1 (rose-lady). She had been for the lust, lew years a kenehinee
2 f dancing girl) in the* .ervice of Hi inject: Sing, ami she knew so
3 well how to ingratiate herself with her patron, that he did not
4 hesitate publicly to celebrate his nuptials, and declare his
5 marriage a legal one; for he cared not for public opinion, deem¬
6 ing that a sovereign ought to have the highest authority, and an
7 independent will. She forsook the Mahomedim religion, con*
8 tinned to drink spirits, and she ate pork, just like lit inject him¬
9 self, and afterwards lived a retired life. She ruled the country,
10 hut only for a short time, and she actually caused (in concert
11 with himself) her own husband Rnnjeet to be imprisoned, taking,
12 however, advantage of that opportunity to extort money from
13 the minister, as he was ready to ransom his lord and master
14 at any price. The whole affair was, in fact, a plot, concocted
15 betwom her and Rnnjeet Sing. A royal princess had died,
16 whose fortune, according to the custom of that country, ought
17 to have been taken possession of hy Goolbegoom, as the regent
18 princess. The inheritance, which consisted chiefly ol jewels,
19 was not sufficient to cover the deficiency ol the maharajah ■■
20 treasury; and the minister to whom he applied for assistance
21 could not afford, or would not provide the sum required. In
22 that difficulty, ltunjeet Sing played the thief, and stole (as
23 previously arranged) the said jewels; at which, the Itanee
24 (ioolbogoom manifested such indignation, that she cast him into
25 prison, firmly convinced that the. miserly minister would no
26 longer hesitate to procure the money required for the release
27 of the sovereign, who was then undergoing such ignominy.
28 Similar oriental tricks were not uncommon with ltunjeet Sing,
29 hut tins is not the place to enumerate them.
30 Mv return to my native country was vie Moot tan and Dliera-
31 Gliasi-Kluun, where General Ventura was then governor. As
32 1 had provided myself with vaccine matter to use for my
33 journey, the general wished me to vaccinate his darling child.
34 Madame- Ventura was opposed to my commencing with hei little
35 daughter Victorine, so her husband ordered some poor children
36 to he brought from the bazaar at DLcra, whom 1 vaccinated,