uspicious hour which had been available since
his Excellency's arrival; a compliment which the latter returned by
remarking that it was unfortunate that his immediate departure would
preclude the possibility of his returning his visit, which he the more
regretted, as he was at present most particularly engaged in matters of a
pressing nature with the English gentlemen, and he therefore hoped he
would be excused thus abruptly, but unavoidably, terminating an interview
which it would otherwise have given him the greatest pleasure to have
prolonged. Thus saying, he politely rose and led the rajah in the most
graceful manner to the front door, which was no sooner closed behind him
than he returned, rubbing his hands with great glee, as he knowingly
remarked, "That is the way to get over an interview with one of these
natives."

A detachment of a regiment had come to Benares to escort the General on
his journey to Katmandu, and he accordingly determined to favour the
inhabitants generally, and the English in particular, with a review.

The men were tall and well-made, and were dressed in a light-green
uniform with yellow facings. They went through various evolutions with
tolerable regularity; but the performance which excited the most interest
was the platoon exercise, no word of command being given, but everything
done with the utmost precision at different notes of the music, the men
beating time the whole while and giving a swaying motion to their bodies,
which produced a most curious effect. The origin of this novel
proceeding, his Excellency told us, was a request by the Ranee that some
other means should be invented of putting the men through their exercises
than by hoarse shouts, which grated upon her ear. The minister
immediately substituted this more euphonious but less business-like
method.

At this review Jung Bahadoor and his brothers were dressed in the costume
they wore when in England: the handsome diamonds in their turbans
glittering in the sunshine.

I accompanied him one day on a visit to the Benares college, a handsome
building in process of erection by the Indian Government. The Gothic and
Oriental styles of architecture are most happily combined, and there is
an airiness about the building; but this did not in any way detract from
its solidity. The cost of the college and professor's house is not to
exceed 13,000 pounds; the length of the large school-room is 260 feet,
its breadth 35; and there