463 



point, to give an impression of respect for his nation and govern- 

 ment, to those tribes and chieftains, hitherto unacquainted with 

 Europeans, through whose dominions, then but lillle known, and 

 entirely undescribed, he had purposely selected his route. The 

 guard appointed to accompany him consisted of one complete 

 company of regular native infantry, twenty-six Indian cavalry, and 

 thirty-five irregular sepoys. 



Mr. Cruso's account of Surat, Baroche, and other places in 

 Guzerat, generally corresponding with those formerly detailed in 

 these volumes, I shall pass hastily over. On leaving Surat, they 

 crossed the Tappee river at Veriow, and proceeding on the loth 

 by the usual road to the banks of the Nerbudda, they arrived at 

 Baroche on the 17th, nearly two years after it had been in posses- 

 sion of Mhadajee Sindia. On crossing the Nerbudda their tents 

 were pitched at a little distance from the city walls, Sir Charles 

 was soon after visited by Gopal Rao, Sindia's governor; the dessoy, 

 or collector of the revenues; and several other persons, who for- 

 merly held situations under the English government. 



In the evening, while the gentlemen were amusing themselves, 

 as was their practice, in shooting at a target with bows and arrows, 

 two or three sets of dancing-girls intruded, and urgently solicited 

 permission to dance and sing: to gratify their wishes, rather than 

 their own pleasure, they accmiesced, and ordering carpets, sat 

 down on the banks of the river, and entertained several hundred 

 persons assembled round them. The scene was agreeably varied 

 by an elderly man, whose vocation was that of assumino- dif- 

 ferent gestures and characters for the general entertainment. This 

 kind of dramatist is by the natives called be-roopee, or double- 



