1 A. D. 1829. PRESENT FROM THE KING TO RUNJKET. 153
2 establishment, and cares only for entire horses of high
3 coarage, well broken in to the manege of Hindoostan,
4 that he can ride himself, on parade, or on the road, or set
5 his choice sirdars and favorites upon. The result fally
6 showed this, for when the cart horses arrived at his court,
7 the stallion was immediately pnt into the breaker's hands,
8 and taught the artificial paces usual. This animal with
9 its enormous head, and coarse legs, stands always in the
10 palace yard, or before the tent of the chief, decorated
11 with a golden saddle, and necklaces of precious stones,
12 and is sometimes honored by being crossed by Runjbet
13 Singh himself. The mares are never looked at, and are
14 matters of absolute indifference to the Sikh. It is, how-
15 ever, an anticipation to state what happened on the ar-
16 rival of the animals, their adventures on the road to Labor,
17 involved matters of higher interest.
18 It was resolved to make the transmission of this pre-
19 sent, a means of obtaining information in regard to the
20 Indus, and the facilities, or the contrary, it might offer to
21 navigation. The recent successes of Russia in Persia,
22 and the probability of that power entertaining further
23 designs, either present, or hereafter, when the succes-
24 sion of Abbas Meerza to the throne of Persia, micrht
25 render that kingdom a province of Russia, made it desir-
26 able, that every intelligence should be collected, as to the
27 frontier states of India, and the means of defence offered
28 by this great river barrier in particular. The dray
29 horses were accordingly sent out to Bombay, and the
30 Supreme Government instructed Sir John Malcolm,
31 the Governor of that presidency, to take measures to have
32 them forwarded under charge of an intelligent and pru-
33 dent officer, in boats up the Indus. Some demur was
34 u