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RAMNAD. 
very neat architecture, towards the erecting of which the Honour- 
able Company gave seven hundred pagodas, and the Colonel, though 
a Catholic, gave nine hundred, for which he was much abused by the 
people of his own persuasion. Here are also barracks, and a black 
town. The walls are externally completed, and are handsome, of 
massive stones, with loop-holes at the top. It is still in good repair, 
but has no cannon mounted, as there is no rampart within. I found 
an excellent breakfast prepared, with all the gentlemen of the place 
invited to meet me. The Aumildar sent a present of fruit, amongst 
which were some mangoes that weighed nearly two pounds each. 
From the Rannie I received a similar present, with salaams, and 
an enquiry after my health. 
January ^7. — After breakfast I went to visit the Rannie, attended 
by Mr. Salt, Colonel Marting, and Mr. Brown, the Commercial Re- 
sident. We entered the walls of the palace in our palanquins, but 
were soon obliged, by the narrow door-ways, to quit them. The 
building is of stone, but without any thing handsome in the archi- 
tecture. The walls were covered with carvings of deities, and little 
statues of them were to be met with in niches at every corner. 
After several windings, we entered a door-way, which opened into 
a small court, in the centre of which was a building of massive 
stone, with pillars of the same, and steps to ascend to it. In it was 
a musnud, with a carpet, and a little on one side were chairs on a 
white cloth. The Rannie met us at the bottom of the steps, and 
presented her hand ; she then introduced to me her adopted son, a 
very fine little boy of about seven years old. After a few compli- 
ments through Colonel Marting, we all seated ourselves. She was 
very plainly dressed, her husband not having been dead a year; 
