d a levee he is attended by a brilliant retinue,
and the Indian soldiers who form the chief part of his bodyguard are
picked men, looking magnificent in their superb uniform. This imposing
display is meant presumably to impress the native mind with the
dignity and authority of the representative of the ruling monarch. But
in reality it does not excite admiration, or interest, or any other
sentiment. The glittering cavalcade, which would bring out half London
to see it if only they had the opportunity, passes on its way, and the
chance passers-by hardly pause to look at it. This is not out of
disrespect to the powers that be, but merely because they see nothing
to interest or admire. The small body of the disaffected, of course,
look upon military display as part of the arrogance of the conqueror
towards his subjects. The multitudes who thronged the streets of the
great cities which the King visited, came together because they
wanted to see the King himself, and they would have been just as
pleased, and perhaps even more so, if he had ridden through the
streets in solitary majesty without any retinue. Some natives
complained that amongst the many English officers in gorgeous uniform
it was not always possible to distinguish for certain which was the
King.

Not unfrequently large bodies of troops come past the Mission compound
in Yerandawana village on their way to the hilly country beyond, which
provides an ideal area for military tactics. The boys of the Mission,
through education and drill, and contact with Englishmen, are filled
with military ardour, and are worked up to a pitch of intense
excitement by the sight of guns, and mules, and baggage-waggons, and
marching soldiers, and they spend every spare minute by the roadside.
But to the Hindu villagers it means nothing at all. Perhaps one or two
of the village boys who are attending the day-school will catch a
spark of enthusiasm from the Christian boys, and will join them by the
roadside; but the majority of the villagers will hardly turn their
heads, much less walk ten yards, to see the sight. Religious
processions to some sacred place or shrine are sometimes impressive
from the enormous number of pilgrims taking part in them. One day a
large procession of Hindus from a neighbouring village, on their way
to the temple at Yerandawana, passed alongside the Mission compound.
They had with them a god, which they were carrying in a palanquin.
One or two boys, seeing me