And mother India was for ever blest.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 2: Vijianagar is here called Vijiapore.]

[Footnote 3: Literally, the moon.]

[Footnote 4: The allusion here is to the ancient custom of _Swayamvara_
(self-choice), which is the election of a husband by a princess or a
daughter of a kshatriya at a public assembly of suitors for the
purpose.]

[Footnote 5: Chandragiri.]




_THE KORATHY'S LULLABY._


The Korathy is the tattooer of the Indian village, who offers her
services for a small fee. Hindu females are very fond of having their
bodies tattooed. The Korathy first makes a sketch of the figure of a
scorpion or a serpent on the part of the body offered to her for
tattooing, then takes a number of sharp needles, dips them in some
liquid preparation which she has ready, and pricks the flesh most
mercilessly. In a few days the whole appears green. This is considered a
mark of beauty among the Hindus. While the tattooing takes place the
Korathy sings a crude song, so as to make the person undergoing the