4 MEER ALI MOOR AD. 



It is unnecessary lierc to detail tlie circum- 

 stances that caused our journey to this city, but 

 sucli of our readers as have any curiosity on the 

 subject may gratify it by perusing a Blue Book 

 containing the report of a Parliamentary In- 

 quii-y which took place in March, 1858. Suf- 

 fice it therefore to say that on arrival we located 

 ourselves in that admirable hostel, the Hotel de la 

 Ville, which is, I believe, the best of the many 

 excellent ones in Trieste, and immediately inti- 

 mated our advent to His Highness IMeer Ali 

 Moorad, to whom we paid our respects on the 

 following morning. The Meer's delight at see- 

 ing us was unbounded, for, as he observed, " he 

 then knew that he had friends around him," 

 and his situation had previously been gloomy 

 enough, his funds being exhausted, and neither 

 himself nor his attendants understanding any 

 Em'opean language. It thus became necessary 

 for some European gentleman, well acquainted 

 with Oriental languages, to accompany the Meer 

 back to India ; and as His Highness wished me 

 to accept the office of secretar}^, I was persuaded 

 to do so, [liaving been previously in his employ, 

 and feeling a warm interest for him,] on the un- 

 derstanding that I should bo allowed to retui'n 



