or delicacy, ha its observance, however recommended by extensive
fashion, we are obliged to have recourse to the susspicions suggested in
remoter times, by the frequent and treacherous use of poison. Hence
originated a caution, in which the national character of this people
readily disposed them to acquiesce; and the same jealousy and distrust,
which gave birth to its adoption, has contributed inviolably to
preserve it to the present day; so that however humble, cat-exalted
the rank of the person, who introduces to his guests the refreshment
of tea, the cup-bearer, which is an office of the first credit, never presumes
to offer it, without previously drinking some of the liquor that
he brings.
The Raja held out, upon the points of the fingers of his right
hand, a shallow lacquered cup, of small circumference, which was
filled with tea. Three cups had been sent, and were set down before
us: the Raja directed his servant to fill them, also still holding the
cup in his right hand, he repeated, in a low and hollow tone of voice,
a long invocation; and afterwards dipping the point of his. finger three
times into the cup, he threw as many drops upon the floor, by way
of oblation, and then began to sip his tea. Taking this as a signal, we
followed the example, and partook of the dishes of parched rice, that
were served up with it. We found this, liquor extremely unlike what
we had been used to drink, under the same name; it was a compound
of water, flour, butter, salt, and bohea tea, with some other astringent
ingredients, all boiled, beat up, and intimately blended together.
I confess the mixture was by bo means to my taste, and we had hitherto
shunned, as much as possible, these unpalatable, libations, yet
we-now deemed it necessary to submit to some constraint:;; mid having
at teat,"; with •;«>.: tolerable grace, swallowed the tea, we yet found
ourselves Vary deficient in the .conclusion of the ceremony. The Raja:
with surprising dexterity turned. tha>.;Èup>!ss* he M 4 it fast: betwixt
his fingers, and in an instant passed his tongue over every part of it;,
so that it was sufficiently cleansed to, be wrapped in a piece of scarlet
silk, which «bore evident 'marks of having been not very recently devoted
to thissesrviee.-The officers^: who had entered with us, were not
permitted to partake ofsffiis rep^tya®i^übi*t for thé honour of it, we
would willingly hare declined so fiatfo Agvaidistmetimv They spofem
several times during our: visit,delivering. themselves deliberately fo a,
ready flow of language, by no means inharmonious, with confidence,
but air the same time with profound pespeet.
The Raja descanted, on the very limited produce, of his mountains,
and magnified greatly the scarcity of p^visibnsi’ yet, be^ed mé flK
command every thing that the 6cnudryii^^$mpptyf^--Tuj«ivrf.fiuit:
were placed before us, consisting of erftj$gesr dried appfes:> walps!%
vegetables, and some preserved fruits of China and Casbineer. He
delivered to the Zempi, oar master of the ceremonies, a silk scarf for
each of us, which being thrown^croass uufc shoulders, he dismissed ms,
with many admonitions to be careful of our health, ,a>ad wishes that ifcj
might suffer no injury from the change ofclimatei
We then took leave* and -returned to pur quarters, wiAiifo tmfe
vourable impression of the Rajaj fcosi his mashèr-a^ddecieptiow of us.
His figure was much concealed, from the attitude w whMt he-.ccmS-
nued sitting all the time, cross-legged, and enveloped in a quantity of