1 His attention
2 10 the poor.
3 pgjll^
4 Ilf
5 history ok the sikih.
6 (si.
7 ii
8 not intelligible Hindostanee? We assented,
9 then Is it/’ he indignantly enquired, «that General
10 G. Colonel D. and others • do not reply to me ?"
11 We pleaded their ignorance of the language ; but
12 the rajah shook his head and insisted that it was
13 pride on their part, and that they appeared to
14 despise him. The sirdars are in general polite
15 men, and their manner such as to make a favourable'
16 impression on strangers. Their language, when
17 addressing you in the Punjabee is soft and pleas-
18 mg. No gutturals, and few dentals find a place in
19 the delivery, in short, it may be called the Doric
20 ot the east. Still it may be difficult of attainment
21 to British officers, from the want of opportunity,
22 heretofore, of hearing it spoken. Our intercourse
23 with the Punjab ofiate, will remove this obstacle,
24 and the Punjabee will no doubt become a favourite
25 study. Runjeet Singh spoke it fluently, though
26 he knew Oordoo tolerably well, but preferred
27 conversing in the former.
28 difficulty experienced by the poor and
29 The
30 needy in presenting their petitions to kings, is well-
31 known in Europe, and exists in a still more marked
32 degro - in the East, not. only among crowned heads,
33 but their meanest attendants. In order to over¬
34 come, this difficulty, and learn all the grievances of
35 his people, the Maharajah had a place at the palace
36 accessible to all, where their petitions were lodged,
37 and received into a box, the key of which was kept
38 Bv
39 m his own possession
40 quired information that could never
41 means, he ac-
42 otherwise have