102 EXPEDITION INTO 



mediately placed at his august feet the duffel great coat 

 which I have already described^ as being- lined and trimmed 

 with scarlet shalloon ; a coil of brass wire weighing fifty 

 pounds j a mirror tAvo feet square ; two pounds of Irish 

 hlacliguaril snuffy and fifty pounds weight of blood-red beads. 

 Hitherto the king had considered it beneath his dignity to 

 evince the slightest sympton of astonishment— his manner 

 had been particularly guarded and sedate^ nor had it been 

 possible to read in his countenance aught that was passing in 

 his bosom— but the sight of so many fine things at once 

 threw his decorum off the balance^ and caused him for the 

 moment to forget what he owed to himself in the presence 

 of so large an assembly. Putting his thumb between his 

 teeth, and opening his eyes to their utmost limits, he grinned 

 like a school-boy at the sight of gingerbread^ patting his 

 breast, and exclaiming repeated^, " 3£ona7iti, monanti, mo- 

 nanti, monanti : fanta, tanta, tanta !"* Having particularly 

 brought to his notice that the device of an uplifted arm 

 grasping a javelin, on the clasps of the great coat, referred to 

 his extensive conquests, of which all the world had heard^ 

 we placed before him a suit of tartan sent by Mrs. Moffat, 

 Avith a note Avliich he requested me to read j and hearing* his 

 OAvn name, coupled with that of Ma Mary, as he termed 

 that lady, and the word tu7nerisho (compliments) he grinned 

 again and clapped me familiarly on the back, exclaiming as 

 before " Tanfa^ trmta, fanta F He now rose abruptly, big 

 Avith some great conception, and made signs to the Parsee to 

 approach and assist him on Avith the coat ; habited in which 

 he strutted several times up and down, vieAving his grotesque 

 figure in the glass Avith evident self-applause. He then 

 desired Mohan3^com to put it on and turn about, that he 

 might see if it fitted behind ; and this knotty point settled 



* Good, good, good ; bravo, bravo, bravo! 



