low of the resident, and found the house quite vacant;
Mrs. Burdon, together with her children, had accompanied her
husband, as is generally the case in India, where frequent change of
air is very necessary for Europeans. The house, the servants, and
sepoys which were left, and the captain's palanquin and equipage,
were placed entirely at my disposal; and in order to complete my
happiness, Dr. Rolland was so good as to accompany me in all my
excursions.

12th February. This morning, the king, Ram-Singh, who had been
immediately informed of my arrival, sent me a quantity of fruits and
sweetmeats in large baskets, his own riding elephant, handsomely
caparisoned, an officer on horseback, and some soldiers. I was very
soon seated with Dr. Rolland in the howdah, and trotted to the
neighbouring town. Kottah contains about 30,000 inhabitants, and
lies on the river Chumbal, in a far stretching and, in some places,
very rocky plain, 1,300 feet above the level of the sea. The town,
which is conspicuously situated, is surrounded by strong fortified
works, upon which are placed fifty pieces of cannon. The immediate
neighbourhood is rocky, naked, and barren. The interior of the town
is separated into three parts by as many gates. The first part is
inhabited by the poorer classes, and appeared very wretched. In the
two other parts the tradespeople and the gentry reside; they have an
incomparably better aspect. The principal street, although uneven
and stony, is sufficiently wide to allow carriages, and ponderous
beasts of burden, to pass without hindrance.

The architecture of the houses is in the highest degree original.
The smallness of the windows had already attracted my notice in
Benares, here they are so narrow and low that it is hardly possible
to put the head out; they are for the most part closed with finely
worked stone lattice, instead of glass. Many of the houses have
large alcoves; in others there are spacious saloons on the first
floor, which rest on pillars and occupy the whole front of the
house; many of these halls were separated by partition walls into
smaller open saloons. At both corners of the hall were decorated
pavilions, and at the further end, doors leading to the interior of
the house. These halls are generally used as shops and places of
business; also as the resort of idlers, who sit upon mats and
ottomans, smoking their hookas and watching the bustle in the
streets. In other houses, again