1 rntsr
2 The German
3 chemist.
4 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS,
5 Again, a Monsieur F. by profession a chemist,
6 had been induced to relinquish a good appoint"
7 inent in the PacKa of Egypt’s Service, in order,
8 as he imagined, to acquire a fortune in the
9 Punjab, which he had been told was not a difficult
10 matter- Leaving his wife and family behind him,
11 this adventurous old man made bis way to Lahore
12 in company with the young German, formerly
13 alluded to, and through whose advice he had been
14 chiefly induced to undertake such a journey.
15 Monsieur F. brought all hiS chemical apparatus
16 along with him, and on his arrival at Lahore or
17 Umritsir, he had an audience of Runj'eet. Me
18 engaged to manufacture gunpowder for the Maha¬
19 rajah, of a superior quality: this pleased the latter,
20 and the only thing remaining to complete the
21 arrangement between them was the amount of
22 salary : but here lay the chief difficulty. Monsieur
23 F, demanded 3,000 rupees, or dESOO sterling per
24 mensem ; Runjeet offered him 500 rupees, or £50
25 sterling to commence with. Such a difference
26 could not well be adjusted, and after a short stay at
27 Lahore, Monsieur F. took his departure, thoroughly
28 disgusted with the treatment he had experienced,
29 which was so contrary to what he had been led to
30 expect from the representations of his fellow-travel¬
31 ler. I had the pleasure of seeing Monsieur F. at
32 Lahore; he appeared to be a good practical che¬
33 mist, and from the specimens of gunpowder ■ •which
34 he exhibited, there can be little doubt but the
35 manufacture of this important article would have