114 THE travellers' BUNGALOW. 



of dust-storms. The out-offices were spacious, 

 and afforded shelter to all our followers and the 

 Meer's live and dead stock. The bungalow 

 was in charge of a Portuguese butler, whom we 

 always found obliging when sober, but unluck- 

 ily he was generally in his cups towards even- 

 ing, when he quarrelled and fought with our 

 own major domo, albeit a Portuguese of Goa, 

 like himself On the morning after our arrival 

 we had a visit of ceremony from the son and 

 Goomashtah of Hote Singh, the Meer's con- 

 fidential man in pecuniary matters. Those 

 worthies brought the usual offering of sweet- 

 meats, fruit, &c., and were very obliging; at 

 my request they despatched a Sarnee Sowar^ or 

 camel hurkai'U; as we should style him in India, 

 in search of the Meer, to whom I wrote for in- 

 structions regarding his servants. Three days 

 afterwards a Persian letter arrived from His 

 Highness' Mooktyar Kar, or minister, request- 

 ing me to let him know the number of boats, 

 camels, horses, and carts I should require for 

 His Highness' servants, one of whom had 

 brought out an English wife. These being sup- 

 plied, the people embarked in two large boats 

 of the Indus, which dropped down the stream 



