1 IKTRODUCTION.
2 58
3 ftfuid of Indians, droMod like Sepoya» a which we ne-
4 ter saw again. We were then oonducted in silenee thzoog^ various
5 courts, filled with giuods, and up sevraral flights of steps scarcely li^il>
6 ed, till we csme to a small lobby ahnost dark, at tbe .foot of a long
7 and narrow stahrcase. Here we finmd a £ew penmis» Mnong whan
8 waa Meer Abool Hvstmi Khaun, some sitting* and some atandingb
9 like servants in their master's lobby. After some time, a man, very
10 richly ilressed, came to summon us to the Kin^. We ascended the
11 narrow stair-case, entered a small room, neatly painted, and spread
12 with a very fine silken caqiet, and went on through several rooms of" the
13 same kind, and through sworal passa«;e8. The doors ot' liII wore closed
14 by curtains of embrmdered silk or brocade. All the rooms \vi k batiiy
15 lightetl, and all were empty but one, where the King's caileaunchee
16 sat in a niche in the wall. At lengtli, on raising a curtain, we dis-
17 covered a room well liL^hteil up, where the King was seated. It was
18 a small but verv neat and conilbrtable apartment, with a ree^s or bow
19 window, a few inches liigher than the rest of the room, from which it
20 was divided by two or three painted pillars. The Kiiig sat back ia
21 the middle of the recess, and a eunvdi stood in each of its six comers
22 with his hands croasod befiwe Um. We sat in the lower pait of tbe
23 roonif dose to tiie pillars. Hie Imaum s^ood by us, and Aleer Abool
24 'Hussmit widi three other persons, stood beliind us against ihe wiilL
25 Hie Kjng wore a mantle of shawl, embroidered with gold, wludi had
26 a very handsome border wrou|^ with jewcila. His crown - waa qoite
27 different from that we first saw : it was ahi^ red cap, round the bot-
28 tom of which was a broad border of jeweb, fixed on black velvet*
29 with a magnificent oraamait in firont; fiom this border rose two nar*
30 warn aidies of gold and jewds, which crossed each.other, like Ihoseqf
31 an ^nopean oown. The whole had a fine elfecL On entering, we
32 made a bow, and sat down. The Kix^ welcomed us ; and said he
33 had sent for us that we might converse without reserve. He after-
34 wards expressed his hope that we did not find our residence at Be^
35 faawer unpleasant, and his regret that he was not at Caubul when we
36 arrived. Uesaid something in fivronr of that country* which was ta^
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