.

torily disposed of, and like Oliver, though in a different way, he hungered for more." But whatever work he did, he was only one spring out of the many that regulated the movements of the huge machinery of the Board; and his particular share, though it always carried with it the stamp of his individuality, must remain merged and undistinguished in the whole.

For the rest, his life at Madras was calmly, peacefully happy-passed in intercourse with kindred spirits. There was Mr. Holloway, now a Judge of the High Court, through whose influence he had been introduced into the Board. Almost every evening, after office-work, the two used to meet and stroll along the beach for near a mile, keeping up between them a singularly stimulating conversation, which, for want of a Boswell, must for ever be left unrecorded. There were also some of his early school-fellows and friends who had all risen to high places and who were now by a fortunate combination of circumstances, brought together at Madras, each filling an honored place. T. Muthuswami Aiyar was Police Magistrate. V. Ramiengar was Superintendent of Stamps. Chentsal Rao was Salt Deputy Collector. R. Raghunatha Rao was Deputy Collector of the City of Madras. They all lived at Mylapore, a few doors off one another.

They invariably met in the evenings, often at Muthuswami Aiyar's. What fun and merriment · there must have been in these meetings! Twenty years or further back most of them had left · Madras in quest of their destiny and now they found themselves there once more, in the prime of life, having spent the interval in different. places and divers occupations, spent with honour to themselves and credit to their Alma Mater, and infinitely thankful to God for having taken care of them so well. Three of them were yet to make their mark in life as distinguished statesmen and one as a conscientious Judge and brilliant jurist. Meanwhile they were there together, making the most of their happy fellowship.

This delightful period was destined to be short-lived. In April 1872 Sashiah was summoned one morning to the Government House at Guindy and the ad interim Governor-Sir Alexander Arbuthnot-asked him if he would accept the Dewanship of Travancore then vacant by the retirement of Sir Madhava Rao. Sashiah hesitated-he almost declined. But Sir Alexander advised him to think over it and let him know, adding that the refusal of the Dewanship of Travancore carrying with it Rs. 2,000 a month, did not come twice to any one. He went home and consulted his friends. They pressed him to

accept the offer, if it were only to keep up the prestige of Powell's boys. He went next morning to the Governor and intimated his assent. Accordingly Sashiah's services were placed at the disposal of His Highness the Maharajah of Travancore.

CHAPTER VII.

IN THE LAND OF CHARITY.

"Travancore is," in the words of Sashiah Sastri, "certainly one of the most picturesque portions of Southern India, if not of the whole of India. The mountains which separate it on the east from the British Provinces of the Coromandel Coast, and which at some points rise to an elevation of 8000 feet above the sea are clothed with magnificent primeval forest while the belt of flat country to an average distance of about 10 miles from the sea inland is covered with an almost unbroken and dense mass of cocoanut and areca palms, which constitute the wealth of the country. The geological formation is very peculiar; the whole country is undulating and presents a series of hills and valleys and is traversed east to west by numerous rivers, the floods of which, arrested by the peculiar action of the Arabian Sea on the coast, spread themselves out into numerous lakes or lagoons, connected here and there by artificial canals, and form an inland line of smooth water communication which extends nearly the whole length of the coast, and is of the utmost value while the

coast itself is shut out for navigation during the monsoon."

Of this blessed land and its ruler Sashiah Sastri now became the minister. V. Rama Aiyangar also had been thought of at the time in connection with the Dewanship; the then First Prince, Vizagam Tirunal, had, in fact, strongly supported his nomination to the Maharajah and but for the decided hostility of the ruler to everything proceeding from the First Prince V. Rama Aiyangar's appointment as the successor of Sir Madhava Rao would have become an accomplished fact. When Vizagam Tirunal, however, succeeded to the throne he made Rama Aiyangar his minister. As Sashiah Sastri writes to a friend on the subject :—

have got it before me and But God then willed it other

"V. Ramiengar ought to was very near it in the race. wise. He now gets it though out of turn. Yet it is all the same. He will now get two pensions — -one from the British Government where he has served his time and one from Travancore. May Heaven spare him long and give him good sense to be popular!"

Sashiah Sastri reached Trevandrum about the 20th of May 1872 and was immediately installed as Dewan. His predecessor in office Sir Madhava Rao wrote to Sashiah:

"Let me now heartily congratulate you on your appointment as Dewan of Travancore. All compliments apart, I