404 
JOURNAL OF THE EMBASSY 
Adigar, with a numerous attendance, lighted by a great blaze 
of torches (for audience is always given here by night) came 
to the edge of the river to conduct the General to the royal 
presence. The General on his part crossed the river in the 
boats which were in readiness, attended by his staff and the 
gentlemen belonging to the embassy, with an escort con- 
sisting of a subaltern and fifty Sepoys, lie was then con- 
ducted by the Adigar about a mile and a half to the King's 
palace. The road thither was up a steep hill, with narrow 
crooked paths. The capital was surrounded by thick thorny 
hedges, with gates of the same, called by the natives cara- 
vetties. The caravetty nearest Candy has a rampart and 
breast- work, on which some of their artillery was occasionally 
mounted. The resistance which it could make to the ap- 
proach of a regular army is, however, very trifling: Candy 
is indebted for its principal fortifications to nature. 
The way up to the city was very fatiguing, and the 
escort was not a little incommoded by the crowd of natives 
who eagerly pressed to gaze at them. This circumstance 
and the glare of the torches prevented the General's retinue 
from having an accurate view of the city. The embassy 
on entering it passed through one long broad street to 
the palace. The houses, though low huts of themselves, 
appeared greatly elevated from being built upon high banks 
on each side of the street, which forms a kind of area 
below. At the further end of this street is a high wall 
enclosing the gardens which belong to the palace. After a 
