I felt a little for my companions who continued unnoticed, and especially for Sir John C——­, to whom I was principally indebted for the royal interview.

The king addressed the Indians in French, very distinctly, fluently, and loud:  “I observe you have the portrait of my father; will you permit me to present you with mine?” The marquess then produced four large and weighty gold coronation peer medallions of his majesty, suspended by a rich mazareen blue silk riband.  The chiefs, seeing this, dropped again upon their knees, and the king took the four medallions successively into his hand, and said:  “Will some gentleman have the goodness to tie this behind?”—­upon which Sir Edmund Nagle, with whom we had been condoling on account of the gout, while waiting in the library, and who wore a list shoe, skipped nimbly behind the chiefs, and received the string from the king, tying the cordon on the necks of the four chiefs.  We were much amused to observe how the royal word can dispel the gout.  The instant the grand chief was within reach of the medallion, and before the investiture was completed, he seized the welcome present with the utmost earnestness, and kissed it with an ardour which must have been witnessed to be conceived.  The king appeared sensibly affected by this strong and unequivocal mark of grateful emotion.  The other chiefs acted in a similar way, and nothing could have been managed more naturally, or in better taste.  After this ceremony, the king desired them to rise and to be covered.  They put on their hats, and which appeared extraordinary to me, his majesty remained uncovered all the time.  Here it was that the grand chief, as if incapable of repressing his feelings, poured out in a most eloquent manner, by voice and action, the following unpremeditated speech in his native Indian tongue.  I say unpremeditated, because that fine allusion to the sun could not have been contemplated while we were waiting in the library, the room where we expected the interview to take place.  I was pleased to find that the presence of this mighty sovereign, who governs the most powerful nation upon earth, did not drive from the thoughts of the pious chief, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

The instant he had finished, the chief of the warriors interpreted in the French language, and I wrote down the speech as soon as I left the royal lodge.  It should be observed, that the chiefs had been previously informed by me that, according to etiquette, they should answer any questions which his majesty might be pleased to ask, but not introduce any conversation of their own.  The sun was shining vividly.

    THE SPEECH.