444 AN ACCOUNT OF THE 



thus distinguished in the royal diplomas of the chan- 

 cery office. Whether the city be of the antiquity 

 jeported, it is difficult to determine : but this much 

 is certain, that the vast quantity of buildings which 

 are to be .found in the environs for upwards of twen- 

 ty miles in extent, as well as their grandeur and 

 style of architecture, prove it to have once been a 

 rich, flourishing, and populous city. 



On the nth of March we were presented to the 

 King Shah Allum. After entering the palace, we 

 were carried to the Dewaun Khanah, or hall of audi- 

 ence for the nobility, in the middle of which was a 

 throne raised about a foot and a half from the ground. 

 In the centre of this elevation was placed a chair of 

 crimson velvet, bound with gold clasps, and over the 

 whole was thrown an embroidered covering of gold 

 and silver thread : a handsome Samianah y supported 

 by four pillars incrusted with silver, was placed over 

 the chair of.statc. The King at this time was in the 

 Tus&wk Kh^nab: an apartment in which he generally 

 sits. On passing a skreen of Indian connaughts, we 

 proceeded to the front of the Tusbeah Kbanab, and 

 being arrived in the presence of the King, each of us 

 made three obeisances in turn, by throwing down the 

 right hand pretty low, and afterwards raising it to 

 the forehead ; we then went up to the Musnud on 

 which his Majesty was sitting, and presented our nuz- 

 zers on white handkerchiefs, each of our names being 

 announced at the time we offered them :' the King re- 

 ceived the whole, and gave the nuzzers to IVIirza 

 Akb^r 3 ii ah, and two other princes who sat on his 



left 



