B O O T A No 
67 
the door by which we entered, and before which a skreen projected 
* 
nearly one-third of the breadth of the room. The remaining space on the 
wall, beyond the skreen, was decorated with the portraits, wrought in 
silk, of some champions of their faith, as stiff and formal as any heroes 
that ever appeared in tapestry. The walls of the room were coloured 
with blue, and the arches of the balcony, pillars, doors, See. were 
painted with vermilion, and ornamented with gilding. The Raja was 
habited in a deep garnet-coloured cloth, and sat cross-legged upon a 
pile of cushions, in the remote corner of the room, with the balcony 
upon his right hand; upon his left side stood a cabinet of diminu¬ 
tive idols, and a variety of consecrated trinkets ; close upon his 
right was placed an escrutoir, for the deposit of papers required to 
be at hand; and before him was a small painted bench, to place 
his tea cup on, and answering all the other purposes of a table. We 
each advanced, presenting, one after the other, a white silk scarf, or 
long narrow piece of pelong, fringed at both ends (as is the custom in 
these countries), to the Raja, who, keeping his seat all the time, took 
them in his hand, and passed them to his Zempi. I delivered also into 
his hand, the Governor General’s dispatches, which he received with 
a smile upon his countenance, looking upon them, and nodding with 
a slow motion of the head several times, before he laid them upon the 
bench before him. On the other side of the room were placed, 
immediately opposite to the Raja, three separate piles of cushions; 
the Raja extending his arm, pointed to them, and at the same time 
with his hand directed us to be seated. It was some time before the 
last of our attendants had entered, and made the usual obeisance: they 
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