1878.] 
Foreigners in the Ajanta Frescoes. 
07 
it an ornamented head-piece shaj)ed like a corona. A king or chief 
is seated, squatting on this throne in the usual oriental style, dressed in a 
flowing dhuti or body-cloth, a cJiadar tied round the waist, and a tunic 
of some kind whose character is not apparent. He wears a rich heavy 
crown, bracelets and necklaces, one of the last being worn athwart the chest, 
■ 
very like a Brahmanical cord. The face and parts of the arms and chest 
are destroyed or smudged over. In front of the throne there is a man 
seated, holding an ox-tail ehauri , and having in front of him a curious orna¬ 
ment, shaped like a cornucopia. To the right there are four other persons 
seated on the ground, one of them having in front a tray placed on a 
tripod stand. The pose of the person is like that of a Brahman engaged 
in worship. Behind and on the two sides of the throne, there are several 
persons,—officers of state, courtiers, body-guard, and menials,—standing in 
different attitudes, some dressed in dhuti only, others with tunics or made 
dresses, the character of which, owing to the smudgy condition of the 
picture, cannot be satisfactorily made out, except in one case in which a 
pair of close-fitting trousers and. a chapkan are unmistakable. Some are 
armed with clubs, and one, near the entrance to the hall, upholds a standard. 
Their shaven chin, oriental head-dress, dark complexion, and characteristic 
features leave no doubt in my mind that they are all Indians. Among 
them there are four females, one standing behind the throne, and three 
seated on the carpet on the left side. In marked contrast to these are three 
persons standing in front of the king, and four others at a little distance. 
The foremost among them has a sugar-loaf-shaped hat with a black band, 
a large flowing gown of white stuff, a striped jacket, and a dagger held in 
a cloth girdle. The lower part of the gown or long coat is partially cover¬ 
ed by the figure of the Brahman engaged in worship, but from the portion 
which is visible, it is evident that it extended below the middle of the leg. 
Between the girdle and the lower edge of the jacket there is a waist-band 
buckled in front. Bound his neck there is a necklace with a large locket. 
He is in the attitude of making a courtesy to the king, with his right hand 
passed under the jacket and placed on the left breast, and the left holding 
out a folded letter. The second person, dressed in the same style, but with a 
black jacket, is standing with folded hands in token of respect. His hat 
has no band. The third has a Persian helmet, with a crescent on top and 
a rosette on one side. He is bearing a tray full of presents of some kind. 
At a little distance from the last, just entering the hall, there is another 
person of the same nationality, bearing a tray, and outside the door there 
are two or three others who are evidently servants of the persons who have 
entered the hall, and'belonging to the same nationality. The lower part 
of the gowns of these is not visible, but it must be the same as in the case 
