.MARQUIS WELLESLEY 47 



to his presence by the captain, I was struck mute with 

 wonder at the s|)lendid assemblage that surrounded him — 

 the strangeness of their colour, the richness of their 

 costume, and the sparkling brilliancy of their jewels. On 

 our names beino- announced, thouo-h before abashed and 

 diffident, and somewhat awed in his presence, I felt 

 relieved by the mild benignity of his manner, and could 

 but look "with admiration on this specimen of true nobility. 

 If ever envy did possess my heart it was when that 

 illustrious impersonation of British power and rule put 

 his hand upon the head of my Hibernian friend and 

 messmate, saying, — 



"AYhat, is this the son of my old friend, Colonel 

 Burgh?" and greeted him most cordially. He then 

 expressed his pleasure at seeing us after so long a voyage, 

 and begged we would accompany our captain to dine 

 with him that evening. The sumptuousness of the enter- 

 tainment-r— the quantity of gold and silver — the strange 

 variety of the meats — the C[uality of the guests, and the 

 gorgeous display that pervaded the whole scene, as it 

 then appeared to my simple mind, far surpasses my 230wer 

 of description. 



On the evening of our departure from this emporium 

 of wealth and commerce, after attending another of those 

 costly banquets, I lay down about midnight, without 

 taking off my clothes, as the boat was to leave very early 

 in the morning. I never knew how I reached it, for both 

 my messmates told me it was with the greatest difficulty 

 they awoke me ; they had, indeed, almost to carry me to 

 the waterside — this they attributed to my having indulged 

 a little too much in the enjoyments of the table ; but 



