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cab: his attendants brought to each of the gentlemen a present of 
shawls, keemcab, or muslin, suited to their rank; the ceremony 
concluded by presenting pawn, or betel-nut, folded up in a leaf of 
betel, with ehunam, and spices, fastened by a clove: this is the 
usual indication of the visit being terminated. The nabob attended 
his guests to the bottom of the steps leading from the durbar to 
the area, and at parting took each by the hand; his eldest son and 
brother accompanied us to the outward gate, and took leave in the 
same manner. 
The custom of giving and receiving presents, prevails univer- 
sally in Hindoslan, and in most parts of Asia; from sacred and 
profane history, we find it was ecjually customary among the 
ancients. On Telemachus leaving the Spartan court, Mcnelaus 
says to his departing guest, 
“ No prince will let Ulysses’ heir remove 
■' £ Without some pledge, some monument of love: 
These will the cauldron, these the tripod give, 
“ From those the well-pair’ d mules we shall receive, 
“ Or bowl emboss’d, whose golden figures live. 
The termination of the monthly fast of Ramadan, one of the 
strictest ordinances in the Mahomedan religion, afforded me an 
opportunity of seeing the nabob go in state to the jumai-musjod, 
or principal mosque: a ceremony he always performs on the ap- 
pearance of the new moon after the Ramadan; in which month 
the Mussulmans believe the Koran was sent from heaven, and 
observe the fast with great austerity. 
The procession left the durbar at nine o’clock in the morn- 
ing, led by the cajee, a venerable Mahomedan priest, followed 
