January 28 Tuesday – In Bombay, the wedding festivities of the prior night lasted till the wee hours. Sam wrote of it in FE:

We withdrew from the festivities at two in the morning. Another picture, then — but it has lodged itself in my memory rather as a stage-scene than as a reality. It is of a porch and short flight of steps crowded with dark faces and ghostly-white draperies flooded with the strong glare from the dazzling concentration of illuminations; and midway of the steps one conspicuous figure for accent — a turbaned giant, with a name according to his size: Rao Bahadur Baskirao Blainkanje Pitale, Vakeel to his Highness the Gaikwar of Baroda. Without him the picture would not have been complete; and if his name had been merely Smith, he wouldn’t have answered [ch XLII 388-9].

In ch. XLIV p.400, Sam wrote an entry with this date of being allowed the temporary use of an official Thug-book, and that they were making preparations to travel, which included purchasing of bedding, for no trains or hotels provided it for travelers. This practice was left over from the times when there were no railroads and hotels did not exist.

In Bombay Sam wrote a short letter to Mr. Bennett, sorry he was “to lose that dinner & the good time we should have,” but he’d have only a dozen hours upon returning from Poona before having to leave for Baroda, but hoped “for a glimpse” of Bennett on Thursday, Jan. 30 [MTP].

At 9:30 p.m. in Bombay Sam gave his “At Home” (No. 3) lecture. Reviews published Jan. 29: Bombay Gazette; Times of India [Ahluwalia 10, 21].