1 HISTOItY OF THE SIKHS. 261
2 >eeh greatly improved under such skilful hands,
3 had the expenditure suited Runjeet’s views. An
4 Italian, Monsieur B., who visited Lahore in search
5 of employment, met with no better success; he
6 was requested to construct a road from General
7 Ventura/s house to Lahore, which he did, and so
8 highly was the Maharajah pleased with it, that he
9 told him to make out an estimate for one that
10 should extend round the city and fort of Lahore, a
11 distance of several miles. On presenting his esti¬
12 mate, to dm poor Italian’s amazement, instead of
13 twenty or twenty-five thousand rupees, the amount
14 of it, Runjeet offered him three thousand. Here
15 •the affair dropped, and Monsieur B„ like the rest,
16 embraced s the first opportunity of quitting the
17 Punjab, which he did without taking formal leave of
18 the Maharajah.
19 These instances will suffice to show the kind of
20 treatment which adventurers meet with at the pre ¬
21 sent day from the ruler of the Punjab : it was diffe¬
22 rent in former.years y but Kwnjeet’s notions regard¬
23 ing the value of their services are now changed, and
24 he either fancies that he can dispense with them
25 altogether, or, what is more probable, he grudges
26 the pay which every gentleman resorting thither
27 expects for his services. Some time ago, he wanted
28 an European medical officer to be Stationed at his
29 court, and issued a purwanah, or order, for the at¬
30 tendance of Dr. D., formerly in the service of the
31 late Begum Soomroo; his chief reason for this
32 choice (which was in every respect a judicious one)