311 THE EASTERN HUNTERS. 



great expense in altering a portion of his palace, in 

 order that the passage "by which he descended to the 

 door where it was usual to receive the political 

 officers, should be a few feet shorter, or a step or 

 two less." 



" A fool and his money are soon parted," observed 

 Mackenzie. " I believe it is customary at some of 

 the native courts for officers to take off their shoes, is 

 it not, Norman \ You have seen something of them." 



" Yes ; and it is a custom which, in my opinion, 

 should be done away with. The uncovering of the 

 head among Europeans answers the same purpose of 

 respect, as denuding the feet among Orientals, and 

 it should be accepted as conveying such. But some 

 of these old long-descended Kajpoot families, with 

 their traditions from remote ages, are proud as 

 Lucifer, and cannot bear the idea of such a change." 



" Are they of such ancient lineage then ? " de- 

 manded Hawkes. 



" Yes, many can trace back their pedigree so far, 

 that the oldest of European families is comparatively 

 one of quite modern date. They take especial pride 

 in it ; and there are tribes whose peculiar duty it 

 is to keep the genealogical records and traditions 

 and legends of the race- I mean the ' Charuns ' 

 and ' Bhats ' (genealogists and minstrels). But it's 

 time to bathe, so come along." 



