But Having
To Pass A River, And Offering Gold Mohors In Payment Of His Passage,
The Boatman Grew Suspicious, Leapt Overboard In The Middle Of The River,
And Swam On Shore, Where He Gave Notice To The Governor Of A
Neighbouring Town.
Taking fifty horse with him, the governor came to the
river side, where the boat still floated in the
Stream; and taking
another boat, went and saluted Cussero by the title of King,
dissemblingly offering his aid and inviting him to his house, where he
made him prisoner, and sent immediate notice to the king, who sent to
fetch him fettered on an elephant. From thence Selim proceeded to Cabul,
punishing such as had joined in the revolt; and on his return with his
son a prisoner, at this place, Fetipoor, where the battle was fought,
as some say, he caused the eyes of Cussero to be burnt out with a glass,
while others say he only caused him to be blindfolded with a napkin,
tied behind and sealed with his own seal, which yet remains, and carried
him prisoner to the castle of Agra. Along all the way from Agra to
Cabul, the king ordered trees to be planted on both sides; and in
remembrance of the exploit at this place, he caused it to be named
Fetipoor, or Heart's Content, as the city formerly mentioned had been
named by Akbar in memory of his birth.[250]
[Footnote 249: Purrop, or Porub, has been formerly supposed the ancient
kingdom of Porus in the Punjab, and Attobass, here called Alobasse, to
have been Attock Benares - E.]
[Footnote 250: There are several places in India of this name, but that
in the text at this place is not now to be found in our maps, on the
road between Delhi and Lahore. - E.]
From hence I went to Lahore, twenty-nine coss, in three stages, arriving
there on the 4th of February, 1611. The 28th there arrived here a
Persian ambassador from Shah Abbas, by whom I learnt that the way to
Candahar was now clear, having been impassable in consequence of the
war occasioned by Gelole, a Turk, who had tied to Persia with 10,000
Turks, when, having got a jagheer on the frontiers, he endeavoured to
make himself independent, but was overthrown, and lost his head.
Sec. 6. Description of Lahore, with other Observations.
Lahore is one of the greatest cities of the east, being near twenty-four
coss in circuit, round which a great ditch is now digging, the king
having commanded the whole city to be surrounded by a strong wall. In
the time of the Patan empire of Delhi, Lahore was only a village,
Mooltan being then a flourishing city, till Humaion thought proper to
enlarge Lahore, which now, including its suburbs, is about six coss in
extent. The castle or royal town is surrounded by a brick wall, which is
entered by twelve handsome gates, three of which open to the banks of
the river, and the other nine towards the land. The streets are well
paved, and the inhabitants are mostly Banyan handicrafts, all white men
of any note living in the suburbs. The buildings are fair and high of
brick, with much curious carvings about the doors and windows; and most
of the Gentiles have their house doors raised six or seven steps from
the street, and of troublesome ascent, partly for greater security, and
to prevent passengers from seeing into their houses. The castle is built
on the S.E. bank of the Rauvee, a river that flows into the Indus, and
down which many barges of sixty tons and upwards navigate to Tatta in
Sindy, after the falling of the rains, being a voyage of about forty
days, passing by Mooltan, Sidpoor, Backar, &c.
The river Rauvee comes from the N.E. and passing the north side of the
city, runs W.S.W. to join the Indus. Within the castle is the king's
palace, which is on the side towards the river, and is entered by the
middle gate on that side, after entering which, you go into the palace
by a strong gate on the left hand, and a musket-shot farther by a
smaller gate, into a large square court, surrounded by atescanna, in
which the king's guard keeps watch. Beyond this, and turning again to
the left, you enter by another gate into an inner court, in which the
king holds his durbar, or court, all round which are atescannas,[251]
in which the great men keep watch, and in the middle of the court is a
high pole on which to hang a light. From thence you go up to a fair stone
jounter, or small court, in the middle of which stands a fair
devoncan,[252] with two or three retiring rooms, in which the king
usually spends the early part of the night, from eight to eleven o'clock.
On the walls is the king's picture, sitting cross-legged on a chair of
state, on his right hand Sultan Parvis, Sultan Chorem, and Sultan Timor,
his sons; next whom are Shah Morat and Don Shah, his brothers, the three
princes who were baptized being sons of this last. Next to them is the
picture of Eemersee Sheriff, eldest brother to Khan Azam, with those of
many of the principal people of the court. It is worthy likewise of notice,
that in this hall are conspicuously placed the pictures of our Saviour and
the Virgin Mary.
[Footnote 251: This unexplained word probably signifies a corridore, or
covered gallery. - E.]
[Footnote 252: Perhaps a divan, or audience hall. - E.]
From this devoncan, or hall of audience, which is pleasantly situated,
overlooking the river, passing a small gate to the west, you enter
another small court, where is another open stone chounter to sit in,
covered with rich semianes, or canopies. From hence you enter a
gallery, at the end of which nest the river is a small window, from
which the king looks forth at his dersanee, to behold the fights of
wild beasts on a meadow beside the river.
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