The
character is a modification of the Panjab Nagari.
NOTE 2. - The Kashmirian conjurers had made a great impression on Marco,
who had seen them at the Court of the Great Kaan, and he recurs in a later
chapter to their weather sorceries and other enchantments, when we shall
make some remarks. Meanwhile let us cite a passage from Bernier, already
quoted by M. Pauthier. When crossing the Pir Panjal (the mountain crossed
on entering Kashmir from Lahore) with the camp of Aurangzib, he met with
"an old Hermit who had dwelt upon the summit of the Pass since the days of
Jehangir, and whose religion nobody knew, although it was said that he
could work miracles, and used at his pleasure to produce extraordinary
thunderstorms, as well as hail, snow, rain, and wind. There was something
wild in his countenance, and in his long, spreading, and tangled hoary
beard. He asked alms fiercely, allowing the travellers to drink from
earthen cups that he had set out upon a great stone, but signing to them
to go quickly by without stopping. He scolded those who made a noise,
'for,' said he to me (after I had entered his cave and smoothed him down
with a half rupee which I put in his hand with all humility), 'noise here
raises furious storms. Aurangzib has done well in taking my advice and
prohibiting it. Shah Jehan always did the like. But Jehangir once chose to
laugh at what I said, and made his drums and trumpets sound; the
consequence was he nearly lost his life.'" (Bernier, Amst.
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