These Things I Shall Expect From
You, And If You Send Them, I Promise You, On The Word Of A King, That
You Shall Be No Loser." This I Most Chearfully Undertook, And He
Commanded Asaph Khan To Send Me The Patterns.
He then asked if I had
any grape wine, which I said I had.
He desired to have some of it to
taste next night, and if he liked it, he would be obliged to me to let
him have it, otherwise I might make merry with it myself. Thus the whole
of this night being spent in discourse only with me, he rose up, and I
departed.
On the 3d of March we arrived at Mundu, into which the king was expected
to make his entry; but the day for that was not yet fixed, as he waited
till the astrologers had determined upon an auspicious hour for the
ceremony, so that we had all to remain without, waiting for the good
hour. The 6th I entered Mundu, and my servants, whom I had sent before
to seek out for quarters, had taken possession of a fair court, well
walled round, in which was a goodly temple and a tomb. Some of the
king's servants had already taken up their quarters there, but I got
possession and kept it, being the best within the whole circuit of
Mundu, though two miles from the king's house; yet it was so nearly
sufficient, that a very small charge was sufficient to make it
defensible against the rains, and save me 1000 rupees. The air was
wholesome, and the prospect pleasant, as it was on the very edge of the
hill.
I went at night of the 11th to meet the king, but was told, that, on the
news of a lion[210] having killed some horses, the king had gone out to
hunt for that animal. I thus had leisure to look out for water; for such
was the unaccountable want of foresight, that we were brought, with a
multitude of people and beasts, to a hill on which was no water, so that
the men and cattle were ready to perish. What little was to be found in
certain wells and tanks had been taken possession of by the great men,
and kept by force, so that I could not procure any. The poor forsook the
city; many more were commanded away by proclamation, and all horses or
other cattle were ordered to be removed. Thus, those who were in hopes
of rest, were enforced to seek out new dwelling places, and had to go
away some two, three, and even four cosses, to the extreme trouble and
inconvenience of all, and occasioning provisions to rise greatly in
price. For my own part, I was greatly troubled how to determine. My
house was very good, and, though far from markets, it was still less
inconvenient to submit to that trouble than to remain in the fields
without house or shelter, where I must have gone to encamp, but then I
was in want of water.
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