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the soil, want but few foreign supplies: gold and silver have been 
always carried thither by European traders. The English com- 
merce in Asia, and especially in China, towards the conclusion of 
the eighteenth century, never could have been conducted on such 
an extensive scale, had it not been for the inexhaustible mines of 
South America: their precious metals have, by various channels, 
been conveyed to the east, from whence they never return: it is 
singular, that the discovery of the new world by Columbus, from 
whence proceeds this influx of gold and silver to Europe, was nearly 
at the same period when Vasco de Gama opened the trade to India 
by the Cape of Good Hope. 
Having accompanied the English chief on a public visit to the 
nabob of Surat, I will endeavour to describe the court etiquette 
at an oriental durbar. The chief went in state, attended by the 
members of council, aids du camp, and other officers, preceded 
by a detachment of European infantry, the British colours, and 
other insignia appropriate to his station. The castle guns fired a 
royal salute; and on approaching the Durbar, the nabob’s troops 
were ready to receive us. The naib, or vizier, with the nabob’s 
brother, met the chief in the inner court, and conducted him to 
the hall of audience, where he was seated on the nabob’s right- 
hand; the other gentlemen, in chairs, according to their respective 
stations. On his left were the naib, the nabob’s sons, brother, and 
officers of state. After a complimentary discourse, and a few 
political questions, we were served with coffee, in small porcelain 
cups, placed in silver saucers, and soon after with glasses of per- 
fumed sherbet: the nabob then presented the chief with an Arabian 
horse, a diamond ring, and several pieces of gold and silver keem- 
