BENARES. 
119 
impossible to proceed any farther, so took up my station under the 
shade of some lofty tamarind trees in aMahomedan burying-ground, 
and dispatched my hircarrah with a note to Mr. Neave, stating my 
situation, and begging he would find some means of releasing me. 
In the mean time we were surrounded by groups of men, women, 
and children, examining our appearance most closely, and probably 
wondering what could bring us there. They did not however disturb 
us even by begging, and Mr. Salt amused himself by drawing them 
as they stood by ; a business they did not seem perfectly to like. 
At length two palanquins arrived from Mr. Neave, to whose house 
we immediately adjourned, and laughed heartily at the contrast 
between visiting Princes, and being obliged to toil on foot through 
the heat of a nearly vertical sun. 
Mr. Neave presented me with a part of a stone which fell in the 
province of Benares, during the appearance of a meteor. The evi- 
dence collected is in the Appendix. I have only to observe, that a 
stone of the same kind is not to be found anywhere; and that what 
made the people take notice of it was, that no stones of any sort are 
to be met with in the neighbourhood. I really think it the best au- 
thenticated instance of the kind I have met with. Lord Wellesley 
has another piece of it. 
March 13. — I breakfasted early with Mr. Neave, and afterwards 
held a durbar or levee for the natives of rank sufficient to be entitled 
to sit down in my presence. Several shroffs* first appeared, to show 
me the specimens of their finest manufactures in silks, gold cloth, 
and embroidered gauzes. The pieces were of the richest patterns, 
and very high-priced. I understand that more are manufactured 
* Money-brokers. 
