1 238
2 HISTORY OF THE StCfIS.
3 rivers, laying waste the country with fife and
4 sword; on such forays Rmvjeet is obliged to bring
5 them back by means of his regular cavalry,-whom
6 they seldom or ever dare to encounter ; for they
7 seem to be guided more by the blind impulse ot the
8 moment, than by any preconcerted measures, and
9 arc alike careless of their own lives and of those of
10 others. On visiting the temple of the Ukalees at
11 IJmritsir, the stranger presents a few rupees, and in
12 return receives some sugar, while a small mirror
13 is held before his face, so as to reflect his image.
14 What the exact meaning of this ceremony is, I
15 have not been able to learn, though it is probably
16 meant to convey some moral, as u Know thyself."
17 After this it is advisable to retreat, otherwise
18 crowds of these fanatics collect around the visitor,
19 and commence their abuse, which is equally lavished
20 •on friend and foe. Their chief priest is most hi n-
21 tastically dressed in clothes of different colours,
22 above which, he wears the warlike insignia of bis
23 race. During Sir Henry Fade’s stay at Lahore, a
24 battalion of Ukalees vj marched past in review,
25 and made to salute the commander-hi-chief; in
26 the front and rear there were some regular troops,
27 in order to prevent their doing some mischief, on
28 which the Ukalees appear always bent. On one
29 occasion some years ago, an Ukalee attempted the
30 life of Runjeet, and made his escape across the
31 Sutlej. I once encountered a body of these people
32 trader the walls of the fort of Lahore; 1 had passed
33 their' encampment early in the morning, in cbm-