763 
PESHAWE R. 
Snd two hundred liorfes, befides elephants, &c. nor was 
it without great difficulty that I prevailed on his ma¬ 
jefty, at the end of a month, to difpenfe with this expen- 
five proof of his hofpitality. 
“On the morning of the 5th of March, we fet out in 
proceffion for the palace. We palled for about three 
quarters of a mile through the ftreets, which, as well as 
the windows and roofs of the houfes, were crowded with 
fpedlators. At length we reached an open fpnce under 
the palace, or caftle, in which the king refides : this fpace 
was filled with people, who covered the fide of the hill on 
which the caftle ftands, like the audience at a theatre. 
When we reached the gate, over which the king’s band 
was playing, we were requefted to leave the greater part 
of our attendants behind, and here our drums and trum¬ 
pets were required to ceafe playing. Some time after we 
entered this gateway, we difmounted, and, after walking 
about one hundred yards, we afcended a flight of fteps, 
and entered a long narrow room, where about a hundred 
and fifty perfons were feated in great order along the 
walls. This was called the hijhik hhauneh, or guard- 
room. It was fpread with carpets and felts. We were 
led ftraight up to the head of the room, where feveral 
men, richly drefled, rofe as we approached ; and we were 
received by a fair and portly perfonage, whom I after¬ 
wards underftood to be the king’s imaum, and the head 
of the religious eftabliffiment. He bowed as I came up, 
took my hand between his, and placed me by him, after 
which he went through the ufual forms of welcome and 
inquiries. Oppofite to me were many of the chief lords 
of the court, fome of whom had their caps ornamented 
with jewels, and furmounted by plumes : lower down 
were many perfons, fome like Perfians, and fome like 
Dooraunees; and ftill lower were fome of the chiefs of 
the hill-tribes near Peffiawer; at the bottom were feveral 
perfons in the ftrange fanciful caps which are employed to 
diflinguifh the officers of the houfehcld. They are gene¬ 
rally black and red, but their variety and their whimfical 
fhapes baffle all defcription; little tafte is difplayed in 
them, and the effedt is not good. 
“ We were now left for fome time in the kifhik 
khauneh, during which Meer Abool Huffun converfed 
with us, and difcovered a moft extraordinary ignorance 
of every thing concerning us. He had at firft thought 
that Calcutta was in England; and now difcovered his 
belief that the gentlemen of the embafly were born in In¬ 
dia, though of Englifh parents. At length the cliaous 
baufhee came to us : he had been labouring hard at a lift 
of our names, and gave it up, with the appearance of ex¬ 
treme vexation, in defpair of maftering l'uch a collection 
of ftrange words. He now explained the ceremonies to 
be obl'erved, in a very courteous manner, and then en¬ 
treated us feverally to vvhifper our names to him when he 
fhould touch us. He then conducted us up a doping 
pafi'age, and through a gate ; after which we palled behind 
a fort of fcreen, and luddenly iffued into a large court, 
at the upper end of which we law the king in an elevated 
building. 
“ The court was oblong, and had high walls, painted 
with the figures of cyprefles. In the middle was a pond 
and fountains. The walls on each fide were lined with 
the king’s guards, three deep ; and at various places in 
the court, flood the officers of ftate, at different diftances 
from the king, according to their degree. At the end of 
the court was a high building, the lower ftory of which 
was a folid wall, ornamented with falfe arches, but with¬ 
out doors or windows; over this was another ftory, the 
roof of which was fupported by pillars and Moorifh 
arches, highly ornamented. In the centre arch fat the 
king, on a very large throne of gold or gilding. His ap¬ 
pearance was magnificent and royal: his crown and his 
drefs were one blaze of jewels. He was elevated above 
the heads of the eunuchs who furrounded his throne, and 
who were the only perfons in the large hall where he fat: 
all was filent and motionlefs. O11 coming in light of the 
Vol. XIX. No. 1342. 
king, we all pulled off our hats, and made a low bow : 
we then held up our hands towards heaven, as if praying 
for the king, and afterwards advanced to the fountain, 
where the chaous baufhee repeated our names, without 
any title or addition of refpeft, ending, “ They have come 
from Europe as ambaffadors to your majefty.” The king 
anfwered in a loud and fonorous voice, “They are wel¬ 
come;” on which we prayed for him again, and repeated 
the ceremony once more, when he ordered us drelies 
of honour. After this, fome officer of the court called 
out fomething in Turkilh, on which a divifion of the 
foldiers, on each fide, filed off, and ran out of the court, 
with the ufual noife of their boots on the pavement, ac¬ 
companied by the clafhing of their armour. The call 
was twice repeated, and at each call a divifion of troops 
ran off: at the fourth, the khans ran off alfo, with the 
exception of a certain number, wdio W'ere now ordered to 
come forward. The king, in the mean time, rofe majef- 
tically from his throne, defcended the fteps, leaning on 
two eunuchs, and withdrew from our fight. The khans 
who were fummoned ran on as ufual, while we walked on 
to the foot of a ftaircale, covered with a very rich carpet: 
we paufed here till the khans had run up, and were ar¬ 
ranged; after which we afcended, and entered the hall, 
where the king was now feated on a low throne oppofite 
the door. 
“We ltood in a line, while the king of Caubul afked 
after the health of his majefty and the governor-general, 
inquired into the length of our journey, and exprelTed 
his with that the friendfhip betwixt his nation and ours 
might be increafed ; to all which I made very brief re¬ 
plies. The gentlemen of the embafly now retired, leav¬ 
ing me and Mr. Strachey, who were defired to feat our- 
felves near his majefty. The imaum and the moonfliee 
baufhee (or head fecretary) flood near 11s, and other 
khans flood along one fide of the hall. The governor- 
general’s Perfian letter was now opened, and read w'itlt 
linking diflindlnefs and elegance, by the inoonfhee bau¬ 
fhee ; and the king made a luitable anfwer, declaring his 
friendfhip for the Englifh nation, his defire of an intimate 
alliance, and his readinefs to pay the utmoft attention to 
any communication with which I might be charged. 
After I had replied, his majefty changed the fubjeit to 
inquiries refpeCting our journey, and queftions about our 
native country. When he underftood that the climate 
and productions of England greatly refembled thofe of 
Caubul, he laid, the two kingdoms were made by Nature 
to be united, and renewed his profeffions of friendfhip. 
I then inquired whether it was his majefty’s pleafure to 
enter on bufinefs at that time ? To which he replied, 
that I might confult my own convenience refpeCting the 
time, and might communicate with his minifters, or with 
himfelf, as I cbofe. I then explained the objedls of my 
million at length ; to which his majefty made a very 
friendly and judicious reply, and foon after I withdrew. 
“ The king of Caubul was a handfome man, about 
thirty years of age, of an olive complexion, with a thick 
black beard. The expreffion of his countenance was dig¬ 
nified and pleating: his voice clear, and his addreis, 
princely. We thought at firft that he had on armour of 
jewels ; but, on clofe infpeclion, we found this to be a 
miflake, and his real drefs to conlifl of a green tunic, 
with large flowers in gold, and precious Hones, over 
which were a large breaft-plate of diamonds, fliaped like 
a flattened fleur de lis, an ornament of the fame kind on 
each thigh, large emerald bracelets on the arms (above 
the elbow), and many other jewels in different places. 
In one of the bracelets was the Colli Noor, known to be 
one of the largeft diamonds in the world. There were 
alfo fome firings of very large pearls, put on like crofs- 
belts, but loole. The crown was about nine inches high, 
not ornamented with jewels as European crowns are, but 
to appearance entirely formed of thole precious materials. 
It feenied to be radiated like ancient crowns, and behind 
the rays appeared peaks of purple-velvet: fome fmall 
9 I branches 
