door held conspicuous places, while
kasies and sirdars continued the line, until they were lost in the crowd
of minor officers.

The blaze of jewels, and the glitter of gold and silver, were calculated
to strike an European spectator with astonishment, and he might well be
startled at so magnificent a display in a highland court.

I observed a few English and French uniforms, covered with a great deal
more of gold and silver lace than they were entitled to; all which gaudy
array was the more striking to me when I remembered that I had on a plaid
shooting-coat and felt hat. I had no opportunity of explaining to his
majesty that plaid shooting-coats and felt hats are the court costume in
England, but no doubt he thought it all correct. It is, moreover, the
prerogative of Englishmen to sit in the presence of Oriental potentates
with their hats on, which prevented my secreting my shabby old wide-awake
as I had intended.

As I sat next but one to the minister, I was under the immediate
protection of the rifles and pistols, which latter implements protruded
in a most formidable manner from the belts of the body-guard. As various
Nepaulese nobles of doubtful politics sat in front of his Excellency, he
felt these gentlemen-at-arms were peculiarly valuable additions to his
retinue, as being ready to act either on the offensive or defensive at a
moment's notice. Everything, however, went off with the most perfect
harmony; a few compliments were exchanged between himself and his
sovereign, and the meeting broke up after the usual ceremony of giving
and receiving pawn. This consisted in the presentation by both the
kings, to every stranger present, of a small pyramidal packet of leaves,
which, when opened by the favoured recipient, was found to contain a few
other leaves, stuck together by slimy substances, of unpleasant
appearance and aromatic odour. Fortunately, you were not compelled to
partake of this in the presence of the royal donor, and means were found
to dispose of it slily on leaving his majesty's audience-chamber.

As we were driving back to the Residency, it struck me that the history
of a man who, at so early an age, had raised himself from being an ensign
in the army to the powerful position which the grand display at his
reception had just proved him to hold in his own country, would be
interesting, if it were possible to gain any information on the subject
that could be relied upon. I therefore determined