Chap. XLVII. THE IBA'LAGHWA'n. 
289 
and smiling countenance, with nothing in his beha- 
viour to intimate that he was not a free-born man ; 
and certainly his position was an eminent one, as he 
was the second person in this little kingdom, and held 
an office corresponding to that of a prime minister or 
vizier. His name is Herdege. Having made him a 
small present for himself, which was rather insignifi- 
cant, but which, as it consisted of a quantity of articles, 
seemed to satisfy him, I showed him the present I 
intended to make to his master. Poor as I was at the 
time, and destitute of means, I had determined to give 
away my Turkish trowsers, of very fine brown cloth, 
which I had scarcely ever worn, in order to pave my 
way in advance ; for besides this article I had only 
some small trifles to give, such as shawls, knives, 
scissors, frankincense, and a few spices. The ke- 
ghamma having approved of my present, I imme- 
diately w r ent with Madi Belal to pay my respects to 
the sultan, or rather Miyard himself. 
The palace of the sultan is a very extensive build- 
ing surrounded by a wall fourteen feet in height, and 
corresponding to the height of the house of the 
kegh&mma. 
The public part of the building consists of very 
large courtyards, separated from each other by covered 
apartments. In the first courtyard, marked a on 
the ground-plan, in a sort of shed, the eunuchs (or, 
as the people of Logon say, the " bille-melagem") were 
assembled. I was not a little surprised to find here 
two cannons of iron, certainly of not very good work- 
VOL. III. u 
