When I approached the place, the king’s guard of honour, consisting of 500 men, came under arms to meet me; and formed themselves into two lines, between which I was obliged to pass. The king, who was sitting in an European arm-chair, received me with great friendship, and addressed me as follows: “I have sent for you, Father, that you may settle the disputes between my Christian subjects and your clergy. It is my will that the clergy have a sufficient maintenance, and a proper income for their support; but I will not suffer them to oppress my subjects by the imposition of fines. Look,” added he, “here stands my minister (the _Sarvadicariacàrer Nagampulla_), and there my secretary (_Sampradi Keshavapulla_), devise with them what is best to be done, and then let me know the result.” We did as the king desired; and as I had no great inclination to undertake the very difficult and burthensome administration of seventy-five congregations, I endeavoured to prevail on the ministers to write to the archbishop of Goa, and accommodate the matter in an amicable manner. Some of the clergy complained of were obliged to pay a certain sum of money, by way of punishment; and a new _Padiòla_, or tarif, was established, to settle once more the fees which the Christians should pay to the clergy for discharging their sacred functions, and which the latter should be authorised to exact. As the king would not suffer me to depart till this business was completely settled, I was obliged to remain sixteen days at _Padmanaburam_. During that period his majesty sent to me every day the _Kopu_, which is a certain dish prepared in the Malabar manner. As the festival of the goddess _Sarasvadi_ was then celebrating, (on which account, as I have already said, the gates of the city were shut,) I employed a part of my time in observing the religious practices of the Brahmans.