382 Journal of a trip through the [April, 



have been used, and expense of purchasing new crockery is avoided. 

 The comparative absence of superstitious ceremony on the part of the 

 Sikhs would render them as Sipahis better adapted for actual service 



than the other natives of Hindoostan." "The young ex-Rajah 



shewed me a friendly letter which his grandfather had received from 

 Lord Lake by the hands of an envoy whom he had despatched to wait 

 upon his Lordship after he had followed Holkar into the Punjab, and 

 also a chit, or writing, by Mr. Moorcroft, given to, and in favor of Rajah 

 Sinsar Chund, in which that open-hearted, intelligent, but unfortunate 

 traveller, had spoken in the warmest terms of the kindness and atten_ 

 tions he had received by him." The British Government has not only 

 left the Rajah in the undisturbed possession of his jaghir, but has in- 

 creased his income by an annual grant of 18000 Rs. I saw the man 

 Mr. Vigne writes of ; his name was Runbeer Chund, and that of his bro- 

 ther, the present Rajah, is Purmode Chund. What Mr. Vigne describes as 

 having occurred on his visit, took place in nearly the same manner when 

 I was there. My friend and myself dined with them* on Christmas Day, 

 but we had our own plates and dishes, as well as chairs and table. As 

 wild hogs abound in the neighbourhood the principal dish was a fine joint 

 of roast pork, besides palaws, curries, &c, and afterwards pastry covered 

 with tinsel made by the ladies of the zenana ! I could not help com- 

 paring the whole affair to the feeding time at the Zoological Gardens 

 in England, when people congregate to see the wild beasts fed. Whilst 

 the Rajah and his brother the Meer Sahib were trying their best to 

 amuse us with an endless variety of questions, I could see that what- 

 ever we eat or drank, every motion in fact was attentively watched by 

 themselves as well as by their courtiers, who sat in the adjoining room, 

 and to add to our bewilderment, I discovered that the ladies were secretly 

 glancing and simpering ! To refuse the racy dainties made by such 

 delicate hands while their fair owners were looking on would have been 

 extremely ungallant, so, seeing no help for it, we set about our task with 

 the best possible grace, but, alas ! after such a hearty meal of pork there 

 was little relish for the oleaginous delicacies so kindly prepared for us. 

 So having put a bold face on the matter we ordered our kitmutgars to 

 clear the table amidst many a gentle reproach of wah ! wah ! wah ! from 

 behind the curtain. After dinner the letters of Lord Lake, Mr. Moor- 

 * Runbeer Chund died a few days afterwards. 



