Odd Experiences Of Travel

Tips and gesticulations go a great wa; in making f oreign servante onder those who do not speak their langnage but they do not always sueeeed, ani tiresome thongh amushii' adventure are often the result, says Mrs. Davia Kor in the New York Bpoch. When we first traveled in India m very little Hindoostanee, and on arriving at a palatial but verv comfortless hotel at Jubbulpore I wantcd a small pitcher of hot water to bathe a hurt on little flnger. We knew that chota was "small," and garrum"warm,' but we could not think of the Ilindus tani for ''water." At last I thought ! had made the bearer onderstand what ', wanted. After waiting1 some time he returned looking well pleased with him self at so easily g-uessing my wishes and placing a small cup of tea at my side, bowed profoundly, and was abou' to leave the room, when I aalled him back and tried again to explain. This time wehad to wait still longer, but presently we heard a thumping on the stairs and a deal of ;nu gToanings and then three men appeared carrymg a most cnormous caldron o: boiling water. Our next journey was to Allahn'uad and on reaching the station at dawn we hired a carriage. and told the coachman in our best Hindoostanee to drive to the nearest hotel. Wc soon stopped at the entrance of a large houso, and a welldressed European oponed the carriage door for us and politely helped us out. '"1 ara glad you have como so eaiiy,' he said, "for you will have plenty of time to see every thing-, and I assure yon I can show you soma very handsome pieces of f urniture. What u ill you look at flrst?' "Af ter tra veling all night we are too tired and dusty and hungry to look at at present," I answered Bharply, "but will you show us into the best bedroom you've got and send us some breakfast immediately?" The man sta red at me in utter astonishment and turned to Mr. Ker for an explanation. Aíter a time we found out our mistake. The house was not a hotel, but a private residence, and the furniture was about to be sold at auction. The European, whom we had mistaken for the hotel manager, was the auetioneer. So our Hindoostanee had been again at fault. In west África I twice quite unintentionally offended the natives most grievously. Direetly a steamer arrived at a port the negroes swarmed around her in canoes, offcring skins, grass mats, etc., for sale, and I always took this opportunity of sketching them. Once one of the men wore a very extraordinary wig, and in my anxiety to have a good look at it I must have let my drawing block and pencil be seen, for he caught sight of what I was doing, and, tearing off his wig in terror, he called out wildly: "Xo put me in book, white mami! Me good man! .No put me in book!" He evidently thoughtthat I was working some evil spell over him. Another time an Ashantee woman on I our steamer saw me sketching her, and she complaincd most bitterly to the captain that I had made her very ill. She said that I had given her a frightful pain in her head and that she had to lic down all the afternoon. Iiut I think the funniest thing that ever happened to me was at Old Calabar. We had sent our clothes to be washed there, and when the washerwoman brought them back she coolly told me that she liad kept one or two of my garments, for she liked them so much that she could not part with them. She asked me what she should give me for them. I told her I could not possibly sell my underclothing as curiosities. Howevcr, she got them for nothing, for our steamer was just sailing for England, so I had no means of insisting upon their return.