584 CHEPAUK-PALACE. 
to the royal personages above mentioned, and particularly to express 
to his Majesty his extreme anxiety at not having been honoured 
with a letter from him, as his predecessor had been. Lord William 
Bentinck observed, laughing, that it would probably be here, long 
before my arrival in England. Wreaths of flowers were now dis- 
tributed, with pawn and attar, after which we were deluged 
with rose-water. We then took our leave, and were conducted by 
the Nawaub to the steps, where he repeated all his compliments 
over again, and also said, that he was extremely proud to have 
entertained two lords at once. 
The room he uses as a durbar is extremely handsome, of large 
dimensions, and divided by pillars. It was never finished, and was 
not even chunamed, but only white-washed. His musnud and furni- 
ture were handsome, and the Prince of Wales's picture, by Hopner, 
adorned one side of the room. The building was planned by a 
British officer, and was intended to be two stories high. As his 
Highness is freed from the cares of government by the kindness of 
the India Company, and as he is becoming very rich, he may 
probably finish it ; in which case, it will be the handsomest durbar 
I have seen in India. His Highness is very fat and dark, with a 
stupid countenance, and has not the least appearance of a prince in 
his manners. His son has an expression of haughtiness and fierce- 
ness in his countenance, that gives no favourable augury of his 
future character. The dresses of both were plain : the father had 
only his belt ornamented with flat diamonds, to which no sword 
was suspended, and his dagger elegantly set with small rubies 
and brilliants. On reaching home, I found that the presents 
from the Nawaub had arrived, consisting of a handsome gold 
