The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pearl of India, by Maturin M. Ballou

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Title: The Pearl of India

Author: Maturin M. Ballou

Release Date: April 8, 2010 [EBook #31923]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE PEARL OF INDIA

BY

MATURIN M. BALLOU

From India and the Golden Chersonese,
And utmost Indian Isle Taprobanes.

MILTON

SECOND EDITION

BOSTON AND NEW YORK

HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY

The Riverside Press, Cambridge

1895

Copyright, 1894,

BY MATURIN M. BALLOU.

* * * * *

PREFACE.

That many readers evince a growing satisfaction in contemplating
foreign lands through the eyes of experienced travelers, the favor
shown to previous books by the author of these pages abundantly
testifies. Mutual profit is therefore the outcome of such a work; both
the author and reader are gratified.

It is a pleasure to depict scenes which have afforded so much
gratification to the writer, for enjoyment is redoubled by being
shared,--"joy was born a twin." The undersigned has often been asked
both personally and by letter, "Of all the places you have seen and
written about, which do you consider of the most interest, and which
do you recommend me to visit?" This is a very difficult question to
answer, because individual tastes differ so widely. It is safe to say
no point presents more varied attractions to the observant traveler,
more thoroughly and picturesquely exhibits equatorial life, or
addresses itself more directly to the delicate appreci