"The power of the Government is not the same all over India. In some parts of the country the title of the native princes has been quite extinguished, while in others they live almost as they did before the English went to India; they collect their taxes, maintain their armies, make their own laws, have their thrones, courts, and ceremonies, and do pretty much as they like. An English official, called a 'resident,' or political agent, lives near the prince, and when he thinks the latter is going too fast he gives a gentle hint to that effect. The prince is restricted as to the number of troops he shall keep under arms, and he pays a tax to the Government in return for being let alone. The resident has a force of English troops to support him in case of trouble, and the prince cannot make war upon any other prince without the resident's permission, which he is not likely to obtain. Before the Mutiny there were many native states of this kind; those whose rulers remained loyal to the English have been continued, but those who joined the rebels were absorbed into the British possessions, and the princes were dethroned. Altogether, there are now about seventy native states, but some of them are very small. [Illustration: A NATIVE PRINCE OF INDIA, WITH HIS SONS.] "The largest of the native states is Gwalior, and its prince, Scindia, holds a very high rank. When he goes to Calcutta he receives marked attention from the Governor-general, and his privileges are greater than those of any other prince. Indore and Baroda have a form of Government similar to that of Gwalior, the resident having a force of troops to protect the British interests and maintain the authority of the prince. Rajpootana consists of eighteen native states, under as many rajahs, or princes; each of them has an English official near him, and the whole are under the orders of the British political agent, who resides at Ajmere. There is rarely any trouble between the native rulers and the political agents, as the former know very well that a revolt would be certain to cost them their power, and possibly their heads. [Illustration: RECEPTION OF TRAVELLERS.]