1 976
2 AN £NT£BTA1NM£NT AT FESHAWER.
3 Ms OQfvtrad vich doCh of gold, ibrdie gneita toal on: thoteatllie
4 vpper'OMl were partieulaily ihigpififleBt, bang vdret of fiift bfrig|itegt
5 eohmnt licfalj embioiidevtli with' goid* The doom weie biaig with
6 curtaini .of 4lQlii of gold* or of hiigUj ombioidered aSki^ and tho'
7 galkries Mtond the ufipet parts of the 'room were dioted wHh FefHtn
8 pietoreur vound wfakh appealed a piollisiaii of gold dodr and' eoU
9 heoideiy. Among other thingm I obaerved with lome auipii^ e
10 lacge pieoe of nlvcir doth, id 'which the sun rising over s lion (the
11 royal endgQ of Persia), was wrought in gold. There were hiiiRin
12 in diflfetcoi porta irf'the roomy and we were astonished to observe two
13 of dimensions wup^sdot to any of those which we Iiad brought with
14 so mudi difficulty over mountiuns and deauts, to give the King an
15 idea of IZngtiA manufactures. Those in the room, we understood,
16 had all oorae orerland £rom Europe, through Persia or Tartaiy. Along
17 the middle of the room was a row of lights : thick candles, surrounded
18 with wreathes of flowers in coloured wax, were piacetl alternately with
19 artificial trees, in u!iirh the lights were (lis{)o.setl among leaves,
20 flowers, grape>. a?ul t)ilier fruits, represeiited in wax in ihvlr iintural
21 colours. Oi} llu and velvet, with wliich the upper part of the
22 room was spread, were placed, with more civilitv' than good taste,
23 a row of plain chairs for our accommodation ; and soon after we were
24 seated, trays of sweetmeats were handed round, boon alter a dance
25 of women begaji, and fire-works were let off in the court ; and our
26 attempts at conversation, amidst the din of the instmnients, the shouts
27 of a dozen male and lemale singers, and the noise ol the fire-works,
28 were disagreeable and interrupted. Tea was served ruurid, in China
29 oips, without aeam, very sweet, and rendered most disagreeable by
30 an tafuaion €»f aniae seed. When dinner waa announced, the dancing
31 eeaaed»:and our entcftamer (who waa a Sheeah) ftund aome pretence
32 to withdiBW*. We aat down on the ground to dmner, whidi wu
33 * The Sheeahs (in Qtubul at lout) are very strict in eating with none but Mussul-
34 mB^ IB nUdl ihtj form a contraat to the Soonneet. Colonel FnuikUn makes the
35 MM Mnnk of the Soonees in Pcnbi aMi it U probable ifaat 'dM leipt 'mmumoOi
36 and moat penecoted of tke aecta, it matt acrnpukm in cadi coontxy.
37 Digitized by Coogic