our monarch. These circumstances will perhaps show, of what importance it is, upon the introduction of an Oriental minister to the king, that care should be taken to show him the court in its greatest splendor. He arrived in London in the month of November, and the gloom of the weather had a visible effect upon his health and spirits. For two months he never saw the sun, and it was fully believed by his suite, that they had got into regions beyonds its influence; when one day several of them rushed into him with great joy to announce that they had just seen it, and that if he made haste he might perhaps see it also. It was surprising to observe with what ease he acquired our habits of life, how soon he used himself to our furniture, our modes of eating, our hours, our forms and ceremonies, and even our language, though, perhaps, with respect to the latter acquirement, it might rather be observed, that he soon learnt sufficient just to misunderstand every thing that was said. He who had sat upon his heels on the ground all his life, here was quite at his ease on chairs and sofas; he who before never eat but with his fingers, now used knives and forks without inconvenience. Of some things, it would be impossible from mere description to give any just idea. Such was an opera or a play to a Persian. The first night he went to the opera, evidently the impression of surprise which he received on entering his box was very strong, although his pride made him conceal it. His servants had been sent to the gallery, and upon going up to hear what was their conversation, they were found wrangling amongst themselves, whether or no the figures that they saw upon the stage were real men and women or automatons. He was taken to see King Lear, and the story, which is likely to affect one whose natural respect for majesty is so profound, brought tears from him in great plenty, although he did not understand the language in which it was acted. No people would have a greater taste for scenic representations than the Persians; if we may judge from the effects which they produced on these individuals. a When it is known that a Persian mejlis or assembly is composed of people seated in formal row on the ground, with their backs against the wall, some idea may be had of the Persian ambassador's surprise upon entering an English rout. The perfect ease of his manners and unembarrassed conduct on such occasions, will be as surprising to us, as the great crowd of men, and women hotly pressed together for no one apparent purpose, was to him. He gave an entertainment of a similar description at his own house, to the astonishment of his domestics, whose greatest surprise was how little noise was made by such a crowd, for said they, "What a different scene would such a number of people have made of it in Persia!" a On his being taken to hear a debate at the house of commons, he immediately sided with young orator, who gained him the over by his earnest manner and the vehemence of his action; and at the house of lords, the great object of his remark was, the lord chancellor, whose enormous wig, which he compared to a sheepskin, awoke all his curiosity. There was considerable pleasure in observing his emotion when he was taken to St. Paul's cathedral, on the anniversary of the charity children, where he acquired more real esteem for the institutions and the national character of England than he did from any other sight, for he frequently after referred to his feelings on that occasion. He was one day waited upon by a deputation from the Society for promoting Christian knowledge, composed of three reverend gentlemen, who in their robes presented him with a Bible and prayer-book superbly bound, and addressed him with a speech written on parchment. As they spoke the address he was requested to stand up, which he willingly did; but when they had departed, his servants were all unanimous that he had been made an Isauvi, that is, a Christian. He frequently walked in Kensington-gardens by himself. As he was one day seated on a bench, an old gentleman and an old lady, taking him for one of his own attendants, accosted him. They asked him many questions: How does your master like this, and how does he like that? and so on. Tired with being questioned, he said, "He like all very well; but one thing he not like-old man ask too many questions." Upon this he got up laughing, leaving the old gentleman to find out that he had been How agreeably surprised was I to find this bazar removed to a convenient situation adjoining the town, on the north face of the fort; the bomb-proofs repaired, and the arcades which had fallen in rebuilt, and the whole in as perfect a state of repair as when first finished. In short, the Tripolia is now a clean neat place, and very convenient for the tents of gentlemen passing and repassing. At the entrance of the Delhy gateway I found a small drawbridge, and the ascent to the body of the place, which is considerable, paved with the military neatness of Europe. Passing on through the great street, called by the natives the Meena-bazar, what an improvement did I contemplate; the bomb-proof buildings on each side of this street, which were formerly falling fast to ruins, and inhabited by a number of wretched natives, are now cleared out and rebuilt, and the apartments fitted up with large folding doors for the reception of guns and gun-carriages. These apartments are carrying on in front of the Delhy gate, so as to enlarge and support the west face of the grand parade, the most elevated part of the fort, and which is on a level with the roofs of these buildings. This is a very great improvement to the fort, and affords excellent protection against the hot winds to the guncarriages, waggons, &c. lodged in these bomb-proofs. The great square I did not find so much improved as I expected. Tiled sheds have been carried round three sides of it, for the accommodation of the main guard and of the pioneers; but I lamented to observe, that the fine row of mango-trees by which it was formerly surrounded, and even the large banyan-tree, under which an old fakeer used to sit, had been absolutely rooted out, and not a vestige remaining. The higher parts of the fort cannot be less than fifty-three or sixty feet above the level of the river; and as it is filled with marble, stone, and pucka buildings, the heat in the hot season is excessive; I was therefore a good deal surprised to find, that instead of endeavouring to alleviate this heat by planting trees, the few that were in the fort should have been rooted out; and I am well persuaded the increased unhealthiness of the place is chiefly to be attributed to this cause. In passing near the artillery barracks, I stopped and entered into conversation with some of the men. I asked them respecting the heat. They said that from April to September it was intolerable; that even the Sepoys, who were only one week on duty, sent one-fourth of their numbers to the hospital each week in those months. "Would you like to have trees planted round your barracks ?"-" Good Lord, Sir, like it? it would be the greatest comfort to us." The Mootee Musjud, which next to the Tauj is the most beautiful building at Agra, is built of white marble; under the Mahrattas it was totally neglected, and would have soon gone to ruin. The seeds of the peapultree had found their way into the crevices of the marble turrets, and were pulling them fast to pieces; these have been lately taken taken down and rebuilt, and the repairs nearly completed, at the expense of the British govern ment. The Birket, where the ord. nance carriages, waggons, and tumbrils are kept, was so crowded with guns, from a six to sixtyfour pounder, that it is with much difficulty such as are wanted can be got at. No magazine can be better supplied with implements of war and warlike stores than the fort of Agra; an inventory of ammunition would fill a moderate volume. The Dewani Aum, or public hall of audience, in the great square, has been converted into an armoury. The outer verandah has been built up and handsomely glazed, and the inside fitted up for all descriptions of arms in a very neat military style. The floor appears to have been lately laid with flag stones. This work is executed in a masterly manner; the stone masons at Agra are remarkably good workmen. In one end of the ar moury I was surprised to find the clergyman's reading desk, and a number of forms for the congregation; and on inquiry I find, that this is the only Protestant church at Agra: there is, however, a Roman Catholic. chapel in the town. The palace and Dewani Khas are unoccupied and neglected, and the Ayena Khana and the baths in the same state as when I formerly saw them. The Dewani Khas was formerly the private hall of audience. It is white marble inside and out, and now consists of two fine rooms, of 60 feet by 24, or thereabouts, and very lofty; but on account of the heat, no one will now remain in the fort, even in a marble palace, who can get a hovel at Nomalla. Omer Sing's gateway has been opened since my former visit to Agra; it is on the south side of the fort, facing the Tauj. It has a small drawbridge, and the descent to it is neatly paved, the same as at the Delhy gate. Many of the old buildings, and a great deal of the rubbish in the interior of the fort, has been removed; there is still, however, a good deal remaining. The walls of the fort, inside and out, have been completely repaired, and have now a smart military appearance; people are now employed in clearing out the ditch, which is pucka, and in which a great quantity of mud and filth has accumulated; this will no doubt tend materially to improve the healthiness of the place. The ditch, which formerly terminated at the Bengally Boorje (i. e. the south-east angle of the fort), is now carrying on along the waterface, and is to join the river at the watergate, where a sluice is to be constructed for filling and emptying the ditch at pleasure: this will be a very great improvement. From Omer Sing's gateway to the Tauj an excellent road has been cut through the ravines, parallel to the river, and several substantial pucka bridges built on it, so that it is now a safe and pleasant drive at all seasons of the year; whereas formerly it was only passable in the dry weather for horse and foot passengers. The great gun, of which you have heard so much, has changed its position since my first visit to Agra: by a great exertion of all the the science of the most scientific part of the army, it was moved from the fort down to the ghauts, close under the Shah Boorje, in progress to Calcutta, but the science failing, here it rests, and is likely to remain, until the river cuts away the bank from under it. Of the Tauj it is unnecessary to say any thing, so many plans and descriptions have been circulated. Suffice it then to say, that upwards of a lack of rupees has been expended in putting it into a perfect state of repair, and that it looks now as beautiful as when first erected. DISCOVERIES IN NEW SOUTH WALES. Sydney-Civil Department-General Orders by the GovernorGovernment House, Parramatta, 5th December, 1818. The sanguine hope which his excellency the governor was induced to entertain, that by pursuing the course of the Macquarie river, which had been discovered running in a north-west direction, by John Oxley, esq. on his return last year from tracing the course of the Lachlan to the south-west, would have amply compensated for the disappointment sustained on the occasion; and his excellency having in consequence accepted the further services of Mr. Oxley, on a second expedition, the party, consisting of John Oxley, esq. surveyor-general; John Harris, esq. late surgeon of the 102nd regiment (who most liberally volunteered to accompany the expe dition); Mr. Evans, deputy surveyor-general; and Mr. Charles Frazier, colonial botanist; toge-, ther with twelve men, having eighteen horses and two boats, and provisions for twenty-four weeks, took their final departure, on the 4th of June last, from a depot prepared for the occasion in the Wellington Valley, at about ninety miles west of Bathurst. And those gentlemen, and the entire party, having a few days since arrived at Port Jackson, by sea, from the northward, his excellency is happy in offering his most cordial congratulations to John Oxley, esq. the conductor of this expedition, and to James Harris, esq. Mr. Evans, and Mr., Frazier, on their safe return from this arduous undertaking. The zeal, talent, and attention manifested by Mr. Oxley, considering the perils and privations to which he and his party were exposed, in exploring a tract of country so singularly circumstanced in its various bearings, are no less honourable to Mr. Oxley, than conducive to the public interest; and although the result from the principal object, namely, that of tracing the Macquarie river to its embouchure, has not been so favourable as was anticipated, yet the failure is in a great degree counterbalanced by other important discoveries made in the course of this tour, which promise, at no very remote period, to prove of material advantage to this rising colony. Whilst his excellency thus offers this public tribute of congratulation, he desires to accompany it with expressions of high |