The guests having taken their seats, a large silver basin was brought in,
with elaborately-wrought narghillies, and they were invited to smoke.
This honour they declined. The rajah then smoked in solitary dignity--his
pipe being changed as soon as he had taken a few whiffs.
A nautchni, or dance by nautches, was next provided for the visitors'
entertainment. There were three musicians and two dancers. The latter
were dressed in gay gold-woven muslin robes, with wide silk
gold-broidered trousers, reaching to the ground, and quite covering their
bare feet. One of the musicians beat a couple of small drums; the others
played on four-stringed instruments not unlike a violin. They stood
close behind the dancers, and their music was wholly innocent of melody
or harmony; but to the rhythm, which was strongly accentuated, the
dancers moved their arms, hands, and fingers in a very animated manner,
and at intervals their feet, so as to ring the numerous tiny bells that
cover them. Their attitudes were not ungraceful. The performance lasted
a quarter of an hour, after which they accompanied the dance with what
was intended for singing, but sounded like shrieking. Meantime,
sweetmeats, fruits, and sherbet were handed round.
As a contrast to this gay scene, Madame Pfeiffer describes the
performance of the wretched fanatics called fakeers.
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