1 8( INTRODUCTION.
2 Our road kj through thickets, as above described on the river side.
3 When we got near the end of our mardi, we diaoovered a party of
4 Peisian or Doonumee horse, drawn up across the way, and soon
5 learned they were one hundred horse who hm} come from the King,
6 and brought me a letter. Tlie whole of the trooj>s were dressed like
7 Persians, with coloured clothes, boots, and low sheepskin caps. They
8 hatl verv neat honsinj^s of lw]iard skin and other materials. They
9 wore Persian liilted swords, and had generally matchlocks ; some had
10 very short blunderbusses, with verv small stocks, and barrels of ex-
11 ceedingly thin iron, tied to their girciles. They had small, but light
12 aad good horses. Tliey were, on the whole, a ve ry lieat and orderly
13 party. After we came to our ground, they sent us twenty mule loads
14 of the Emits of Caubul, apples, grapes, &c.
15 Ln the evening, I went to a tent'pitdied about one bnndred yards
16 from mj camp, to receive a dress of honour sent me fiom ibe King.
17 I found die tent filled with the principal people fiom the King, stand*
18 ing with tbe same reqpect as if Hu M^esty had been present I was
19 instruoted to bow to the dress^ and was afterwards invested widi a
20 laige flowing lobe of goild dotib, lined widi sstin* wbidi I was toM
21 die King bimself bad worn : a sbawl was wound round my hatp and
22 tbe King's letter was stuck in it; another shawl was ghren to me for a
23 girdle, and all present said a short prayer. Tlie dreis was ridbt and
24 the shawls costly.
25 Next day» after passing through a country like that of the last day,
26 we came to sand, and soon after reached the village of Paharpoor,
27 which is scarcely less than Dera. We had hea:vy rain that night, and
28 at day-break we were struck with the appearance of the mountains of
29 Solimnim, which had been concealed for a week or more, by tliick
30 vapour, and now stood forth in new splendour ; the pure-
31 ness of the air, and the great addition of snow making them seem
32 higher and nearer than ever. (Xir march lay over sand, but betbre
33 the end of it, we reached scattered hills.
34 Our camp w jus pitched near the village of Puneealla, in a cheerful
35 and beautiful spot, sucli as one would iiguiu a scene in Arabia I'elix.
36 Digitized by Google