148 CURIOSITIES. 



house he had purchased for a permanent 

 residence, by the hands of his lady who 

 had accompanied him from England. 

 The hall was ornamented with canoes, 

 paddles, spears, and other implements of 

 war and commerce. A terrace built in the 

 rear of the house was furnished with carro- 

 nades and flagstaifs, after the manner of 

 Commodore Trunnion ; gods and goddesses 

 of all sizes, the larger composed of har- 

 dened rice, in imitation of alabaster, richly 

 ornamented, were pedestalled in every 

 room in the house. The smaller and more 

 valuable ones, some of silver and one of 

 gold, did duty as Penates on the mantel- 

 piece of his reception-room. 



At this house we were frequent and 

 welcome visitors, and though the lady 

 did now and then ride the high horse, 

 which was not to be wondered at, con- 

 sidering that she herself, as she told 

 us, had ridden upon an elephant in Cal- 

 cutta, and had been received at the Marquis 



