1^0 
BENARES. 
here than at any other place in India, and that they are not only 
used in the East for dresses of ceremony, but are exported in consi- 
derable quantities to Europe. I conceive that the trade of gold and 
silver stuffs not a little assists in keeping up the prosperity of 
Benares ; though on a religious consideration, it ought only to be 
attributed to the holiness of the place. I procured from a banker 
one of the Zodiac mohurs, which are now so extremely rare, that it is 
almost impossible to procure a complete set. I have given some 
account of these in the Appendix. We got over this pleasing in- 
spection before the time appointed by the Princes to do me the 
honour of being present at my durbar. 
They are by no means friends, and wish never to meet, in conse- 
quence of interfering claims on the point of precedency ; one being 
the eldest ; the other being royal by both parents. They therefore 
came to different gardens in the neighbourhood, and waited till 
notice was sent that I was ready to receive them. Mirza Khorum 
first made his appearance with a tolerably handsome suwarry. He 
entered the gates of the compound (or domain) on his elephant, and 
was immediately complimented with a royal salute, or rather, as I 
afterwards discovered, doubly royal; for by a ridiculous mistake, the 
artillerymen fired forty-two guns, conceiving both of the princes 
had arrived at the same time. He came to the house in his state 
palanquin, my guard of sepoys presenting arms as he passed. I re- 
ceived him at the bottom of the steps, and having been honoured 
with an embrace, presented him with a nazur of thirteen gold 
mohurs. I then led him to his seat, and placed him on my right 
hand. The conversation was not very interesting, consisting merely 
of enquiries after my health in his own and his mother's name. I 
