mrs. Belgrave.
"We know just where Benares is now," Sir Modava proceeded. "It is the largest city in this part of India with the exception of Lucknow, to which it stands next, or sixth among those of the country, having a population of 219,467. It extends along the Ganges for three miles; and the shore is lined continuously with staircases, called ghats, which lead up to the temples, palaces, and the vast number of houses on the banks of the river. The stream sweeps around the place like a crescent, presenting one of the finest views you ever saw, with the ornamented57 fronts of dwellings58, public offices, and a forest of towers, pinnacles59, and turrets. To the Hindus it is the most sacred city known to them.
"When I was a boy I came here for the first time, brought by my father on account of the religious character of the place, if I may call anything idolatrous by such a name. But the city, when you get into it, will disappoint you. It is like Constantinople, very beautiful to look at from the Bosporus, or the Golden Horn; but its dirty, narrow streets disgust you. I am afraid this will be your experience in Benares. You will be obliged to forego the luxury of carriages in making your tours through the place, for the streets are so narrow and crowded that it is impossible to get along with a vehicle. An elephant is equally impracticable, and even in a palanquin your progress would be so slow that you would lose all your stock of patience."
"The city must be 'done' by walking, must it?" asked the commander.
"Whew!" whistled Dr. Hawkes; and the sibilation was repeated by Uncle Moses, for each of them weighed over two hundred and a quarter.
"If the ship were here I would lend you the barge60 with eight rowers, to enable you to see the sights from the river," suggested Captain Ringgold.
"A steam-launch shall be provided for all the company, and our obese61 friends shall be provided with stuffed chairs, for the survey of the river scenes; but carriages can be used in some parts of the city, though what you will desire to see can best be observed from the river; and we can land when you wish to see interiors," added Lord Tremlyn.
This interruption was heartily62 applauded by the Cupids, as the fat gentlemen had been called in Cairo, assisted by all the others.
"The famous Monkey Temple is just out of the city, and that can be reached by carriages," continued Sir Modava. "There are fourteen hundred and fifty Hindu temples, pagodas63, and shrines64, and two hundred and seventy-two Mohammedan mosques65, so that our good friend, General Noury, need not neglect his devotions."
"The good Mussulman never does that, whether there be a mosque at hand or not, for he says his prayers at the proper time, wherever he may be," replied the general.
"I know that some of your people are better Christians66 than some who bear the name," replied the Hindu gentleman politely. "Benares is so holy, and the Ganges is so holy, that hundreds of thousands visit it as the Mussulmans visit Mecca. Men of wealth, and those who have the means without being rich, come to this city when they feel that they have been seized with a malady67 likely to prove fatal; for to die here with the Hindu is a passport to eternal happiness. But I am talking too long, though there is much more that might be said; but perhaps it could be better said on board of that launch my friend mentions, and in sight of the temples, towers, and other objects of interest."
In the middle of the afternoon the train arrived at its destination; and the party proceeded in carriages to the western suburb, the location of the cantonment, or English quarter of the city.
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1
parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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fortify
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| v.强化防御，为…设防；加强，强化 | |
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defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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6
beleaguered
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| adj.受到围困[围攻]的；包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词)；困扰；骚扰 | |
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commemorated
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| v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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civilians
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| 平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓 | |
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subdue
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| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
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fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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cemetery
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| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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domes
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| n.圆屋顶( dome的名词复数 )；像圆屋顶一样的东西；圆顶体育场 | |
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arabesque
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| n.阿拉伯式花饰；adj.阿拉伯式图案的 | |
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18
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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edifices
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| n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 ) | |
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22
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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23
deposed
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| v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证 | |
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24
corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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conglomeration
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| n.团块，聚集，混合物 | |
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citadel
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| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
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ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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monarchs
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| 君主，帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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erecting
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| v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立 | |
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arsenal
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| n.兵工厂，军械库 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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39
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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bristles
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| 短而硬的毛发，刷子毛( bristle的名词复数 ) | |
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41
turrets
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| （六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车 | |
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42
mosque
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| n.清真寺 | |
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43
bazaar
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| n.集市，商店集中区 | |
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44
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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45
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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46
commodious
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| adj.宽敞的；使用方便的 | |
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47
thrift
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| adj.节约，节俭；n.节俭，节约 | |
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48
sociable
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| adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的 | |
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49
compartments
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| n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层 | |
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50
sinuous
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| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
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51
syllable
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| n.音节；vt.分音节 | |
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52
orthography
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| n.拼字法，拼字式 | |
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53
statute
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| n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例 | |
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54
queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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55
retaliation
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| n.报复，反击 | |
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56
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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57
ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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59
pinnacles
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| 顶峰( pinnacle的名词复数 )； 顶点； 尖顶； 小尖塔 | |
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60
barge
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| n.平底载货船，驳船 | |
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61
obese
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| adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的 | |
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62
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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pagodas
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| 塔，宝塔( pagoda的名词复数 ) | |
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64
shrines
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| 圣地，圣坛，神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 ) | |
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mosques
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| 清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 ) | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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malady
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| n.病，疾病(通常做比喻) | |
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