166 HABITS OF THE MEER. 



intoxicating drugs. Meer Moobaruk was a 

 very dissipated man ; in short, uncles, cousins, 

 all did their best to despoil Meer Ali Moorad 

 of his rights, and these events having occurred 

 at Khyrpoor, it is hardly sui'prising that the 

 Meer should dislike the place. His Highness, 

 however, rarely sleeps three nights running in 

 the same spot, for his habits are exceedingly 

 nomadic, and even when in a city he generally 

 sleeps in a tent. There is nothing too so par- 

 ticularly attractive in Khyrpoor as to induce 

 a prince at Meer Ali Moorad's age to forego 

 the indulgence of a taste which has become a 

 principle of his very existence. The luxuries 

 of the most refined civilization have no charm 

 for Meer Ali Moorad ; when in England he 

 was courted and sought after in the highest 

 circles, but the late hours of London parties 

 were little to his taste, and His Highness could 

 rarely be persuaded to attend them. All his 

 habits were most simple ; he rose early, visited 

 any public functionaries with whom he had 

 business ; and then generally proceeded to the 

 Kilburn shooting ground, where he practised 

 firing at a mark for two or throe hours, re- 

 turned home to dhmer, and was generally in 



