America Through Hindu Eyes

democratic New Englander, to the proud, aristocratic Virginian; from the simple, open-hearted Texas man, to the reserved, undemonstrative Bostonian; from the gay, easy-going Southerner, to the pushing, advertising Californian; from the cultured, affable University man, to the mercantile, money-making multimillionaire; from religious cranks and stumporators, to renowned preachers and high class statesmèn ; and from the working girl, to the Lady Doctor of Philosophy.

There is a chapter about "American globe-trotters in India," which, strictly speaking, though not forming a part of the reminiscences of America, has been included in the book, as it is allied to the subject.

Regarding the contents I beg to state that this volume does not include many things which are often found in treatises about America, e.g., the early history of the United States, the present system of government, the different political parties, the system of slavery that existed before the Civil War, the race question which is perhaps the greatest problem of the United States at the present time, the practice of lynching that is in vogue in some of the States of the Union, the growth of American literature, the different religious sects of America, and various other subjects. In these few pages is written only the simple unvarnished tale of an oriental's experiences in the United States, and so the reader is not to expect in them any such matters as the genealogical table of

the American nobility descended from the Pilgrim Fathers, nor the list in chronological order of the rich American heiresses who made alliances with the titled aristocracy of Europe. He is also not to expect any fashionable gossips regarding the wealth of the multimillionaires designated as the Four Hundred of New York. Neither is he to expect any sensational topics, e.g., the inroad of Red Indians with their tomahawks and poisoned darts, and other thrilling incidents of railway bandits and highway robberies which generally adorn the pages of books written about the States, but which unluckily for the readers and luckily for myself I had no occasion to witness during my sojourn in America.

Lastly I have to acknowledge my indebtedness to the works and periodicals from which quotations have been made in this book, especially in the Appendix.

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