end, was marked with suspicion and distrust. He shut the gates of the city against us, and allowed none of our men or followers to enter, without express permission. He also doubled his guards, and we heard from good authority of debates in his council, whether it was most probable that we should endeavour to surprize the city, or that we should procure a cession of it to us from the King. He, however, agreed to visit me on the 15th of December, and a very large tent was pitched for his reception. One end of it was open, and from the entrance two canvass skreens ran out, so as to form an alley about twenty yards long, which was lined with servants in livery, other servants extending beyond it. The troops were also drawn up in line along the road to the tent.

Mr. Strachey went to meet the governor, and found him mounted on a white horse, with gold trappings, attended by his officers and favourites, surrounded with large standards, and escorted by two hundred horse, and three thousand foot. The dust, crowd, and confusion of the meeting, are represented by Mr. Strachey as beyond all description. The governor welcomed Mr. Strachey according to the Persian custom, after which they joined, and proceeded to the tent, the pressure and disorder increasing as they went. In some places men were fighting, and in others people were ridden down; Mr. Strachey's

own horse was nearly borne to the ground, and only recovered himself by a violent exertion. When they approached the tent, they missed the road, came in front of the line of troops, and rushed on the cavalry with such impetuosity, that there was barely time to wheel back, so as to allow a passage. In this manner the tide poured on towards the tent: the line of servants were swept away, the skreens were torn down, and trampled under foot, and even the tent ropes were assailed with such fury, that the whole tent was nearly struck over our heads. The inside was crowded and darkened in an instant. The governor and about ten of his companions sat, the rest seemed to be armed attendants; and, indeed, the governor seemed to have attended to nothing but the number of his guards. He sat but for a very short time, during the whole of which he was telling his beads with the utmost fervency, and addressing me with "You are welcome, you are very welcome," as fast as he could repeat the words. At last, he said he was afraid the crowd must annoy me, and withdrew. Surafrauz Khaun was a good-looking young man; he wore the Persiandress, with a cap and a shawl turban over it, and spoke very good Persian. His attendants were large, fair, and handsome Afghauns, most of them very well dressed, but in no sort of order or discipline. On the same evening I returned his visit, and

found him sitting under an awning, on a terrace, in one of his gardens. He had a large company sitting with him in good order. They differed greatly in appearance from the natives of India, but were neither so handsomely dressed, nor so decorous as Persians. The Nabob being now free from alarm, was civil and agreeable enough.

While at Moultaun, and in the neighbourhood, I received visits from Molla Jaffer Seestaunee, from the King's deputy Hircarra Baushee, or Newswriter, and from various other persons. My intercourse with one person deserves to be mentioned, as characteristic of the government of Moultaun. Secunder Khaun, the Nabob's uncle, being once hunting near my camp, sent to me, to say that he had enclosed three wild boars within his nets, and to beg I would come and join in the chace of them. I thought it prudent to excuse myself, but I sent a native gentleman with a civil message, some fine gun-powder, and a spy-glass. Secunder Khaun returned me an indifferent horse, and sent a boar to be hunted at leisure. Thus far all was well, but two days afterwards, he sent back my present, and desired to have his horse back, as he was in danger of being confined, or put to death for intriguing with the English.

On the 16th of December, we moved to the banks of the Acesines, here called the Chenaub.

It has received the waters of the Hydaspes and Hydraotes, before it reaches this place.

We passed the river on the 21st of December. (our baggage having taken some days in crossing before us), and we pitched about three miles from the right bank of the river. From this ground we first discerned the mountains of Afghaunistaun. They appeared at a great distance to the west, and must have been the part of the range of Solimaun, which is to the northwest of Dera Ghauzi Khaun, and, consequently, seventy or eighty miles from Mooltaun. length our preparations were completed, and, after many projects for overcoming the difficulties of a journey through the snow to Candahar, we had the satisfaction of learning that the King had set out on the road to Caubul. We, there

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fore, renewed our march on the 29th of December, and began to cross the little desart, which extends from north to south upwards of two hundred and fifty miles, but the breadth of which was so little in this part, that we crossed it in two marches. It fills up all that part of the country between the Hydaspes and Indus, which is not inundated by those rivers, and extends from the latitude of Ooch, where the inundated lands of both join, to the Salt range. It seems to be a part of the great desart cut off from the main body by the rivers and their rich banks. We entered it a few miles west of our encamp

ment near the Acesines. The line between the cultivated country and the desart was marked and decided, and we found ourselves at once among sand-hills, stunted bushes, burs, and phoke: yet those were not so common as to preclude the necessity of carrying forage for our cattle. The sand-hills were lower than those of the great desart, and here they were grey, while those had been reddish-yellow. The water was brackish. At the end of our second march, we were within the limits of the inundation of the Indus; and on the morning of the 31st of December, Mr. Strachey, Lieutenant Macartney, and I, set out for the banks of that celebrated river. We had a guide on a camel, some troopers, and three or four servants on camels and horses. We passed over a rich soil, covered with long grass, in which were mixed many trees of the kind like willow, and here and there patches of cultivation. The day was cloudy, with occasional drops of rain, and a very cold wind blew till after noon. The hills were distinctly in sight during the whole of our ride. Their appearance was beautiful; we clearly saw three ranges, the last of which was very high, and we often doubted whether we were deceived by the clouds, or really saw still higher ranges beyond. While we were looking at the hills, a mass of heavy clouds rolled down those most to the north, so as entirely to conceal them from our sight, and