by the advice of Trimbuk-jee, and thence proceeding through the different gradations of bankers and financial men, military officers, (of whom many were Patans,) according to their ranks, vakeels of foreign states, ministers, ending with the prime minister, (all of whom were Brahmins) the Raja's brother-in-law, his nephew, a little boy of six years old, the Raja's brother, the heir-apparent, a child also of about six, and the Maharaja himself, a short stout-built young man, of twenty-seven years old. The usual forms of introduction and enquiries after health followed, and his Highness, after asking when I would come to see him, for which I fixed Monday evening, remounted his elephant, and we proceeded different ways into the city, which is large and populous, with tolerably wide streets and very high houses, at least for India, chiefly built of wood, which I had not seen for a long time, with tiled sloping roofs, and rows along the streets something like those of Chester. The palace, which is a large shabby building, close to the street, four stories high, with wooden galleries projecting over each other, is quite a specimen of this kind. There are some tolerable pagodas, but no other building which can be admired. The streets are dirty, with many swine running up and down, and no signs of wealth, though, as I was told, there was a good deal of its reality, both among the bankers and principal tradesmen. The Residency is a large ugly house without verandahs, and painted blue, as stuccoed houses sometimes are in England. It was at this time under repair, and

Mr. Williams, with his sister, was encamped in a grove of mangoes about a mile from the city; our tents were pitched near his. In passing through the city I saw two very fine hunting tygers in silver chains, and a rhinoceros (the present of Lord Amherst to the Guicwar) which is so tame as to be ridden by a mohout, quite as patiently as an elephant. There were also some very striking groupes of the native horsemen, who thronged the street like a fair; one of them, a very tall and large man on a powerful horse, was cased completely in chain armour, like the figure representing a crusader at the exhibition of ancient armour in Pall-Mall. He had also a long spear shod with silver, a very large shield of transparent rhinoceros-hide, also with silver studs, and was altogether a most shewy and picturesque cavalier. Many of the others had helmets, vant-braces, gauntlets, &c. but none were so perfectly armed as he was.

During our ride Mr. Williams introduced to me more particularly the officer with the splendid equipment who came to meet me, by the name of Namdar Khân, a native of Persia, and Commander of the Residency escort. He had been aid-de-camp to Sir John Malcolm during the Pindarree war, and was a man of very distinguished and desperate bravery, though, certainly, the greatest coxcomb, as he was also one of the handsomest young men I ever saw. Nothing could exceed the smartness of his embroidery, the spotless purity of his broad belts, the art with which his eyelids were blackened with antimony, his short curling beard, whiskers,

and single love-lock, polished with rose-oil, or the more military and becoming polish of his sword, pistols, and dagger; he held his bridle with his right hand, having lost the other by the bursting of a gun. He had, however, an artificial hand made in Baroda, which, so far as show was concerned, and when covered like the other with a white military glove, did very well, but which enhanced the merit of its wearer's excellent horsemanship, since it must have made the management of his charger more difficult. In his instance, and in that of many other natives of rank who had been introduced to me this morning, I already perceived what I had afterwards abundant opportunity of observing, that they associated with Europeans and were treated by them on much more equality and familiarity than is usual in Hindostan. Some of this may arise from the frank and friendly manner which distinguishes Mr. Williams individually, as well as the unusual fluency with which he speaks Hindoostanee. But I apprehend that more may be attributed to the lively temper and neglect of forms which are general among the Maharattas themselves, and which are remarkably opposed to the solemn gravity of a Mussulman court, as well as to the long and recent wars in which the Guicwar and the English have been allies, and in which the principal officers of both nations were forced into constant and friendly intercourse.

In the evening I drove out with Mr. and Miss Williams to see the cantonment and the Church. The former reminded me of one of the villages

near London, having a number of small brick houses with trellis, wooden verandahs, sloping tiled roofs, and upper stories, each surrounded by a garden with a high green hedge of the milkbush. The effect is gay and pretty, but I doubt whether the style of architecture is so well suited to the climate as the common "up-country " bungalow, with a thatched roof and a deep verandah all over. The Church is a small but convenient and elegant Gothic building, accommodating about 400 persons extremely well, and raised at an expense of not more than 12,000 Bombay or 10,000 sicca rupees. House-rent and building seem cheap on this side of India, but every thing else excessively dear. The best houses in Bombay may be got for 350 rupees a month, and the best house in Baroda cantonment for 50; on the other hand provisions are twice, and wages almost three times the rate usual in the upper provinces, and though fewer servants are kept, the diminution in this respect is not enough to make up the difference. Most of the household servants are Parsees, the greater part of whom speak English. They are of lighter complexion than the majority of their eastern neighbours, and in dress, features, and countenance, nearly resemble the Armenians. They are good waiters but less respectful, and I think less cleanly than their brethren in the east. Instead of "Koee hue," who's there? the way of calling a servant is "boy," a corruption, I believe, of "bhae," brother.

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The Bombay Sepoys were long remarkable for

their very low stature; at present they have had so many recruits from Hindostan that the difference is greatly removed, and their grenadier companies have a full proportion of tall men among them. Their battalion companies are, indeed, still under-sized. Nor have they, like the regiments in Hindostan, drawn recruits from the purer castes alone. Many of their number are Kholees, some are Boras, and no inconsiderable number Jews, of whom a great many are found on the coast of Catteywâr, Cambay, &c. Their pay and allowances are considerably better than those of the Bengal Presidency, and, altogether, the taller.men among them have more the appearance of English troops than even the fine strapping soldiers of Hindostan. They are said, indeed, to fall far short of these in sobriety and peaceable temper and obedience to their officers. In bravery they are surpassed by no troops in the world, and this is fortunate, since no army can have a more troublesome country to manage.

The Guicwar is said to be a man of talent, who governs his states himself, his minister having very little weight with him, and governs them well and vigorously. His error is too great a fondness for money, but as he found the state involved in debt, even this seems excuseable. His territory is altogether considerable, both in Cutch, Catteywâr, and Guzerât, though strangely intersected and cut up by the territories of Britain, Sindia, and several independant Rajas. Those of Lunewarra and Doongurpoor, which used to hold of Sindia, now pay