RHABAD. 
73 
commanding hospitable services to myself and my people through¬ 
out the whole of his dominions, this chief magistrate not only 
refused me supplies, (though I offered to pay any remuneration 
he would demand,) but exclaimed in a tempest of passion, “ that 
both his majesty and the rackham might go to hell!” adding, 
“ that if we did not look sharp, he would take care, before morn¬ 
ing, to teach us a lesson that would for ever prevent our halting 
at his village again.” On some observation of the mehmandars, 
he repeated his menace in grosser terms, telling them, that “ only 
a few weeks ago, he had driven from the very spot on which 
their Frangy master then stood, a prince and a Mussulman ; 
and did they think he would shew more respect to a Guebre!” 
The man spoke truth; for it was Futteh Ali Khan, the last 
of the royal branch of Zund, whom he had so daringly outraged ; 
and from all appearances around, we had every reason to believe 
that in our case also, he would be as good as his word. His 
wrath grew, under utterance ; and with fury amounting to frenzy, 
he threatened the most signal punishments to any one of his 
subjects who should venture to lend us the smallest assistance. 
Most of them seemed ready to be as savage as he wished ; but 
from two or three we contrived to obtain a little provender for 
the cattle. During the time I was taking my slender repast at 
fresco , this doughty hero went amongst my people, doing all in 
his power to provoke them to some resentful act of aggression. 
But they were too well aware of his object, to fall into the snare ; 
and treating him with the same scorn, with which he tried to 
incense them, his rage re-awakened to all its ungovernable mad¬ 
ness ; and pouring forth the most indecent and abusive language, 
he swore he would hold no terms with any of the party, but put 
the whole to death ; and with the menace, he instantly drew 
vol. ir. 
L 
