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2 (rose-lady). She had been for the last few years a kenchinee
3 (dancing girl) in the service of Runjeet Sing, and she knew so
4 well how to ingratiate herself with her patron, that he did not
5 hesitate publicly to celebrate his nuptials, and declare his
6 marriage a legal one ; for he cared not for public opinion, deem-
7 ing that a sovereign ought to have the highest authority, and an
8 independent will. She forsook the Mahomedan religion, con-
9 tinued to drink spirits, and she ate pork, just like Runjeet him-
10 self, and afterwards lived a retired life. She ruled the country,
11 but only for a short time, and she actually caused (in concert
12 with himself) her own husband Runjeet to be imprisoned, taking,
13 however, advantage of that opportunity to extort money from
14 the minister, as he was ready to ransom his lord and master
15 at any price. The whole affair was, in fact, a plot, concocted
16 between her and Runjeet Sing. A royal princess had died,
17 whose fortune, according to the custom of that country, ought
18 to have been taken possession of by Goolbegoom, as the regent
19 princess. The inheritance, which consisted chiefly of jewels,
20 was not sufficient to cover the deficiency of the maharajah's
21 treasury ; and the minister to whom he applied for assistance
22 could not afford, or would not provide the sum required. In
23 that difficulty, Runjeet Sing played the thief, and stole (as
24 previously arranged) the said jewels; at which the Ranee
25 Goolbegoom manifested such indignation, that she cast him into
26 prison, firmly convinced that the miserly minister would no
27 longer hesitate to procure the money required for the release
28 of the sovereign, who was then undergoing such ignominy.
29 Similar oriental tricks were not uncommon with Runjeet Sing,
30 but this is not the place to enumerate them.
31 My return to my native country was via Mooltan and Dhera-
32 Ghasi-Khan, where General Ventura was then governor. As
33 I had provided myself with vaccine matter to use for my
34 journey, the general wished me to vaccinate his darling child.
35 Madame Ventura was opposed to my commencing with her little
36 daughter Victorine, so her husband ordered some poor children
37 to be brought from the bazaar at Dhera, whom I vaccinated,