I received from him also a letter to the civil officer at _Parur_, in consequence of which he was to announce publicly that the king had done me the honour to appoint me one of the gentlemen of his court. The intrinsic value of the above presents was indeed not very considerable, for it was equal only to about twelve sequins; but in other respects they were of the highest importance, as the king gives such articles to those only who have merited his favour. No person in Malabar dare use any of them without the king’s express permission. They are marks of honour, which he distributes in the same manner as our European princes do ribbons of different orders. Those also who receive them enjoy certain privileges and advantages; such, for example, as that they cannot be carried before any magistrate till the king is previously informed; that they can travel every where along the highways; that they are not obliged to wait in the minister’s antichamber, and that they are not required to give place to any person whatever; with other things of the like kind. The king made no hesitation to cause a rescript to be prepared, in virtue of which we were authorised to sow our fields with rice. Having thus accomplished the object of my journey, I set out to return; and, proceeding along the sea-coast, arrived in five days at _Verapole_. Here I was obliged to supply the place of vicar-general; for our bishop, Carolus à Sancto Conrado, had gone to Bombay, where he fell ill, and died on the 6th of January 1785. On the 8th of September 1786 I again had an audience of the king _Rama Varmer_ at _Parur_, where I obtained another rescript, by which he granted to the congregation at _Verapole_ a small piece of land, that had been gradually thrown up, and formed by the river before our convent. In the year 1787 I remained at his court at _Tiruvandaram_ during the whole month of April, and defended there the privileges of the missionaries against the rebellious Christians, who refused any longer obedience to the European bishop of that district.