762 PESHAWE R. 
rank; and, as its known character was haughty, and it 
was fufpefted of rather undervaluing the European na¬ 
tions, our government determined that a million to it 
Ihould be fitted out in a ftyle of importance and fplen- 
dour. At Delhi were made the principal preparations for 
its equipment ; and thence began theefcorted procefiion, 
more refembling a triumphal folemnity than a journey of 
negociation or difcovery. Mr. Elphinftone was placed at 
the head of it, in the character of Envoy to the King of 
Caubul ; and his excellency afterwards publilhed a nar¬ 
rative of his fruitlefs journey, from which we (hall fele6t 
a few particulars. 
The e mb a fly left Delhi on the 13th of Oftober, 1808 ; 
pafled through Canound, which is a hundred miles welt- 
ward; and quitted the Britilh dominions on the 21ft, in 
the Shekahwuttee diflrift, where the defert begins. At 
Chooroo, the women who had accompanied the million 
were fent back, with a guard. Six hundred camels were 
laden with leathern bags of water, and the travellers wfith 
their thirteen elephants entered the dry country : but 
copper-veflels, two of which formed a load for a camel, 
were foon found to anfw’er better than the vwjhhs, or 
bags of flieep-fkin or ox-hides, which cracked and fpilled 
much water. Such was the dread of the defert enter¬ 
tained by the people of the country, that fervants of all 
defcriptions abfconded by twenties and thirties, until the 
march was fo far advanced that the return became as dif¬ 
ficult as the progrefs. 
Bikaneer was the firll linking obje£t. This town, 
which is furrounded by a fine wall, ftrengthened with 
round towers, and crowned with jagged battlements, 
Hands in the midft of a plain of more than ordinary na- 
kednefs. Some high houfes, fome temples, (one of which 
had a lofty fpire,) and atone corner an eminent and fhowy 
fort, give to this city an impofing exterior; but its beauty 
is merely external, and mud-walls, painted red or white, 
conftituted the mafs of building. Five armies had at this 
time invaded the country ; and the rajah had ordered all 
the wells within ten miles to be covered over with land, 
or filled up, milling for his defence to the defolation 
which furrounded him. In thefe circumftances, it was 
not eafy to fupply the wants of our envoy: but, after a 
halt of eleven days, he contrived to proceed on the 16th 
of November. At Pooggul, where rain-water could be 
purchafed, the party arrived on the 19th, at dark; and, on 
the 21 It, they reached the confines or frontier of the king 
of Caubul’s dominions. Here they were met by a hundred 
and fifty foldiers on camels, belonging to Bahawl Khan, 
the governor of this ealtern province : efcorting a prefent 
of four hundred Ikins of water laden on a hundred ca¬ 
mels, with four brazen jars of w’ater from the Hyphafis, 
Jealed with the king’s fignet, and intended for the private 
drinking of the ambaflador and his particular friends. 
At each fuccellive ftage on the road to Moujghur, frefh 
prefents of water brought from that city announced the 
attention and hofpitality of the fovereign. The em- 
bafly arrived at that city on the night of the 2ad. 
A confpicuous mofque Hands over the gateway; and a 
tomb, of which the cupola is ornamented with painted 
riles, alfo attrafts dillant notice. After a Hay of two 
days, the caravan of embafly proceeded ; and on the 26th 
reached the banks of the Gharra, which includes the 
Hyphafis, or Begah, and the Hyfudrus, or Sutledge ; and 
the Europeans gazed with inferelt on a flream which had 
borne the fleet of Alexander. 
December 11, the million reached Moultaun, which 
Hands about four miles from the left bank of the Che- 
naub, or Acefines. It occupies nearly five miles in cir¬ 
cumference, and is encompafled by a fine wall above forty- 
feet high, with towers at regular diltances, and a citadel 
on a rifing ground. Thefe oriental towns have generally' 
that charadter of fortification which preceded in Europe 
the ufe of artillery in fieges. Two magnificent tombs, 
with very high cupolas covered with glazed and painted 
tiles, form confpicuous ornaments of the city, viewed 
from whatever dire&ion. The countryaround is fertile, 
well cultivated, and amply watered from wells. The 
embafly lingered during many days in the neighbourhood 
of Moultaun, amufed with (hooting, hunting, and hawk¬ 
ing, but not negligent of flatiflical obfervations; indeed, 
it was neceflary to wait thus long for the arrival of a 
Mehmandaur, or official welcomer, from the king of 
Caubul. On the 21H of December, the acefines w'as 
eroded ; and on the 7th. of January, the Indus. 
At Dera Ifmael Khaun, a delay of a month occurred: 
the ambaflador Hill awaiting a mehmandaur. This town 
is fituated in a large wood of date-trees, within a hundred 
yards of the Indus, and has a ruinous wall of unburnt 
bricks, a mile and half in circumference. At length, 
about the end of January, the long-expeded welcomer ar¬ 
rived, Moolla Jaffer SeeHaunee, who had originally been 
a fchoolmafler, but who, by literary talent and financial 
dexterity, was become a fort of Chancellor of the Exche¬ 
quer at Pefliawer. Under his guidance, the midion left 
Dera Ifmael Khaun, February 7, and proceeded to afeend 
the right bank of the Indus towards the metropolis. In 
the progrefs of the journey, it appeared that the road had 
in many places been widened and repaired for the exprefs 
accommodation of the embafly, and hence arofe the delay 
of reception. At Calla-baugh, where the Indus breaks 
through the Salt-range in a channel only three hundred 
and fifty yards broad, the road quits the plain country, 
and climbs rapidly among fuccellive fiages of mountains 
into an Alpine climate. 
At Budabeer, about fix miles from the metropolis, the 
million made a farther halt to arrange feveral ceremonies 
of introduction ; and, after a more than Spanilh defini¬ 
tion of etiquette, permitted itfelf to arrive. “ On the 
morning of the 25th Feb. after fome confufion about the 
mode of our reception, we made our entry into Peshawer. 
There was a great crowd all the way. The banks on 
each fide of the road were covered with people, and many 
climbed up trees to fee us pafs. The crowd increafed as 
we approached the city, but we were put to no incon¬ 
venience by it, as the king’s horfe, that had come out 
to meet us, charged the mob vigoroufly, and ufed their 
whips without the leafl compunction. One man attract¬ 
ed particular notice : he wore a high red cap, of a conical 
Ihape, with fome folds of cloth round the bottom, and a 
white plume; he had a (hort jacket of Ikin, black pan¬ 
taloons, and brown boots: he was an uncommonly fine 
figure, tall and thin, with fwelling mufcles, a high nofe, 
and animated countenance: he was mounted on a very 
fine grey horfe, and rode with long fiirrups, and very 
well. He carried a long fpear without a head, with which 
he charged the mob at fpeed, (flouting with a loud and 
deep voice. He not only difperfed the mob, but rode at 
grave people fitting on terraces with the greatefl fury, 
and kept all clear wherever he w-ent. His name was 
Rujfool Deivauneh, or Ruflool the Mad. By the time we 
had entered the town, the roads were fo narrow that our 
progrefs became very flow, and we had time to hear the 
remarks of the fpedators, which were expreflive of 
wonder at the procefiion, and of goodwill towards us; 
but the crowd and bufile were too great to admit of any 
diflinft obfervations. At length we reached the houle 
prepared for us, and u'ere ulhered into an apartment 
ipread with carpets and felts for fitting on. Here we 
were feated on the ground in the Perfian manner, and 
trays of fweatmeats were placed before us. They con¬ 
fided of fugared almonds, and there was a loaf of fugar 
for making (herbet in the midfi of each traj'. Soon after, 
our conduftors obferved that we required refl, and with¬ 
drew. 
“ On the day of our arrival, our dinner was compofed 
of the diflies fent us by the king, which we found excel¬ 
lent. Afterwards we had always our Englilh meals; but 
the king continued to fend breakfaft, luncheon, and 
dinner, for ourfelves, with proviiion for two thoufand 
perlbns (a number far exceeding that of the embafly), 
1 and 
