﻿58 NARRATIVE OF A ROUTE 



the camp ^vas pitched, I fent a meffenger to the forty 

 with a letter which Mr. Duncam had Icindly favoured' 

 me with, recommending me ftrongly to the Rajah's 

 care. In about a quarter of an hour he returned, to 

 inform me, that the Rajah was abfent, being gone to 

 Ramghur^ to bring home the daughter of the Chittra 

 Rajah, to whom he had been efpoufed. Bulbu'dder. 

 Shaw, his uncle, then took charge of the letter, and' 

 difpatched is to his nephew, whofe return was foon 

 expefted. Towards the evening a meffage was fent 

 to me, requefting that I would not move from Shaw- 

 pour until the Rajah fhould arrive ; for that no fteps 

 could be takers to afTift me until the Rajah himfelf 

 fliould have arrived, and received from my own hand 

 d. paun^* as a pledge of amity. To this I anfwered^ 

 that I hoped the Rajah's return would not long be 

 delayed, for that it would be very inconvenient to mc 

 to wait beyond two or three days. 



Feb. 1 2th. This morning fome matchlockmen came 

 in from all quarters, and afTembled in the fort, and I 

 foon after learned that the Rajah was expe6led to arrive 

 about noon. He had fent a mefTage to Bulbudder 

 Shaw, to defire he would meet him, with all the people 

 he could collecl, nearthe entrance of the town; with a 

 view, no doubt, to imprefs me with an idea of his 

 confequence, by the number of his retinue. But the 

 alarm which my arrival had created, had alraoft fruf- 

 trated their intentions, and not more than fifty perfons 

 could be coile6led. About noon the found of tom- 

 toms announced the approach of Rajah A jeet Sixg ; 

 and foon after, with my telefcope, I" beheld the whole 

 cavalcade. The bridegroom, mounted on an elephant, 

 was followed bv the bride in a covered dooly ; and about 

 two hundred men carried the dowry he had received on 



his 



* The ciiftom of prefenting paun^ or bietk, is unlverfal throiighoji^^ 

 Hlndooftan. This ceremony, and that of the interchange of turbans, ara 

 confidered as high pledges of friendlhip. 



