miles), and an escort of fifteen sowars (horsemen);
for the road, at that time, between
Lucknow and Cawnpore was infested by
robbers. About a mile from Bhitoor my palkee
was placed upon the ground. I was asleep,
but awoke, and inquired, "Kia hua?" (what
is the matter?)

I was informed by the bearers of my
palkee that the Maharajah Peishwa Bahadoor
had sent out an escort in honour of my
approach, and presently there appeared at
the door of my palkee a soldier-like looking
Hindoo, who made me a very respectful
salaam. The escort consisted of eight
foot-soldiers with drawn swords, and four sowars.
The former, running by the side of my
palkee, encouraged the bearers to make
haste; while the latter caused their horses
to curvet and prance, and thus kick up a
frightful dust. At the abode of the
Maharajah Bahadoor, I was met by several of his
musahibs (courtiers), who were exceedingly
polite, and conducted me to a suite of apartments
which had apparently been made ready
for my reception; and so far as servants were
concerned, I was literally surrounded. A
sirdar bearer (personal attendant, or Indian
valet) took charge of my two boxes which
contained my wearing apparel. A khansamah
(butler), followed by three khidmutghars
(table servants), asked me if I would take
some iced water, and in the same breath
informed me that every kind of European
drink was at hand. Brandy, gin, champagne,
claret, sherry, port, beer, cherry-brandy and
soda-water. And what would I take for
dinner? Whatever the Sahib's heart might
desire, was in readiness. Turkey? goose?
duck? fowl? beefsteak? mutton-chop?
ham and eggs? And here the khansamah
(a venerable Mussulman) informed me,
sotto voce, that the Maharajah was
constantly in the habit of entertaining European
gentlemen; and that, although his Highness
was himself a strict Hindoo, he had no kind
of prejudice, so that if I preferred beef to any
other kind of meat, I had only to give the
order. I assured the khansamah that since
my arrival in India, I had never tasted beef,
or hog's flesh, and that if he would have
prepared for me, as speedily as possible, some
rice and vegetables I should be quite satisfied.
With a profound salaam the khansamah took
his departure, followed by the khidmutghars.
The sirdar bearers, and four other men, then
approached me, reverentially, and begged to
conduct me to my sleeping apartment and the
bathing rooms.

There is something peculiarly quaint about
the arrangement of European furniture in
the house of a native gentleman. In the
house of a European, the servants are, of
course, taught how to arrange tables, chairs,
and beds, according to European ideas; but
it is otherwise with the servants of a rajah,
or native gentleman. The consequence is
that in the dining, or drawing-room, you will
find a wash-hand stand, and a chest of
drawers, and a toilet-table, while in the
bedroom you will, perhaps, discover an old
piano, an organ, a card-table, or cheffonier.
The furniture has, for the most part, been
purchased at various sales, and has belonged
to officers of all grades, civil and military.
There are the tent-table and the camp-stool of
a dead ensign, in the same room with the
marble-topped table and a crimson damask-covered
easy chair of some luxurious judge.
On the mantel-piece you will find a costly
clock of the most elegant design and
workmanship, and on each side of it, a pair of
japan candlesticks, not worth half-a-crown.
In this way are arranged the pictures on the
walls. Immediately underneath a proof print
of Landseer's "Bolton Abbey," or "Hawking,"
you will observe a sixpenny coloured
print of the Duke of Wellington, or Napoleon
Bonaparte. The pictures also have
been bought indiscriminately at various
sales, and have been as indiscriminately
suspended on the walls. There are the print-shop
ballet girls intermingled with engravings
of the most serious character. Fores's
sporting collection with the most classical
subjects. Foot-stools, musical-boxes, and
elegantly bound books, writing-desks,
workboxes, plated dishes, sugar-basins, and
teapots, are arranged in the most grotesque
fashion imaginable. Upon an elegant mahogany
sideboard you will find decanters and
glasses of every description and quality.
Upon another sideboard, in the drawing-room,
you will find a variety of dinner-services, and
earthen fragments thereof, all mixed. There
was but one set of rooms at Bhitoor for the
reception of "Sahib logue," and this was the
set that I then occupied.

I had scarcely made myself comfortable,
when the khansamah informed me that dinner
was on table. This was welcome intelligence,
for I had not tasted food since morning
and it was half-past five P. M. I sat
down to a table twenty feet long (it had
originally been the mess table of a cavalry
regiment), which was covered with a damask
table cloth of European manufacture, but
instead of a dinner-napkin there was a
bed-room towel. The soup—for he had
everything ready—was served up in a trifle
dish, which had formed part of a dessert-service
belonging to the Ninth Lancers—at
all events, the arms of that regiment were
upon it; but the plate into which I ladled
it with a broken tea-cup, was of the old
willow-pattern. The pilaw which followed
the soup, was served upon a huge plated
dish; but the plate from which I ate it, was
of the very commonest description. The
knife was a bone-handled affair; the spoon and
the fork were of silver, and of Calcutta make.
The plated side dishes, containing vegetables,
were odd ones; one was round, the other
oval. The pudding was brought in upon a
soup-plate of blue and gold pattern, and the