Royal Gardens of Lahore. 31? 



a foreign country. His all consisted of one sorry horse, and 

 a very small sum of money, which had proceeded from the 

 sale of his other effects. Placing his wife upon the horse, he 

 walked by her side. She happened to be with child, and 

 could ill endure the fatigue of so great a journey. Their 

 scanty pittance of money was soon expended ; they had even 

 subsisted for some days upon charity, when they arrived on 

 the skirts of the Great Solitudes, which separate Tartary from 

 the dominions of the family of Timur, in India. No house was 

 there to cover them from the inclemency of the weather — no 

 hand to relieve their wants. To return, was certain misery ; to 

 proceed, apparent destruction. They had fasted three days : 

 to complete their misfortunes, the wife of Aiass was taken in 

 labour. She began to reproach her husband for leaving his 

 native country at an unfortunate hour ; for exchanging a quiet, 

 though poor life, for the ideal prospect of wealth in a distant 

 country. In this distressed situation she brought forth a 

 daughter. They remained in the place for some hours, with a 

 vain hope that travellers might pass that way. They were 

 disappointed : human feet seldom tread these deserts. The 

 sun declined apace : they feared the approach of night ; the 

 place was the haunt of wild beasts ; and should they escape 

 their hunger, they must fall by their own. Chaja Aiass, in this 

 extremity, having placed his wife on the horse, found himself 

 so much exhausted that he could scarcely move. To carry the 

 child was impossible : the mother could not even hold herself 

 fast on the horse. A long contest began between humanity 

 and necessity ; the latter prevailed, and they agreed to expose 

 the child on the highway. The infant, covered with leaves, 

 was placed under a tree, and the disconsolate parents pro- 

 ceeded in tears. When they had advanced about a mile from, 

 the place, and the eyes of the mother could no longer dis- 

 tinguish the solitary tree under which her daughter had been 

 left, she gave way to grief, and throwing herself from the 

 horse to the ground, exclaimed, " My child, my child ! " She 

 endeavoured to raise herself; but she had no strength to 

 return. Aiass was pierced to the heart. He prevailed upon 



