retained, and on approaching the military secretary in the
throne room you handed it over to him, the same as you do with the
official card with which each person is furnished at the present day.
In the event of your desiring to act as sponsor for a friend wishing
to be presented, you enclosed in the same envelope, addressed to the
aide-de-camp, a second card with his name inscribed thereon, stating
the object for which it was forwarded, and he followed exactly the
same formula as his introducer on entering the precincts of Government
House. It was considered indispensable as now that anyone making a
presentation should personally attend the levee. The condition of
things has so much changed since those times and the European
population so greatly increased with advancing years that it was
considered advisable to make some modification in the then existing
rules so as to meet the altered requirements of the present time. I
think the real meaning of the change is to be found in the belief that
formerly existed in the minds of officials that every one who sent in
his card for the levee in the old days was eligible for the entree to
Government House. The procedure in respect of State Drawing Rooms has
also undergone a considerable modification in one particular. Formerly
gentlemen were allowed to accompany their lady friends as far as the
big hall and wait for them there until they emerged from the throne
room and escort them upstairs to the ball room. This privilege was
withdrawn very many years ago.

The hospitality of Government House was proverbial, and whilst the
Viceroy and his entourage were residing in Calcutta, it was one
perpetual round of gaiety and entertainments, week after week. They
comprised dinners, evening parties, dances, garden parties, and
occasional concert, At Homes, levees and Drawing Rooms, and, last of
all, though not least, the annual State Ball to which I have already
made previous reference which generally took place after Christmas in
the month of January. To this all who had attended the levee were
invited, and a very pretty sight and enjoyable affair it always proved
to be. I think the number of guests attending these functions
generally ran into a matter of 1500, more or less.

As I have already remarked dancing was quite possible and pleasant
except perhaps in the very early stages of the evening when it was a
bit of a crush, but later on, more particularly towards supper and
afterwards