144. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. {March, 1908. 
that more than one university has retained the “ Insha*” as a text- 
book. 
The following letter has been selected, partly on account of 
its simplicity, and partly for a certain human interest. A few 
words of preface, tiaras are anda to make it intelligible. 
In India and Persia, should a friend express admiration for 
present openly asked for is a mark of a mean and ungenerous spirit 
—or else of pride and indifference to public opinion. 
As an example of the tyranny of this custom, I will cite two 
examples that came under my personal notice. A certain Indian 
Nawab, by suborning a friend’s falconer, succeeded in substituting 
is own inferior hawk for one of a much-coveted colour that was 
on its way as a present to another N siak An influential Mulla, 
possessed of some intuition and a wnegest date es of his 
neighbours, obtained an inkling of the matter, and wrote next da 
‘“‘ As we are friends ‘iat our houses are “ine “aad what he tas is 
thine, I make no scruple in asking you to send me by the bearer 
of this letter, a certain white falcon te came into Your Honour’s 
eer yes y- Your slave more especially makes this re- 
uest as he hears that Your Honour did not gain possession of the 
said pepe? Mag od but thus 
As s s the honoured meseonae had departed with the 
hawk sha the * pahiiaek of replies, the bereft owner expressed his 
unqualified disapproval of Indian ‘etiquette, the dishonesty of his 
friends, and the shamelessness of the black-mailing Mulla. He, 
however, consoled himself by adding that the Mulla was now 
under an obligation to i, and that he would later extract a quid 
roquo. As this very ordinary ‘white’ falcon now got muc 
pre other. It might have continued changing hands indefinitel 
remaining untrained, had not its last temporary possessor 
spitefully killed it 
The same N: awab was presented with a copy of “ Falconry in 
the British Isles, ” a work with delightful coloured plates. Letters 
at once began to arrive: “As there is no disgrace in makin 
requests to friends, etc., etc.” The Nawab clung to his possession 
and had recourse to the usual subterfuges. When letters and mes- 
sengers failed to extract the a ce friends began to call per- 
sonally. Frequently, when I was on my way to parade, I would 
be stopped by the covtfitential reek of the Nawab, who would 
commit tomy charge the precious Lins concealed in wrappings, 
with a request that it might be gua till a certain imminent 
danger had passed. Years after, I revisited ihe station and en- 
quired the fate of the book. “I still have it,” said the Nawab, 
“for I told everybody you had demanded your present back 
when your regiment left the station.” “ But they did not believe 
you?” “Oh no; but I saved my honour as well as the book.” 
