1 68
2 INTRODUCTION.
3 ocwioiMif will be Men in anodier plioe. Tiro of the moti vnnnk-
4 able of our bfdinary visitors, were Meeraa Geraumee Khaun, imd
5 Moolla Bdiramund. The fovmer, who was the son of a Persiaa
6 noblenuBi of hi^ rank, had been in India, and had observed our
7 enitoais with great attention and acnteness. His exile to India* was
8 occasioned by his &inily*8 and his own attachment to Shauh Mah<^
9 mood. He was now enabled to return by the protection of Akram
10 Khaun, and was o)>li(][P(l to steer a cautions course, being still sus-
11 pected of f;u iiuriiiL': his lormer partv, to which he was in reality
12 attached. Thr nit'onnatu )ii he liad acquired dnriuf? lii'^ residence in
13 India, was surprising, when it is considered tliaL llie division of
14 Europe into nations, is known to few in Alghaunistan, and tiiat none
15 of tlie events in our European history have been he^d of even in
16 liidiii, 1 had one day been mentioning, to the amazement ol :*ome
17 visitors, tliat there had not been a rebellion in our nation since 174^
18 and had afterwards allnded to our power at sea : when the rest of <he
19 oompany were gone, Meexss Geranniee told 'me with a smiley diat I
20 had fatgat the Americaii w«r ; and then asked serjoiialjr, the feasoo
21 why the instuence of ships sbodld be raised so high by the success of
22 the Frendi privateers, when we had so manifest a siqieriori^ at aeai
23 Hits gendeman is now Moonshee Bsnsheo* or secretary of state at
24 QaibiiL MooUa Bdnamimd was a man of retired and studioas
25 habits, but^reslly a man of gemus* and of insatiiUe thirst fi» know^
26 Mgfr Thon^ well versed in metaphysics, and* the mohd
27 sciences known in his country, his passion was for mrthematics, and
28 he was studying Shanscrit (a language of which none of his country-
29 men know the name), with a view t o discover the treasures of Hin^
30 doo learning. We had many other Moollas, some ieiunedi and some
31 worldly, some Deists, others rigid Mahommedans, and some
32 overflowing with the mystical doctrines of the Sofccs. We were also
33 entertained bv poets, who would come with panejrvrics on the Kel-
34 chee (ambassador), and other KhoatiTioenee I ereng (European
35 Khaun s) ; and who would follow up tliose juidresses with endless
36 quotations and specimeos of their own works. Among our visitors.
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