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2 which Kmiject Sing took «! lily, anil the strong spirits lie to
3 drink at different, hours of the day, transported him into a kind
4 of excitement, which manifested itself in die highest degree in
5 the evening, after die enjoyment of larger portions of spirits.
6 Every one loved and feared him at the same time. lie hod an
7 army of 100,000 men, inspiring awe and respect, half of w hom
8 were regular and the other half irregular troops, with whom In
9 might have enforced his law son all the Hindoos; nevertlu le.->s
10 he entertained the greatest friendship with his neighbours the
11 English, and manifested his favour towards the French, the
12 Italians, and other European nations, by making them governors
13 in his provinces. Ilis disease was brought on by a severe cold,
14 and by indulging somewhat too much in strong spirits. The
15 latter I am told was especially the case during the winter in
16 which the Governor-General of India, Lord Auckland, came, to
17 Lahore to pay him a visit. In die transport of his joy, he drank
18 more than ordinarily. I’rohaldy, if an emeiic had been givi n at
19 the com men cement of the disease, it would hat e produced a goixl
20 effect; bu as the native physicians did not know of any good
21 and effective emetic, and are fearful, also, of the effects of
22 vomiting, they prefer using purgatives, by which sometimes
23 the disease grows worse, as the case above related sufficiently
24 proves.
25 It made a very deep impression on my feelings to have been
26 prevented from making myself useful to the maharajah, and
27 restoring to. health the man on whose life was depending the
28 happiness, peace and prosperity of that country. Every one
29 whose forethought enabled him to throw a glance or^.the future,
30 must have seen witli pain and sorrow that a violent crisis menaced
31 that country, by which a nation scarcely risen from barbarity
32 might sink back into its former condition.
33 The first sad and cruel scene that I witnessed after the death
34 of Runjeet Sing, was tin Suttee, or burning of his eleven
35 wives, along with the laxly of the deceased. There were four
36 ranees (legal wives), and seven female slnv *», who, animated
37 with the superstitious hope of entering; paradise with their