POONAH. 
lis 
my conviction that the friendship would be lasting. As they were 
considered to be my guests, I presented to the ChieCs pawn and 
attar with my own hand. Colonel Close's Dewan gave pawn only 
to the Maunkarries. We all then arose, and having made our 
salaams, departed ; they towards the town, we to Colonel Close's 
residence at some I'iUIg distance from it. When I alighted a salute 
was fired from the English lines, and the guard was turned out 
with presented arms. 
After the hurry of a march, and the inconvenience of a tent, I 
found myself most pleasantly situated under Colonel Close's hospi- 
table roof. His gardens are on the banks of the Moota, where it 
joins the Moola, and forms the Mootamoola liver. This runs into 
the Beema, which again falls into the Kistna. It is singular that by 
these means a person, when not forty miles distant from the western 
shore of the Peninsula, might proceed by water to the Eastern Sea. 
It is a charming spot, adorned with cypress and fruit trees. At the 
point a very handsome bungelow is erected, where breakfast and 
dinner are served; at one end is a billiard table for the idlers. The 
Colonel keeps a very excellent table ; beef, however, out of res- 
pect to the prejudices of the natives, is never used. Holcar, when 
here, had so little control over his Patau troops, that the sacred 
animal was frequently slaughtered. Sir Charles Mallet, when 
he first came as Resident to Poonah, was obliged to live in a 
wretched house in the town, which had been provided for him: 
finding this extremely unpleasant, he pitched his tents during 
the summer on the banks of the river, but on the commencement 
of the rains was forced to return to town. He remiOnstrated 
very much, and at length obtained permission to erect a temporary 
VOL. II. Q 
