depositing- all kinds' of stores. A covered gallery, runs, a 11, round
them; beneath which are subterraneous places, serving for kitchens.
A range of good rooms, with boarded floors, on the first story, accommodates
all the officers of state, who are attendant on the Raja; arid
these again, towards the. square, are skirted by a deep varanda,. supported
by a row of handsome pillars, whose capitals are ornamented
with carved work and gilding, and their sides painted with vermilion.
The varandas are lofty and broad, and are not, in my opinion,
without an air of magnificence,
Over this story, is a sort, of terrace of cement, with rooms more
roughly finished, which are intended for the inferior officers,;.styled
Zeenkaubs; they are covered only by the roof, which is, constructed
in the usual manner, of cross beams of fir, resting upon upright posts,
and planks of deal placed on them, with large stones to keep .them
down. These beams are supported high above the walls, and project,
far beyond them. The north square is, in appearance, a very confused
assemblage of apartments; I fear, therefore, that .it will scarcely be
possible to give an intelligible description of it: let it then suffice ta
say, that it is composed of a motley mixture of kitchens,. cells,., arid
temples.
We had now become tolerably well settled in our quarters; hut, notwithstanding
a vertical sun, the coldness of the weather, to our feelings,
who had been so lately accustomed to the hot region of Bengal,
recalled the idea of something beyond the rigour of an Indian winter;
and consequently our first care, after taking possession of our mansion,
was employed in lining the wainscots of the apartments, with the thickest
woollen cloths the country could supply, and in constructing curtains
as'a-defence against tfepiereihg; winds, thatiplWaded.' the*,apertures of
the balconies. 'Whileengagedtffiriffi^sigtiar'dsiHgourselves fhe
cold, in order more effectually ti®*,<©bviate-iiisfeffi<rts,ytlffi;'eEectiqrl‘0f a
fireplace became a matter of serious deliberation:; hut,Indore we Jiad
finally fixed‘upon, the plan, and'»procured materials-for executing^;
nilMer- feather succeeded,tarid induced us todf® pi the•design; ani%qrrt;
much to be regretted by the present and future race of Booieeas, who,
, destitute , of this most necessary cOjLveniend^|ire .obliged to have
recourse, to a very 'offensive way of warming their rooms. •Tb’eH.'s&j
contfivattfce is general' us'e, -»toi prevent. the fce,sWjhhni-feffidlerif fraffi
communicating to the timbers which compose the chief, part of every
house; is-.a large flat* stone-. This-being qdate,edjin.ihe< middlpi of the
rooni, the'company range themd&ves- roundajt,» prepared up
with volumes of pine smoke, whiehyshavinginb exit but,‘by the windows
and doors,J<hevjsri fails- bytits pungency to annoy all who.are
.present, and-who at length partake bf the! same, gloomy oolorir with the
ceilings and the walls- ,,
Our habitation, which was within a stone’s throw of ;the- palaee,
was extremely commodious, and well adapted to our us®. - yV-e entered,
by a door on the'Soiith side, into a square -court-yardnot very large,
but it served to confine our cattle, and, indeed, more than we wished
to have there. The house was opposite the doorway, arid/, filled f-one;
side of the square; the other three sides were enclosed by buildings,
-which, not being so lofty as the house by one floor, held our baggage,
and accommodated all our attendants. We inhabited the upper story,