1 ROYAL VISIT TO LAHORE. 597
2 Early on the morning of 18th January, His Royal Highness reached
3 Ldhore by special train. He was received on the platform of the Railway
4 Station by the Lieutenant-Governor of the Panjéb (Sir Henry Davies), the
5 chief civil and military officials of the province, and a very large assemblage
6 of Europeans. The royal cortége, in passing round the city, had a full view
7 of the encampments of the ruling chiefs of the Panjab, which were pitched
8 on the parade ground, north of the citadel. Each Rdéjd had his separate ground
9 assigned to him, and a banner which waved before each encampment, marked
10 the spot. ‘The tramp of horses, fantastically decorated with embroidered
11 saddle-cloths, the trumpeting of elephants, richly caparisoned with gold and
12 silver howdas, the roll of drums and the roar of artillery, gave a thoroughly
13 eastern character to the scene. Hach prince vied with his neighbour in
14 magnificence. Their infantry soldiers, armed with shields and matchlocks,
15 and troops of cavalry, clad in chain armour, and armed with lance and
16 sword, with shining breastplate and morion, presented a most picturesque
17 appearance. The chiefs who had assembled to pay homage to the heir and
18 representative of their august Sovereign, belonged to different nationalities
19 and races, and their armed retainers consisted of the flower of Panjab
20 chivalry. The regular and irregular troops of these chiefs lined the roads
21 and saluted the Prince as he passed.
22 At Government House, His Royal Highness received the address* of the
23 Municipality. This was followed by a grand levee of European officers, after
24 which the ruling chiefs of the Panjdb were introduced to the -Prince, in the
25 order of their precedence. The Prince, with his staff, next drove to the citadel,
26 and, mounting the high tower of the Shish Mahal, or Palace of Mirrors, had ,,
27 a full view of the surrounding country—the luxuriant plains with their rich
28 foliage of trees on one side, the densely populated city with its spacious houses,
29 lofty minarets, gilded domes and elegant temples on the other, and the
30 placid river, like a silvery streak, flowing to the north-west. It was the place
31 where the “ Lion of Léhore,” as Ranjit Singh was called, used to watch the
32 rising sun, and survey at his ease the movements of his troops on the plains
33 below, as well as the bustle of life in the city, The palace sparkles with
34 the glittering of myriads of tiny mirrors, and is historically interesting
35 as the place where the sovereignty of the Panjéb was formally ceded by
36 the Sikhs to the British Government. In the armoury, the Prince saw the
37 weapons employed by the Sikhs, and the arms usedin warfare by Govind,
38 their martial Guru. His attention was attracted by a tiny cannon, mounted
39 on a revolving frame, which was said to have been used as a toy by Dulip
40 Singh, when he was a little boy. At the desire of His Royal Highness
41 the toy was sent to Bombay, to be conveyed to England as an object of
42 interest.
43 On the forenoon of the 19th, His Royal Highness opened the Soldiers’
44 Industrial Exhibition at Midn Mir, where some hillmen exhibited some very
45 fine falcons, hunting eagles, short-winged hawks, shaggy deer-hounds, and
46 Thibetan mastiffs, In the evening a grand féte was given in the Shalamar
47 Gardens, which were brilliantly illuminated. ;
48 On the 20th January, the Prince paid a visit to Jammu. The Maharaja
49 had constructed a splendid palace, on the summit of a ridge above Jammu, ex-
50 pressly for the reception of His Royal Highness, at an enormous cost. It was
51 gorgeously decorated, and carpeted with the richest pashmina. The Maha-
52 rdjé received his royal guest with the greatest honour. There was a Darbar
53 and a display of fireworks, the festivities ending with a sporting expedition, 10
54 which His Royal Highness took part. On his return to Wazirdbad, the Prince
55 se Pe ig ne Rae ea oy ee se ee) eee eg
56 * Vide Appendix I.
57 Visit to LAhare.
58 The camps of the
59 ruling chiefs,
60 The Libore Munici-
61 pal address.
62 Visit to the Fort.
63 The Palace of
64 irrors.
65 The armoury,
66 Opening of the
67 Soldiers’ Industrial
68 Exhibition, Mian Mfr.
69 Féte in the Shalamar
70 Gardens.
71 Visit to Jammu
72 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com