TO THE COURT OF AVA. 
169 
little disposed to attribute these qualities to 
others. 
After visiting every part of the steam-vessel, 
and examining the machinery, the deputation 
left us in very good humour, having made a 
visit of at least three hours. I sent Mr. Ches¬ 
ter and Mr. Montmorency to accompany them 
ashore, as a mark of attention. 
Oct. 4.—We continued our walks morning 
and evening into the country, prosecuting our 
inquiries respecting the state of agriculture. A 
considerable portion of the land in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of the capital is the property of the 
King, clearly distinguished from that which is 
the property of individuals. We were to-day 
informed, that his Majesty had of late years 
made several purchases of lands, and some of 
them were pointed out. This seems to leave 
the existence of a private right in the soil clear 
and unquestionable. Land which belongs to 
private persons, it appears, never pays a Land- 
tax, either directly to the Crown, or to public 
officers, holding it as an estate. Crown-lands, 
on the contrary, as far as our experience went, 
always pay a tax ; but this seems nowhere to 
form a subject of direct revenue to the State, 
as the lands in question were, in every case in 
which we had observed them, held as a tempo- 
