1 XO INTBODDCTIOH.
2 of the people also lost their way, and were mif<s?n<^ for a day <»r two,
3 during wbicb time they were in danger ot being lost in the uiuulia-
4 bited pHrLH tjl the desart, and were fired on by all the villages which
5 they a]>proached in hopes of getting guides or directiom ibr tbeir
6 journey. - ; ■ '" . •. I ' . ^^
7 'At iMt'oD the 5tb of November, in iSmvdM, ai m tnwt of iliaM
8 ttan ordSanacy dosdlrtion* we diMowrad the ivsUa ind tawen'oi
9 kaneer, whidi preMBCed the appearanee ut a great- end magnifibent
10 citj Inthemidrt of a wildenieiK Eyea afteriwe nedied cor pound
11 Ihate were dupiitee m enn^ whedierit ok Bdlf was moit mbsanmi
12 but «H«tteikiheraoqu«Dtaiiee removed tinaimpiei^^ Tkmimm-
13 viB sunounded bj a fine wall, strengthened with many round towers,
14 andcrownedwiththenaiialLidian battlements. It contained some hig^
15 hfloaasy' and tome temples, one of which had a lofty spire, and at one
16 comer was a very high and showy £oxt. It was distinguished by the
17 whiteness of all the buildings, arising from the material already de-
18 scribed at Chooroo, and by the absencp of trees, which givp most In-
19 dian towns the ap[:>earance of woods ratht r ilian of inhabited places.
20 The beauty of Bikaneer however was all i xiemal. On entering the
21 gates most of it was found to be cr>m|)( >sfHl of huts, with mud walls
22 painted reel It was exceedingly populous, perhaps from the number
23 of people who had fled to the capital in consequence of the state of
24 Iheoonatry. ■ '
25 Bikaneer waft'at this time invaded by Ato dilfeFent amiiea ; one of
26 which beSonging to tibe Bije of Joudpoor,'and 15j000 strongs had aap-
27 rived widiin a few mites of the dty. - Anodier amaUer Ibrce was
28 equally near, while the rest were endeavouring to reach ^ same
29 pomt by different nmtea*. A number' of predatoiy hone iiad also
30 been let loose to cut off the supplier of provisions fipoan the surround-
31 ing countries, on which a city situated like Bikaneer, must obviously
32 depend finr existenoe. The RiKjay on the other band* filled up all the
33 iMtwen d» lUiM «f Jowlpoar end Jjrpoq^^
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