1 164 CONDUCT OF RUNJEET SINGH. A. D. 1831.
2 outer tent, all the European gentlemen were collected,
3 and RuNJEET Singh was detained in it a short time,
4 that several of them might be presented to him, standing,
5 as he passed through. In a further tent chairs were laid
6 out, and the Muha-Raja, with the chiefs of his nomina-
7 tion, and some select officers of the suite, was led thither
8 by the Governor General for a more private conference.
9 It was amusing to see the pains taken by Runjeet
10 Singh in the arrangement of his part of the ceremony.
11 He waited at the door of the outer tent, and himself
12 called, and told off, the chiefs that were to proceed to
13 the inner, making them precede himself in order to
14 prevent confusion or crowding. They were all like him-
15 self dressed in yellow, that and light green being the
16 favorite colours of his court, and called Busuntee,
17 or the colours of spring. Some wore elegant highly
18 polished armour, with scarfs of this colour, and the
19 splendour of the attire of all was very striking. The
20 inquisitive, and apparently frank manner of the Sikh
21 Chief, made the conference pass off with more liveliness
22 than is usual on such occasions of ceremony. Presents of
23 every variety of manufactured stuffs, which had previous-
24 ly been sent for, from Calcutta, Dacca, and Bunarus,
25 ■with guns and jewels of value, a fine Burmese elephant,
26 and two select thorough-bred young horses from the
27 Hissar stud, were laid out, or passed in review before
28 his Highness. Dresses of honor, and presents were
29 also laid out for the heir-apparent, and other chiefs,
30 according to a list obtained from his Highness. Tiie
31 Muha-Raja examined carefully every article of his own
32 present, and then sent for the keeper of Lis wardrobe,
33 and desired him to receive charge, and pack up the
34 articles forthwith. He took his leave, apparently highly