1 AND WITH DOORAUNEf: Sl^BARa 287
2 ineef «i • comiPflneiiJ il|wni]«tioii. He wM.iiofr]y pmmMjtQ.tt^ ,
3 their momsy, and to ^ve them jcwvlt in pmna fyt- tbptf/raebL Tkt
4 Boyvl'Canzy had given his fetwjiij.dMilaripg.tfie legfflili^Qf.the itf:tioli;
5 but, on reflection, the King detenniiied to piaii^Eaatf hi> veputat|oii^
6 and r^ected the expedient. In this season of necessity, recour^ievife
7 again had to me ; and, as the Persian* had exhausted all their art%
8 I wm invited to a Council of the Dooraunee Siidatik The Benifniii
9 did not fail to take advantage of this dfcbnwrtance. They lamenteji
10 the rudeness and barbarism of the Afghauna ; ppintedout to what
11 a difference I should find in treating with milittury savi^ea* andL
12 polished people like Uiemselves; but told me to be of good courage,
13 for tliat a little compliance would set all ri^ht. Tliey even insinuated
14 tiiat it would be dignified to make a voluntary offer through them,
15 rather tiian be intimidated by the violence of the Dooraunees, After
16 all this, i went to the Pnlare to the Coujicil, accompanied by Mr.
17 Straehev and iv. o oilier gentlemen. We were led, by a private way,
18 into a very comfortable room, close to the presence chamber. On
19 our way, we passed through an antichamber, where some of tlie prin-
20 cipal Secretaries and Ministers were transacting their business. Wheq
21 we had taken our seats some of our ac(juaintanc( s came in for a few
22 minutes, and we were thcu lefl to ourselves, to admire the rich and
23 beautiful landscape on which the windows of our room opened.
24 The curtain, which covered the principal door, was soon gently
25 raised, and several persons in darkdreMeseiiteted in profound silence^
26 end without any basda They* did not at fiiit attract much notice j
27 but,' on looking at them, I perceived Huddnd Khaim i and^ as I tose
28 to receive binifl leoc^gniaed Akram Kbaun, AlMned Khaun Noorzy^
29 end the four other great Dooraunee Sirdars. They were all m their
30 «ouTt dresses, with the red boots on, which are required wh^ 'they
31 appear before the Kiog; but all quite plain in their attire. Th^tooik
32 their seats opposite to us, with Ahmed Khaun, the eldest of the
33 number, at thdr head. Thej immediately entered on general oonver-
34 fatioo, ii^^rapened with many civil and fiiendly spocchoi} butthey
35 showed anestraofdinary lebictaiice toopen the business «i#the meetingi