Lucknow, 2nd January, 1853.

My Dear Sir James,

I enclose two sets of Tables of Errata for the Diary, and must pray
you to do me the favour to have one set put into the two volumes of
the copy you have, and the other sent to the Deputy-Chairman for
insertion in his copy. I did not take the liberty to send a copy to
the President of the Board of Control, but if you think I should do
so, I will.

The King of Oude is becoming more and more imbecile and crazy, and
his servants continue more and more to abuse their power and neglect
their duty. The King, every day manifests his utter unfitness to
reign, in some new shape. He, on several occasions during the
Mohurrum ceremonies which took place lately, went along the streets
beating a drum tied round his neck, to the great scandal of his
family and the amusement of his people. The members of his family
have not been paid their stipends for from two to three years, and
many of them have been reduced to the necessity of selling their
clothes to purchase food. All classes, save the knaves who surround
him, and profit by his folly, are become disgusted with and tired of
him.

I do not interfere, except to protect our pledges and guarantees; and
to conduct the current duties of the Residency in such a manner as to
secure the respect of all classes for the Government which I
represent. While the present King reigns, or has anything whatever to
do with the Government, no interference could produce any substantial
and permanent reform. The minister is a weak man and a great knave;
but he has an influence over his master, obtained by being entirely
subservient to his vices and follies, to the sacrifice of his own
honour; and by praising all that he does, however degrading to him as
a man and a sovereign.

Though the King pays no attention whatever to public affairs or to
business of any kind, and aims at nothing but the reputation of being
the best dancer, best versifier, and best drummer in his dominions,
it would be impossible to persuade him that any man was ever more fit
to reign than he is. Nothing would ever induce him willingly to
abdicate even in favour of his own son, much less to make him
willingly abdicate in perpetuity in favour of our Government, or make
over the conduct of the administration to our Government. If,
therefore, our Government does interfere, it must be in the exercise
of a right arising out of the existing relation