1837.] condition of Oujein or Ujjayani. 849 



raja could not repress his sorrow at the death of the wonderful child 

 till consoled by the suggestion of the vizir, that some virtue con- 

 cealed in the hill, could alone have converted an ignorant cow-boy 

 into a sage and a hero. An excavation being accordingly made, 

 the magic throne with its lion supporters and 32 speaking puppets was 

 brought to light*. 



Mounted on this hill and turning to the west the eye is first attracted 

 by a staring white wall standing alone, and like some huge target 

 actually riddled with balls. This is all that remains of the palace of 

 the restless Patangar whose singular history is doubtless not un- 

 known to you. He imposed the same restriction upon his son and 

 daughter-in-law as that with which Blanche persecuted St. Louis and 

 his queen. In strange contrast, a bulky black building appears to the 

 right of the last, wearing that dismal look peculiar to a house which 

 has been long unoccupied. And is it quite uninhabited then ? I asked 

 a bystander. Oh no ! was his answer, it is full of jins. A Musal- 

 man lad just then came up, riding a small pony (he once rode 

 elephants, said one of his attendants in a loud voice but jaisa Ma 

 taisd diya), and begged to offer me his salam. From him I learnt that 

 the sombre building had been the residence of the Bhao Bakshi, 

 the old gentleman, he assured me, might still be seen by the curious, 

 squatted at midnight in the centre of the deserted hall, counting his 

 money bags : — but the intruder would rue his temerity ; for before 

 he could leave the house, jins and demons would drive his senses 

 out of him. 



My new acquaintance with a justifiable pride, begged me to observe 

 that the minarets of the mosques of A'dil and Chamman Beg, over- 

 topped every building in the city. Even the golden kalasa of Mahd- 

 kdl which glitters in the distance can hardly dispute the preeminence. 



The observatory of Jey Singh may be distinguished to the S. W. 

 Hunter's minute description renders a further notice unnecessary!. 

 The wall of the great quadrant is still standing though its circles 

 are nearly obliterated]:. Did they remain they would but be thrown 

 away at Oujein which has long ceased to be the abode of science. 



* I have abridged a long tale, as the same or its fellow may be found in such 

 common books as the Battisi Singhdsan, &c. Most of them make Dhdr the site 

 of the Singhdsan, and the inhabitants of that city boast their hill and their 

 tradition. 



f Asiatic Researches, vol. 5. 



X The circles in the tiled building are probably still distinct, but I unfortunately 

 forgot their existence till I had left the place. 



