1 450 HISTORY OF THE PANJAB,
2 and so were the other attendants, for distribution among whom a sum of
3 Rs, 2,000 was sent. A friendly letter was then produced, enclosed in a
4 silken bag, fastened with a string of pearls. It was addressed to the
5 Letter totheKing Minister of His Majesty the King of England, in reply to the one sent by
6 ok EuBIA him to the Mahardjd. It was written in a very ornate style, in Persidn.
7 Lieutenant Burnes had the honour of being styled in it “the nightingale
8 of the garden of eloquence, and the bird of the winged words of sweet
9 discourse.” “On beholding the shoes of the horses sent by the King of
10 The envoy’s de- England,” says the letter, “the new moon turned pale with envy and nearly
11 parture from Lahore, % . .*, :
12 disappeared from the sky.” On presenting this’ letter, the Mahardjd em-
13 braced Lieutenant Burnes, and asked him to convey to the Governor-Gener-
14 al his high sentiments of esteem and regard. Lieutenant Burnes left
15 Lahore the same evening, on his journey to Simla, where he had been sum-
16 moned to give an account of his mission to Lord William Bentinck, the
17 Governor-General. :
18 jpupeeler Belen It may be worth while to note what became of the gifts which for
19 ° a time so much engrossed the attention of the Lahore Court, after the
20 mission, so splendidly received, had left. The stallion which accompanied
21 the team of cart horses, and which was remarkable for its enormous head
22 and massive legs, instead of being made use of for breeding purposes, for
23 which it had been sent, was put into the hands of a breaker to be taught
24 its paces. This unwieldy animal was an object of special curiosity with
25 the Sikhs, and stood always in the palace yard, or before the Mahardjd’s
26 tent, adorned with necklaces of precious stones and a golden saddle. The
27 mares were quite neglected, and the carriage sent; by the Governor-General,
28 after being looked at fora few days as a novelty, was allowed to lie by, as
29 a useless article, which was also the case with the highly’ ornamental
30 carriage sent to the Mahardjd by Lord Minto in 1810, which was already
31 lying neglected in the great arsenal at Léhore.
32 Beetles ee In June, 1828, Monsieur Victor Jacquemont, Travelling Naturalist to the
33 Jucquemont to Lihore, Royal Museum of Natural History of Paris, was deputed by the Council of
34 that Institution on a scientific mission to the countries of the east, to in-
35 vestigate the natural history of India in‘all its branches, and collect materials
36 wherewith to enrich the Museum and promote the progress of science. After,
37 travelling through various parts of India, this eminent naturalist reached
38 the Panjadb in March 18381, with a view to paying a visit to the Sikh capital.
39 He was received at Phillour on the Sutlej, by Shah Dfn, the son of Fakir
40 Aziz-ud-din, with military honours, At Léhore he was received with similar
41 honours, and a hearty reception was given him by his fellow-countrymen,
42 eae puts up in the Messrs. Allard, Ventura and Court. He alighted, as he describes in his
43 travels, ‘at the entrance of a delicious oasis, consisting of a large parterre of
44 carnations, irises and roses, with walks of orange trees and jasmine, bordered
45 with vases, in which a multitude of little fountains were playing.” This was
46 the celebrated garden of Shalémdar, laid out with great taste and elegance.
47 urinterview with the ~~ He had several interviews with the Mahardjd, and spent hours in conversing
48 ahuraja, _ ; m ° ae 5 = o
49 with him “de omnibus rebus et quibusdam aliis.”. “ His conversation,”
50 writes the traveller, “is like a nightmare. He isalmost the first inquisitive
51 Indian I have seen, and his curiosity balances the apathy of the whole of
52 his nation. He has asked me a@ hundred thousand questions about
53 India, the British, Europe, Bonaparte, this world in general and the next,
54 hell, paradise, the soul, God, the devil, and a myriad of others of the same
55 kind.” Monsieur Jacquemont, describes Ranjit as an extraordinary man, a
56 Bonaparte in miniature. The Mahardjé was at this time about to quit Ldhore,
57 Sri Satgua hagjiieoge Nebibieht Ventura to lemeMadblhRA@ gmalLcnhousand
58 g