THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 59 



her own husband Runjeet to be imprisoned, taking, however, 

 advantage of that opportunity to extort money from the 

 minister, as he was ready to ransom his lord and master at 

 any price. The whole affair was, in fact, a plot, concocted 

 between her and Runjeet Sing. A royal princess had died, 

 whose fortune, according to the custom of that country, 

 ought to have been taken possession of by Goolbegoom, as 

 the regent princess. The inheritance, which consisted 

 chiefly of jewels, was not sufficient to cover the deficiency 

 of the maharaja's treasury ; and the minister to whom he 

 applied for assistance could not afford, or would not provide 

 the sum required. In that difficulty, Runjeet Sing played 

 the thief, and stole ( as previously arranged ) the said jewels ; 

 at which the Ranee Goolbegoom manifested such indig- 

 nation, that she cast him into prison, firmly convinced that 

 the miserly minister would no longer hesitate to procure 

 the money required for the release of the sovereign, who 

 was then undergoing such ignominy. Similar oriental 

 tricks were not uncommon with Runjeet Sing, but this is 

 not the place to enumerate them. 



My return to my native country was vici Mooltan and 

 Dhera-Ghasi-Khan, where General Ventura was then 

 governor. As I had provided myself with vaccine matter 

 to use for my journey, the general wished me to vaccinate 

 his darling child. Madame Ventura was opposed to my 

 commencing with her little daughter Victorine, so her 

 husband ordered some poor children to be brought from the 

 bazaar at Dhera, whom I vaccinated, and to each of them 

 he gave a rupee, as a remuneration. On the eighth day, 

 on which the children ought to have come to me, that I 

 might take the vaccine matter for further use, no one appear- 

 ed, and I was told that their alarmed parents had removed 

 them from the town. The parents had heard a rumour that 

 on the eighth day, on their re-appearance, the Feringhee 

 ( European ) doctor would cut the moomiai from their arm, 

 which operation was supposed to endanger life ; but on 

 General Ventura's threatening the kotoal ( police officer ) 

 with imprison meat, oae of the boys was brought to me ou 



12 



