82 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
consent to this proposal, but insisted on his Majesty’s 
lying down, and that he himself should keep watch. 
On this, the King went and lay down. Whilst he 
was asleep a thief came into the camp, took the sword 
from under his Majesty’s head, and drew it half out, 
but being alarmed, left it in that situation, and went 
away. 
“ When the King awoke, he saw that his sword 
was half way drawn from the scabbard, and was 
much astonished : he therefore called to the servant, 
who was sleeping at the foot of the bed, and asked 
him if he had drawn the sword. The man replied, 
that he would not have ventured to do so for the 
world. 
" In short, we marched from that place and arrived 
at a stage where there were four wells, in three of 
which we found water, but the fourth was choked up. 
In order to secure an equal division of the water, 
his Majesty assigned one of the wells for his own 
household ; the second he gave to Terdy Beg and his 
followers ; and the third to Khaled Beg and his at- 
tendants. As we had no buckets to draw the water, 
a copper pot was let down and pulled up by a camel ; 
but as the well was very deep,* and the pot a long 
time coming up, in order to prevent the people from 
crowding round the mouth of the well, they were order- 
ed to keep at a distance till a drum was beaten to give 
notice of the proper time, when they should be regular- 
ly served in turn. Notwithstanding this precaution, 
in consequence of the anxiety to be first served, much 
quarrelling took place among the people. At length 
See page 76. 
