TANJORE. 361 
having sent to Europe for instruments. The upper part of the 
walls was covered wiih carved deities : he told me he had them 
there to siiow to Christians, who could not see the more holv ones 
in the temples. The staircases are as bad as in Bengal. 
He next conducted me to a room he called his drawing-room ; 
the walls were covered with prints and pictures of every possible 
kind. It was furnished with English chairs and tables ; and on the 
latter were paper, colours, and every implement of drawing, ano- 
ther amusement of which he is very fond. In short, it seems to me, 
that he passes his life in a course ofrational amusement and study. 
How dilferent from the generality of Asiatic princes, who are 
either slaves to ambition, or sunk in the debauchery of the harem \ 
We now returned to the durbar, and I proposed to take my leave. 
Flowers were brought by a servant. He put a large wreath of 
yellow, mixed with green, round my neck, smaller ones round my 
wrists, and a nosegay of the same colours into my hands. These 
were profusely wet with rose-water. A string of small pearls, to 
which was suspended a jewel of uncut emeralds and rubies, was 
also put round my neck. The same ceremony then took place with 
Captain Blackburn. Dresses of kincaub in the piece, with shawls, 
were laid at our feet, and carried away by our servants, Mr. Salt 
had no jewel, but, in other respects, was treated as we were. 
We now took our leave, and were conducted to the door by the 
Rajah. We then went, attended by some of his people, to see the 
rest of the palace. They first conducted us to his public durbar for 
administering justice. It is a lofty and large room, forming one 
side of a quadrangle. The pillars, when he sits there, are covered 
with ornaments: at present they are plain wood, and ugly. Near 
