Outside the town I found an open verandah, in which I took up my quarters for the night.

I was here a witness of a deplorable scene, a consequence of an erroneous religious belief of the otherwise amiable Hindoos.  Not far from the verandah lay a fakir, outstretched upon the earth, without any signs of life; many of the passers-by stopped, looked at him, and then went on their way.  No one spoke to or helped him.  The poor man had sunk exhausted on this spot, and was no longer capable of saying to what caste he belonged.  I took heart, approached him, and raised the head-cloth, which had fallen over a part of his face; two glassy eyes stared at me.  I felt the body; it was stiff and cold.  My help came too late.

The next morning the corpse still lay in the same place.  I was informed that they waited to see if any relations would come to carry it away, if not it would be removed by the pariahs.

21st February.  In the afternoon I reached Indor, the capital of the kingdom of Holkar.

As I approached the dwelling of the Europeans, I found them just about to ride out.  The equipage of the resident, Mr. Hamilton, to whom I had letters, was distinguishable from the others by its greater splendour.  Four beautiful horses were harnessed to an open landau, and four servants, in Oriental liveries, ran by the side of the carriage.  The gentlemen had scarcely perceived my approach, when they stopped, and sent a servant towards me; they, perhaps, wished to know what chance had thrown a solitary European female into this remote country.  My servant, who already had the letter to Mr. Hamilton in his hand, hastened to him directly, and gave it to him.  Mr. Hamilton read it hastily through, alighted from his carriage immediately, came and received me very cordially.  My shabby clothes, faded by the sun, were of no account to him, and he did not treat me with less respect, because I came without much baggage, and without a train of attendants.

He conducted me himself to the bungalow, set apart for strangers, offered me several rooms, and remained until he saw that the servants had properly provided all conveniences.  After he had given me a servant for my own exclusive use, and had ordered a guard before the bungalow, in which I was about to live alone, he took his departure, and promised to send for me to dinner in an hour.

A few hundred paces distant from the bungalow is the palace of the resident; it is a building of very great beauty, constructed of large, square stones, in a pure Italian style of architecture.  Broad flights of steps led up into halls which are peculiarly remarkable for their magnitude and beautifully arched roofs, the latter being finer than any that I had yet seen.  The saloons, rooms, and internal arrangements corresponded to the high expectations which the sight of the outside raised.