YIZIER'S 187 



that his Highness would not be easy until he 

 possessed them. After having withstood all 

 entreaties for several days, he consented to 

 sell the cage and mice for ten thousand 

 rupees, [1250,] and I heard, that the Vizier 

 offered him five or six thousand rupees, which 

 he declined. The whole sum would have 

 been given, had not the Vizier's Minister 

 persuaded him to wait a few days, and see if 

 they would not be surrendered at the price he 

 had offered. In the mean time whilst the 

 negotiation was pending, a man brought a 

 cage full of these white mice, which his High- 

 ness bought for a few rupees; to the great 

 mortification of the Colonel. 



Whenever his Highness purchased any 

 piece of mechanism, or other curiosity, Mar- 

 tin forthwith searched the world for something 

 superior of the same kind; which he was cer- 

 tain of selling to him at an immense profit. 

 His Highness could never bear to hear that 

 any person possessed any thing superior to 

 his own ; an instance of which may be seen 



