936 Description of Bokhéra. [May,” 
forget to bring a good pair of spectacles for his use. Our’ intercourse” 
was now established on a footing which promised well : I took occasion 
therefore to express a wish to the Vizier of paying my homage to the 
King. I had touched on a tender point, forit appeared that the minister 
had feared our being charged with some proposals to His Majesty, 
which we concealed from himself. ‘‘ I am as good as the Amir,” (so- 
the King is. called,) said he, ‘‘ and if you have no matters of business 
to transact with the king, what have travellers to do with courts?” I 
told him of our curiosity on these points, but he did not choose that 
we should have the honor, and that was sufficient for abandoning the 
suit. 
I’ was nevertheless resolved to have a sight of Royalty, and at 
mid-day on the following Friday repaired to the great mosque, a 
building of Timourlane, and saw His Majesty and his court pass- 
ing from prayers. The King appears to be under thirty years of age, 
and has not a prepossessing countenance; his eyes are small, his: 
visage gaunt and pale. He was plainly dressed ina silken robe of. 
“audrus,’ with a white turban. He sometimes wears an aigrette of: 
feathers, ornamented with diamonds: The Qordn was carried in front: 
of him, and he was preceded and followed by two golden mace-bearers, 
who exclaimed in’ Turkish, ‘‘ Pray to God that the Commander of the 
Faithful may act justly !’’ His suite did not exceed an hundred people ; 
most of them were dressed in robes of Russian brocade, and wore gold 
ornamented swords—I should call them knives, the mark of honor in 
this country. His present Majesty has more state than any of his pre- 
decessors; but he may consider it necessary to affect humility in a tem- 
ple, and in returning from a religious ceremony. The people drew up 
by the way side as he passed, and with a stroke of their beards wished 
His Majesty peace; I did the same. The character of this King, Bana- 
puR Kuan, stands high among his countrymen ; at-his elevation to 
the throne, he distributed all his wealth. _He is strict in his religious 
observances, and less bigotted than his father Mir Hyper. He acts 
according to the Qordn in all cases, and it is pretended that he even 
lives on the capitation tax which is levied from the Jews and Hindis. 
The revenues of the country are said to be spent in maintaining 
mullahs and mosques ; but this young King is ambitious and warlike, 
and I believe that it is therefore more probable he turns his treasure 
to the increase of his power. 
The life of this King is less enviable than that of most private 
men. The water which he drinks is brought in skins from the river; 
