1 A.D. 1811. IMPUTATIONS TO WHICH IT GAVE RISE. 85
2 ancient Rome. The Chief himself would parade the
3 streets in a state of inebriety, on the same elephant with
4 his courtezans, amonji^st whom one named Mora acquir-
5 ed most celebrity by her shamelessness, and by the favor
6 with which she was treated. Coin was at one time struck
7 in her name, and her influence seemed without bounds.
8 In August of this year, however, she was discarded, and
9 sent to be incarcerated in Puthan-Kot, and the favor she
10 enjoyed seemed to be transferred to the Brahmin youth
11 and his brothers. If this conduct in the ruler of Labor
12 should excite surmises, as to the motives of the ex-
13 traordinary attachment shown to a graceful youth of
14 the appearance of Khooshhal Singh, the reader
15 must yet make allowances for the habits in which the
16 Chief was brought up, and the examples by which he
17 was surrounded. The Sikhs are notoriously addicted to
18 * paederasty, and other unnatural lusts, and the worst that
19 is said of Roman and Grecian indulgence in such propensi-
20 ties, would find a parallel at the Durbars of the Chiefs
21 of this nation on either side of the Sutlej. The truth of
22 history forbids the veil being thrown altogether over such
23 facts and traits of character, howsoever revolting it may
24 ''be to allude to them. But the reputation ofRuNJEET
25 Singh, though justly, it is feared, tainted with the foal
26 blemish, does not suffer in the eyes of his nation from
27 this cause, howsoever the circumstance may be regarded
28 by strangers.
29 Of the twelve original Misuls, or confederacies of
30 the Sikhs, there were now remaining in the Punjab,
31 only that of RuNJEET Singh himself, the Sookur-
32 chukea, with the Ghuneea, Ramgurhea, and Aloowala,
33 all closely associated with him, and ranged it may be