Identifier: williamhsewardst01sewa (find matches)
Title: William H. Seward's travels around the world
Year: 1873 (1870s)
Authors: Seward, William Henry, 1801-1872 Seward, Olive Risley, 1844-1906
Subjects: Voyages around the world
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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nk of the Hoogly, in compliance withhis invitation. The royal residence consists of twelve stately edi-fices with colonnades, which accommodate retainers, servants, andsoldiery, numbering in all ten thousand. A regiment of nativetroops gave Mr.Seward a salute at the grand gate, and we werereceived at the palace by the kings eldest son, the heir-apparent,who announced that his father, being very ill, had deputed him tobe his representative on the occasion of our visit. We have neverseen a handsomer youth, although he is swarthy. Dressed fully upto his character, he wore flowing robes of blue velvet, embroideredwith gold, and his princely jewelled coronet. The titular King ofOude is probably the only monarch in the world who wears suchantiquated head-gear as this. Doubtless, however, it is a pleasingreminder of the palmy state from which he has fallen, fallen,fallen. The prince, in a most amiable and communicative temper, con-ducted us through the extensive flower-gardens, immense mena-
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KING OF OUDES MENAGERIE. 367 geries, as well as aviaries and aquariums, neither of which, we ima-gine, have their equal in any part of the world. An account of theanimals exhibited would be little less than a catalogue. We sawhuge boa-constrictors sleeping in their cages. The snake-charmerskilfully drew the cobra de capello from its prison, stretched it onthe ground, and then with great dexterity seized it by the throat,and at pleasure made it open its mouth and show the strong, sharp,white fang, whose stroke is instant death, and beneath it the smallsac in which the fatal venom is secreted. The ostrich, the bird-of-paradise, the pelican, the flamingo, the eagle, and the swan, areas domesticated as if they had known no other home. We countedone hundred species of the pigeon, nor can we recall the name ofany tenant of the air which is not represented there. The aqua-riums are lakes, each covering an acre, and ten feet deep. Theirinhabitants of all kinds came to be fed from our hands. A

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