1 290
2 HISTORi' OF THK SIKHS.
3 appointed if he were to adopt the plan pursued by
4 the ' u Ungrez bahadurT He was anxious to imitate
5 us in warfare and discipline, but there were some
6 old deep-rooted practices which he could not fore ¬
7 go, and though liberal and lavish to some, he was
8 in. his old age extremely avaricious, and fond of
9 money. We have alluded to the Maharajahs
10 love for horses. It will, surprise opr readers to be
11 told, that he had no Arab horses in his stud. The
12 excuse he made for this, was the high prices
13 demanded for the animals, which he said he
14 could not afford. His favourites were a white
15 breed, chiefly found at Dhunee atm.,other places in
16 the Punjab. He had several Persian horses and
17 Toorkees irrhis possession, the latter being strong
18 serviceable animals, for which he often paid high
19 prices. The Maharajah was an excellent horse¬
20 man, and continued o take exercise on horseback
21 to the latest period of his life, even when oblige
22 to be lifted on the animal’s back. He was amused
23 once at seeing a British officer mounted on a camel,
24 and did not appear 'to envy his rough scat* though
25 he -.employed the animal in his army mountedwith
26 swivels, and also for his sowars when bearing
27 messages. He possessed great numbers of ele¬
28 phants, and their howdahs and trappings were
29 splendidly adorned with gold and silver,
30 It has been, supposed that Runjeet imported
31 cannon from England and France, but this seems
32 very doubtful, since, under the superintendance of
33 Monsieur Court, he manufactured guns of a service¬
34 able kind, as fully proved in after years.