Sir Charles was met there by Mhadajee's Sindia's duan, with a large party of horse to escort him to camp; he also received a letter from Mr. Anderson to express Sindia's wish that he would proceed as fast as convenient, being very desirous to have a personal interview. They arrived there the next morning, and found the Mahratta camp greatly enlarged by that of the emperor Shah Aalum; who had appointed Mhadajee Sindia his vackeel ul mulluck, an office in the Mogul empire superior to the vizier Aazim. Mr. Anderson was also encamped near Muttra as English minister with the Mahratta chief, and was invested with powers to treat and negotiate with the last aged monarch of the imperial house of Timur. Mr. Anderson's suite consisted of a surgeon and a British officer in command of the two companies of sepoys which composed his guard.

The preliminaries of the ceremonial of the first meeting being arranged, the morning of the 20th was appointed for Sir Charles Malet's introduction to Mhadajee Sindia. Sir Charles and Mr. Anderson were mounted on the same elephant, and the gentlemen of their suite on others, or in palanquins. Mr. Anderson was escorted by a party of horse, appointed as a standing guard by the Mahratta chief; Sir Charles was attended by his own escort of horse and foot. They were met by Mhadajee Sindia some hundred yards from his tent, attended by his principal chiefs, a party' of sepoys, a body of cavalry, and several elephants: he there alighted from his elephant, and, being extremely lame, was supported by two persons as he approached to embrace Sir Charles Malet, and the other gentlemen, in the order they were introduced by Mr. Anderson. He then preceded them to the durbar

tent, where Sir Charles delivered Sindía a letter from the governor of Bombay. General conversation ensued, in which the Mahratta chief took a principal part, and in the course of it a gun of his own making was handed round for approbation, which was very liberally, and not undeservedly bestowed, if it really was of his own construction. But although he certainly has a turn for mechanics, the gun was rather supposed to have been the production of the artificers whom he employs than of his own hands.

After the presents had been distributed, and the usual formalities performed, the English gentlemen proceeded to their tents. On examining the khelauts, or presents, from the great Maha rajah Madajee Sindia, the serpeych (an ornament for the turban) presented to Sir Charles Malet was found to be composed of false stones; the horse and other articles of mean quality. The presents to the gentlemen of his family were two pieces of coarse chintz, a pair of very common shawls, an ordinary turban, and a piece of the cheapest keemcab.

Mr. Cruso's journal then proceeds. We rode the next morning to Muttra, or Mutturah, a large town on the banks of the river Jumma, much celebrated by the Hindoos. Several parts of it are in good repair, but much more in a state of ruin; there are still some good houses, the remains of a handsome serai, and two large musjids, one with four minarets and abundance of ornaments; the other more simple and more elegant.

On the 22d Sindia returned Sir Charles Malet's visit, and brought with him the favourite gun, to receive a second set of compliments. On the 24th the nabob Rujutt Coolee Khan, a man of great distinction and consequence, arrived in Sindia's

camp, on business of importance. The first interview took place the following day; they met at a settled spot, rather nearer to the tents of the nabob than the Mahratta chief; there they alighted and embraced, and then proceeded together to Sindia's durbar tent. The interview was of considerable length, and many guns were fired as a compliment on both sides.

The following morning the nabob sent an invitation to the two English ministers, and the gentlemen accompanying them, to dine at his tents. We went there at three o'clock, and found about thirty dancing-girls collected for our entertainment. When the first civilities were over they began dancing, and continued for an hour; dinner being then announced, we adjourned to another tent, and found a table set out in the nicest order, profusely covered with a variety of dishes in the European and Mogul style. At seven we took leave, much against the wish of the nabob, who pressed us to stay a few hours longer.

On the 26th we went to Bhindera Bhund, a town about seven miles from Muttra, in high estimation with the Hindoos, and particularly celebrated as the birth-place of Crishna, the Apollo of India, in the brahmin mythology. The town is rather large, pleasantly situated on the banks of the Jumna, on which also, for near a mile in length, cxtends a range of small buildings called Dieuisthans, little Altars or Temples, with steps down to the water from each, for the convenience of the inhabitants, and religious pilgrims who resort thither to perform their ablutions. They are very neat, and form a pretty crescent of buildings, as the river takes that form in its course under them. In the centre is an elegant house on a small scale, lately built by the Jaypoor rajah. The exterior

is decorated by a profusion of carved work, which does credit to the artist, and indicates some traces still remaining of that ingenuity which so eminently distinguishes the more ancient buildings' in India. Here, seated on a cot in the uppermost apartment, we saw a gosaing, to whom the people who conducted us paid the greatest veneration, and related a number of improbabilities, and not a few impossibilities of this respectable personage. Among others, that he had been cast into a fire without being burnt, and could tread on the surface of the waters without wetting his feet. On questioning the brahmins whether they believed the stories they were now relating, they shrewdly replied, that as the gosaing was in high estimation with Himmut Bahaudur, and other chiefs consequence, how could they discredit them?

"

of

The introduction of Sir Charles Malet to Shah Allum,

of the World," the present Mogul emperor of Hindostan, or rather the shadow of the former Mogul emperors, has been hitherto deferred on account of his grand-daughter's death in the camp, which prevents his majesty from appearing in public; meanwhile we pass our time pleasantly, are well supplied with exceeding fine mutton and other excellent provisions from the Mahratta camp, and good beef from the Mogul bazar; vegetables are scarce, but we have plenty of melons, oranges, grapes, and mangos.

For some days past the weather has been extremely windy, with frequent andees, or whirlwinds, violent and disagreeable forerunners of the much-wished-for rainy season, or as Europeans call it, monsoon. The most severe took place yesterday afternoon, which overwhelming us in hot dust for half an hour, terminated in a refreshing shower of rain. Several of our people have been seized

with tertian fevers, which in only one instance proved fatal; the patient having neglected his application for assistance until too late. There is a great deal of sickness in Sindia's camp.

On the 5th of June at six o'clock in the morning, we paid our visit, under Mr. James Anderson's introduction, to the king, whose encampment was not far from Sindia's head-quarters. On approaching the extensive inclosure of kinnauts, or canvas walls, which surrounded the imperial tents, we descended from our elephants, and got into palanquins. An amazing crowd of people filled the avenue, who were so intermingled and confused with the guard, that it was difficult to distinguish them. Before we entered the line, we were met by some officers of state to adjust the number of our attendants; it was settled that each gentleman of the suite should take only one servant. We then advanced towards the durbar tent, which was about fifty paces distant, where we discovered his imperial majesty seated on a silver throne ready to receive us. Three of his sons were standing on his right hand, and three on his left; and at the foot of the throne stood a favourite daughter about seven years old, having a turban on her head instead of a veil; his majesty was also attended by the few nobles who still adhered to the fallen monarch, and by an host of gold and silver stick-bearers. At this distance from the throne we were instructed to make the tusleem, or obeisance, three times. This ceremony consists in touching the ground with the right hand, and then carrying it to the head. We now advanced to the foot of the throne, where without speaking we presented our nuzzars, or offerings. Those of Sir Charles consisted of gold mohurs, each of the value of about two pounds sterling, rich shawls, keemcabs,