1 RUNJEET SINGH TO NOO NEHAL SINGH. 17
2 from the royal treasury, during the constant
3 succession of troubles, it is doubtful if any court
4 in Europe possesses such valuable jewels as the
5 court of Lahore. Some idea of the vast pro-
6 perty accumulated by Runjeet Singh may be
7 formed from the circumstance of no less than
8 thirteen hundred various kinds of bridles, mas-
9 sively ornamented with gold and silver, some
10 of them even with diamonds, being found in the
11 royal treasury.
12 The funeral obsequies of this extraordinary
13 man were too remarkable not to be mentioned
14 here. Upon his death being made public, the
15 whole of the Sikh Sirdars at Lahore, assembled
16 to do honour to his suttee, and four of his
17 favourite queens, together with seven female
18 slaves, having, in conformity with the horrible
19 practice of the country, expressed their intention
20 of burning themselves upon his funeral pile,
21 preparations were immediately made for the
22 solemnity. It is said that much dissuasion is
23 exercised in cases of suttee ; ostensibly such may
24 be the case ; but in private, every argument to
25 the contrary is made use of by the relatives of
26 the wretched victim, and the promise once given
27 cannot be retracted. A street of a double line
28 of infantry having been formed, the procession
29 proceeded at a slow pace to its destination, only a
30 quarter of a mile distant, and within the precincts