uniform, adorned with gold and silver lace to an extent which
field-marshals alone have, with us, a right to indulge in, and often
mixed up with some Oriental finery--a pair of glittering slippers that
consorted but ill with the tightly strapped-down gold lace trowsers, or a
handsome shawl that clumsily supported the jewelled sabre.

The ceremony of presentation having been gone through, a select party,
consisting of the two Kings, the English Resident and one or two officers
of the Embassy, and the Prime Minister, adjourned to an upper room. This
seemed to me a curious proceeding, and one which the remaining portion of
the legislators must have thought particularly unsatisfactory: however
they looked as if they did not care, or could not help it; and while the
coterie above were solemnly perusing Her Majesty's epistle, and the guns
were booming in honour of it, we below were chatting upon indifferent
matters, until the Royal party returned, when, in addition to the pawn
usually given on such occasions, we were presented by their Majesties
with some Nepaulese weapons, and amidst more firing of cannon left the
palace in the Minister's phaeton to witness a grand review.

The parade-ground was situated immediately under the city walls, and upon
it 6000 men were drawn up: the uniforms differed in some instances; the
"rifles" were in a pea-green suit which hung about them loosely, while
the regiments of the line wore red coats, with trowsers ample enough to
please a Turk. Upon their turbans or caps were the distinguishing badges
of their respective corps--a half-moon, a lion, the sun, and various
other devices. The regiments were not numbered as with us, but adopted
some magniloquent high-sounding title suggestive of their valour in war,
fearlessness of danger, and other martial qualities.

There was no cavalry, the country not being adapted to that arm of the
service, but the artillery seemed very fairly handled; there was an
immense deal of firing, both of small arms and great guns, which I
believe was very good; and there were a great number of evolutions
performed, which, as I am not a soldier, did not seem to me more
incomprehensible than such manoeuvring usually is, but I was informed by
those who were capable of judging that in this instance they really were
altogether without meaning. Regiment after regiment marched past, the
men swinging their arms regularly as they moved, and trying to persuade
themselves th