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Mr. Salt. The Begum sent some also ; and late at night, an eunuch 
arrived with fifty more : as he was a respectable servant, he was 
presented with a pair of shawls. In the course of the day a message 
arrived from his Excellency, through Colonel Scott, inviting me to 
the festival, and informing me that as this is a day of ceremony, 
his son would attend to conduct me early in the morning. 
April 3.— -I was up by four in order to be ready for the Prince, 
who did not make his appearance till near six. Mr. Grant mounted 
my elephant with me : we joined Colonel Scott, and all set off 
together for the palace, where his Excellency was waiting our 
arrival to commence the procession. After paying our compli- 
ments to him, he mounted his elephant, with a covered houdah, his 
youngest son but one, as usual, sitting behind him. Colonel Scott 
and I flanked him, leaving him a little forward. We now quitted the 
palace, but at the slowest of possible paces. First went a party of his 
troops; then a very fine display of hundreds of state palanquins more 
like houdahs, borne by men, composed of looking-glass pannels, 
covered with gilding and paintings of flowers. There were others 
of the Usual shape : these were uncommonly rich, and shone finely 
in the sun. Next went a collection of singers, and players on dif- 
ferent instruments, making a most horrible uproar. Then the 
Nawaub, supported on each side by Colonel Scott and myself. 
After us our secretaries, the different officers of his court, and numer- 
ous other natives on their elephants. As each joined the procession, 
his elephant went down on his knees to the Nawaub, and the master 
rose up and made his salam. Behind all were his Excellency's spare 
elephants, with open and covered houdahs of different degrees of 
splendor. Soldiers bearing flags mixed with the crowd in every 
