Page:History of India Vol 9.djvu/267

 CORREA'S ACCOUNT OF THE INTERVIEW 221 carried upon the head of the broker; and there was in front a piece of scarlet cloth opened so as to show it. Before these went the trumpets sounding, and the factor went with a cane in his hand, and his cap off, as he conducted all the bearers of the presents. The king was in a balcony and saw everything in the order in which it came, with great pleasure at see- ing such rich things. The factor entered in front and presented each thing to the king, and he placed a cush- ion upon the chair, and another at its foot (and said), that the ambassador asked him as a favour to sit on the chair for him to give him his embassage seated on that chair, and the king, with the great satisfac- tion which he experienced, sat upon it. Before arriv- ing at the palace there was a long street through which the captain-major went; but the crowd was so great that our men could not advance, even though there were many Nairs (soldiers) making the people keep off, and in that crowd there were a great number of Moors also with swords and shields, after the fash- ion of the Nairs. The captain-major went very leisurely and without fatiguing himself, and remained still until they had made the people stand off. Before reaching the palace, by the king's orders, the catual (Hindustani kotwdl, " seneschal ") of the king's house came to receive the captain-major; he is the chief officer of the guard of the king's palace, and if any one enters where the king dwells, without his leave, immediately he will order his head to be cut off at the door of the palace without asking the king's