ble memento of his visit, if it be only a single
flower.

One of the leading farmers in Yerandawana was, from the first, very
adverse to the intrusion of the Mission into the village. He did not
openly oppose, but when at intervals the villagers got suspicious and
cooled off in their friendly advances, it was known that it was
largely due to the influence of this Hindu. But time gradually does
its beneficent work of pacification, and there came indications of
friendly advances on the part of Bulwantrao himself. Finally his
eldest son called one afternoon and asked two of us to go that evening
to his sugar-cane plantation, so that he might entertain us, and he
said that eight of the Mission boys might come with us.

We gladly accepted the invitation, and went to the appointed place at
sunset. The pleasant scent as we drew near was reminiscent of
jam-making in old days at home, and the process was somewhat similar.
Bulwantrao's son, Rama, a coarse-featured lad with a raucous voice,
welcomed us heartily. The Indian father usually drops into the
background if his all-important eldest son is present, and lets him do
the honours even when he is quite a boy. This is a pleasing feature
of Indian family life, and the father evidently feels great pleasure
in seeing his son and heir exercising the privileges of his position.

A brown country blanket was spread for us to sit upon, and Rama gave
orders concerning us. One of his men brought some of the raw sugar in
a brass bowl, just after it had cooled and consolidated. Presumably
this bowl was dedicated to the use of unclean persons like ourselves,
otherwise our touching it would have made it useless for their own
purposes; except that there are now so many exceptions to the old
rules of greater strictness, that perhaps the usual polish with earth
might be considered a sufficient purification. It was a pleasure to
eat sugar which one knew for certain was free from all taint of
adulteration. Meanwhile several lads and boys had harnessed themselves
to the mill which presses out the juice of the sugar cane, in place of
the bullocks who had gone off duty, and with great energy and much fun
and laughter, made it revolve until enough juice had been pressed out
for our refreshment. The sugar cane, looking and feeling like a thick
bamboo walking-stick, does not suggest itself as an object from which
juice could be extracted, but it pours out in streams as soon as the
stalk comes between