Rs.16,000 a year was effected, and the Company's servants better satisfied.
On festival days the Governor would invite the whole factory to a picnic
in some garden outside the city. On such an occasion, a procession was
formed, headed by the Governor and his lady, in palanquins. Two large
ensigns were carried before them, followed by a number of led horses in
gorgeous trappings of velvet and silver. Following the Governor came the
Captain of the Peons on horseback, with forty or fifty armed men on foot.
Next followed the members of the Council, the merchants, factors, and
writers, in order of seniority, in fine bullock coaches or riding on
horses, all maintained at the Company's expense. At the Dewallee festival
every servant of the Company, from the Governor to the youngest writer,
received a 'peshcush' from the brokers and bunyas, which to the younger
men were of much importance; as they depended on these gifts to procure
their annual supply of clothes.

Of the country, away from the coast, they were profoundly ignorant. The
far-off King of 'Dilly' was little more than a name to them, and they were
more concerned in the doings of petty potentates with strange names, such
as the Zamorin, the Zammelook, the Kempsant, and the Sow Rajah, who have
long disappeared. They talked of the people as Gentoos, Moors, Mallwans,
Sanganians, Gennims, Warrels, Coulis, Patanners, etc., and the number of
political, racial, religious, and linguistic divisions presented to their
view must have been especially puzzling. Owing to the numerous languages
necessary to carry on trade on the Malabar coast, they were forced to
depend almost entirely on untrustworthy Portuguese interpreters. Their
difficulties in this respect are dwelt on by Hamilton--

"One great Misfortune that attends us _European_ Travellers in _India_
is, the Want of Knowledge of their Languages, and they being so
numerous, that one intire Century would be too short a Time to learn