1 My['J HtSTOllV OF TITF, SIKHS. 287
2 rajah himself, the utmost politeness was always
3 shown'-'by his British visitors, and he saw nothing to
4 .find fault with in their conduct to lhm ; but not so
5 his prime minister and great sirdars. They expect¬
6 ed civility at least, and when disappointed in this,
7 they naturally formed a dislike to the parties con¬
8 cerned. The late .Dhvan Singh has often remarked
9 to ourselves, that he was disposed to like the
10 British, but he could not comprehend them, and
11 Was annoyed at their not treating him with the
12 respect which every gentleman expects from ano¬
13 ther “-adding “ I am as good as they, a Rajpoot
14 and a soldier. 1 ’ Though apologizing for our coun¬
15 trymen, we fear the reasons assigned by the rajah
16 ha ve too much foundation in truth. The ignorance
17 of the language of the Punjabees often exposed the
18 officers of the Queen’s service, who went to Lahore,
19 to the imputation of intentional rudeness. At a
20 dinner party given by the political agent to the
21 late Sir Henry Fane and his staff at Lahore in
22 1837, weh appened to be sitting next to Soochet
23 Singh, who was invited as a spectator. He was
24 much delighted at the sight of the guests, and
25 seeing them addressing each other, he thought it
26 due politeness for himself to speak to some of the
27 general staff, expecting a civil answer at the least.
28 But to the rajah’s amazement, his question, though
29 put in good Oordoo, only elicited a stare! He
30 made several ineffectual efforts to enter into friendly
31 conversation, when his temper at length became
32 ruffled, and he appealed to us if Jus language were