﻿lO'-i- NARRATIVE OF A' ROUTE 



tent having been appointed for the place of meeting, I 

 was apprehenfive that fo large a body of people would 

 incommode us exceedingly ; but was foon relieved 

 from this apprehenfion by a meflage from the Rajah, 

 dehring that the interview might take place in a gar- 

 den, at a fmall diftance from our encampment, called 

 Khaufsbaiig. This was a very pleafing circumftance ; 

 and foon after the whole cavalcade paffed my tent, 

 the horfemen manoeuvering and difplaying their agility. 

 The noife of drums, horns, and trumpets, was im- 

 inenfe. The Rajah was mounted on a very fine ele- 

 phant, preceded by a fmall one, which they told me 

 carried the water of the Ganges before him.* The 

 multitude had no fooner pafled, than I followed with 

 about fifty attendants; and upon my arrival at the 

 garden, 1 found the Rajah and his people had juft dif- 

 mounted. The crowd having opened to admit me, I 

 found him feated in a Chinefe chair, with a number of 

 good looking and well dreffed men around him. He 

 rofe up to falutc me, which I returned, and feated 

 myfelf likewife. He appeared to be a handfome young 

 man, about twenty years of age, and was very ele^ 

 gantly drefled. He began by putting many pertinent 

 queftions to me concerning Hydrabad^ the Nizam,,^ 

 his minifter, and the principal officers of his empire; 

 with a view to find out if what I had afferted the pre- 

 ceding evening was true. My anfwers convinced him 

 that I was much better acquainted with the Nizarn's 

 court, and with the chara6lers of his principal officers, 

 than he was; and particularly with the hiftory of 

 Dhounsah, the officer who formerly poffeffed the 

 Nizam's Purgunnahs of Neermul and Edilabad; and 

 who had almoft ruined the Rajah's father, and family, 

 by pillaging his country, and fubverting his interefls 

 at Hydrabad, As 



* The cuftom of carrying the water of the Ganges to t!ie remoteft parts 

 of India is very common ; and the rich Hindoos are at a confiHerable ex- 

 pence to obtajn it. The Rajah's people endeavoured to iinprels me with 

 a high notion of his fanftity as a Brahvien; but I found, on inquiry, that he 

 was only of the Elmy call, correfpondjng nearly with the Raji'poots ol 

 Hindcojian, 



