Fruits and sweetmeats were also sent
home to us.
The queen had given the mundsch directions to conduct us round the
whole of the palace. It is not very large, and the rooms, with the
exception of the reception-saloon, are very simple, and almost
without furniture; in each, cushions covered with white muslin lie
upon the floor.
As we stood upon the terrace of the house, we saw the prince ride
out. Two servants led his horse, and a number of attendants
surrounded him. Several officers accompanied him upon elephants,
and mounted soldiers closed the procession. The latter wore wide
white trousers, short blue jackets, and handsome round caps; they
looked very well. The people raised a low murmur when they saw the
prince, as an indication of their pleasure.
The mundsch was good enough to show me the mode adopted for making
ice. The proper time for this is during the months of December and
January; although, even in the month of February, the nights, and
especially the early hours of the morning before sun-rise, are so
cold, that small quantities of water are covered with a thin sheet
of ice. For this purpose, either shallow pits are dug in earth rich
in saltpetre, {212b} and small shallow dishes of burnt porous clay
are filled with water, and placed in these pits, or when the soil
does not contain any saltpetre, the highest terraces on the houses
are covered with straw, and the little dishes of water are placed up
there. The thin crusts of ice thus obtained are broken into small
pieces, a little water is poured over them, and the whole is put
into the ice-houses, which are also lined with straw. This mode of
obtaining ice is already practised in Benares.
Mr. Hamilton was so obliging as to make the arrangements for the
continuance of my journey. I could have had the royal camels again,
but preferred a car with oxen, as the loss of time was
inconsiderable, and the trouble far less. Mr. Hamilton himself made
the contract with the driver, pointed out the stations at which we
should stop between this and Auranjabad (230 miles), gave me an
excellent servant and sepoy, furnished me with letters, and even
asked me if I had sufficient money. This excellent man did all this
with so much amiability, that, in fact, I scarcely knew whether the
kindnesses or the way in which they were offered, were most to be
admired. And not only in Indor, but everywhere else that he was
known, I heard his name always mentioned with the most profound
respect.
On the 23rd of February I left Indor on my way to the little village
of Simarola. The road led through delightful groves of palm-trees
and richly cultivated land. In Simarola, I found a pretty and
comfortably furnished tent, which Mr. Hamilton had sent on, in order
to surprise me with a good night station. I silently thanked him
most heartily for his care.
24th February. From Simarola the country was truly picturesque. A
narrow ledge of rock, in some places scarcely broad enough for the
road, led down a considerable declivity {213} into small valleys, on
the sides of which beautiful mountains towered up. The latter were
thinly wooded; among the trees I was particularly struck by two
species, the one with yellow, the other with red flowers; both of
them, very singularly, were quite destitute of leaves.
On this side of Kottah the camel trains were less frequent, in
consequence of the very stony state of the road; instead of these,
we met trains of oxen. We passed some today of incredible extent.
I do not exaggerate when I affirm that I have seen trains of several
thousand head of cattle, on whose backs, corn, wool, salt, etc.,
were conveyed. I cannot imagine where the food for so many animals
is obtained; there are nowhere any meadows, for, with the exception
of the plantations, the ground is scorched up, or at most covered
with thin, parched, jungle grass, which I never saw any animal eat.
The industry of the women and children in the villages through which
these trains pass is great beyond measure; they provide themselves
with baskets, and follow the train for a considerable distance,
collecting the excrement of the oxen, which they work up into flat
bricks, and dry them in the sun to use as fuel. Late in the
evening, we entered the village of Burwai, which lies on the river
Nurbuda, in the midst of a storm of thunder and lightning. I was
told that there was a public bungalow here, but as the darkness of
the night prevented our finding it, I contented myself with the
balcony of a house.
25th February. We had this morning to cross the river Nurbuda,
which, with the preparations for doing so, occupied two hours.
26th February. Rostampoor. Between this place and Simarola, the
land is rather barren, and also very thinly inhabited; we often
travelled several miles without seeing a village.
27th February. Today we were gratified with the prospect of a
fertile country and beautiful mountains. On an isolated mountain
was situated the famous old fortress of Assergur, from which arose
two half-decayed minarets. Towards evening we passed between many
ruins; amongst which I observed another handsome mosque, the fore-
court, the minarets, and side walls of which were standing.
Adjoining this district of ruins, lay the very flourishing town of
Berhampoor, which still numbers 60,000 inhabitants, but I was told
that it was formerly much larger.
An aumil resides in the town, and also an English officer, who keeps
an eye on his proceedings.
