1 48 INTRODUCTION.
2 |pe i^proached, and we were received by a fair and poitly personage^
3 whom I afterwards understood to be the King's Iinaaiiiy and the head
4 of the religious eatabliahment He bowed as T rfime up, took my
5 hands between his, and placed' me by him, aller which he went
6 through the usual forms of welcome and inquiries. Opposite to me
7 were many of the chief lords of tlie ccnii t. some of whom had their
8 caps ornamented with jewels, and suruiouutei) hv plumes : lower
9 down were msny pei\soii>, some like Persianis and some like Doorau-
10 U^»; aud st iil lower, were some of the chiefs of the hill tribes near
11 Peshawer ; at the bottom were several persons in the strange fancifiil
12 caps whu ii are employed to distinguish the officera of the household.
13 They are generally black and red, but their varicU and their whimsi-
14 cal shapes baffle all description : little taste is displayed in them, and
15 tfa« efl^ IB not good.
16 ThelflUHim was » ruddy, good^bumoaied jboking mnif abdut fiwrty^
17 dreseed in a abawl mantle^ lined with fur, and in all respects like •
18 layman, Ha» however, soon cleaced up bis diaractarf by beginning-
19 a diapQurse on leligion. He inqiuied leapectiag tlie difbrent secli
20 aa^ong Chiistia&a, and eKpUdned dioae of bis own feligion. A good
21 looking and wdl dressed man, wbo aat on die opposite aide of the
22 foom, at some distance, then inquired into the state of kaming in
23 Pngland, the number of umversities, and the sciences taug|it at those
24 seminaries; when these < questifNis were answered, the same person
25 desired an explanation of our astronomical system ; but at tliis time,
26 tlie Chaous Baushee entered, and called out some words, on which all
27 present, except Mecr Abool Hussun, and his son, rose and followed
28 him. We had before this, more than once, heard a noise like a
29 charge of cavalry, vvhich was occasioned by tlie iron heeled boots of
30 the guards and otlu'rs, who were introduced by divisions to salute the
31 King, and wlio retired at a run, alter the ceremony was over.
32 ■ We were now lefl for some time in the Kishik Kliaum li, dm 11114
33 vvhich Meer Abool Hussun converseil with us, and discovered a luoat
34 extraordinary ignorance of every thing concerning us. He had at
35 ^st thou^t Uiat Calcutta was in England, and now discovered his
36 I
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