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2 that, at five o’clock in the afternoon, he ordered the minister,
3 Dhyan Sing, to put a pair of gold bracelets on my arms, valued
4 at five hundred rupees, in his own presence and in that of the
5 durbar ; this present was accompanied with two Cashmere shawls
6 of the same value, and, whilst I sat on the floor, the minister
7 laid them upon my shoulders, the maharajah telling me that my
8 physic had produced in him the best effect. It was, of course,
9 quite natural that this event should fill my heart with joy, as it
10 inspired me with the hope that the king would soon recover, and
11 thus lay the first stone of my reputation and future fortune.
12 This scene took place in the royal garden, Shahbelore, two miles
13 from the city, where I had resided for three days. On the fourth
14 day, early in the morning, the minister allowed me to visit my
15 patients in the city; but while there, I heard that several mounted
16 messengers had been despatched from Shahbelore to request me to
17 return to that place. I galloped back ; and on the road I over-
18 took some hakims (Mohamedan physicians) and astrologers, travel-
19 ling the same way, on elephants, on horseback, or carried in palan-
20 quins, from which I presumed that the maharajah had met with
21 some accident, which made me very anxious. Arrived at Shah-
22 belore, I was told that the maharajah had an attack of fever. On
23 examining him, however, I could not find the least symptom of
24 fever, it being in fact only excitement. The gudwai, who was
25 in charge of the medicine, was of opinion that the fever proceeded
26 from too great a dose, which the maharajah had asked for on the
27 previous evening, namely, two drops at once ; but I thought that
28 could not be the cause of the alteration, one drop more or less not
29 being able to produce such an effect. The physicians of the
30 city were invited to a consultation. That was all they desired ; for
31 they had been touched to the quick on hearing that the maharajah
32 was recovering, and that he had made me presents of gold and
33 robes of honour. They would have preferred seeing the king
34 die, rather than acknowledge me, an European, as his saviour.
35 That was the reason why all my endeavours and all my demon-
36 strations turned out fruitless. The prudent minister was of
37 opinion, that it did not lie in his power to decide ; the fakeer,