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to the nabob, without the city walls ; where he established a sort of 

 court, as peshwa of the Mahratta empire, in which character the 

 field and staff officers, and a few other gentlemen of the British 

 army, were introduced to him by the commanding officer. The 

 ceremonies at the Mahratta durbar were similar to the Mogul 

 visits already described, and the presents of the same nature; 

 shawls, muslins, and rich stuffs, differing in quality and quantity 

 according to the station of the visitors. 



This custom of making presents prevails throughout Asia, and 

 has done so from the remotest antiquity; no public visits are made 

 without this ceremony: in many parts, among the inferior classes, 

 a flower, fruit, or a cardamom, is offered out of respect at familiar 

 visits: an Indian never requests a favour from his superior with an 

 empty hand. When the aged patriarch sent his sons before the 

 ruler of Egypt, he said, " Take of the best fruits in the land, and 

 carry the man a present; a little balm, a little honey; spices, and 

 myrrh, nuts, and almonds." Solomon remarks that a man's gift 

 maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men; and 

 there is an Arabian proverb to this effect, " tokens accompany 

 love; presents are the vehicles of friendship." 



It is not so much the custom in India to present dresses ready 

 made to the visitors, as to offer the materials, especially to Euro- 

 peans: in Turkey, Persia, and Arabia, it is generally the reverse. 

 We find in Chardin that the kings of Persia had great wardrobes, 

 where there were always many hundred habits, sorted, ready for 

 presents; and that the intendant of the wardrobe sent them to 

 those persons for whom they were designed by the sovereign: 

 more than forty taylors were always employed in this service. In 



