MUKHUNPORE. 
of about ten miles: the road for the last mile was lined with 
Faquirs begging and praying. The approach is pleasing, as a small 
river winds along at the base of the rising ground, on which are 
situated the mosque and town, partly hid by trees. Our tents were 
pitched in a mango tope, at a small distance from the crowd. One 
of my bearers was bit by a large black scorpion in the toe : he im- 
mediately tied a piece of string tightly round it, and did not inform 
me till some hours afterwards. I applied the volatile alkali. He 
had suffered little pain, and was soon well. Soon after my arrival, 
the chief Faquir of the tomb waited on me, accompanied by another, 
with divers certificates of good conduct from the English who had 
been there. The latter staid to be our cicerone; the former depart- 
ed, on receiving a promise that I would pay my visit to the saint 
in the evening, a thing which, of course, he much pressed on me. 
The fair begins on the 17 th day of the moon; this is only the 15 th, 
yet the assembly is considerable. Whilst at dinner, we were amused 
by dancers on the tight and slack rope, and feats of strength and 
agility. They equalled any thing of the kind that I ever beheld in 
Europe ; and one boy showed uncommon dexterity in balancing 
different things on the top of his head, whilst elevated on the summit 
of a bamboo that was kept in continual motion. Afterwards a female 
conjuror exhibited with cups and balls, eggs, and pieces of money, 
precisely in the European fashion. I really begin to suspect that all 
our follies as well as knowledge were derived from this country, and 
fully expect to be entertained with a panorama at Benares, and a 
phantasmagoria in the cave of Elephanta. We were treated with the 
celebrated trick of the mango seed planted, and the tree growing to 
bear fruit in the space of half an hour, which was rather clumsily 
