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82
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MARCH, 1873.
thirty royal robes, two horses, one of which was Baddled, one hundred javelins, and five Khatáy girls, except that Bakhshy Malak obtained one ingot less; also the Empresses made presents to the ambassadors. On that day the ambassador of A'wys Khan with 250 men obtained an audience from the Emperor and paid him the customary homage; the courtiers provided them with royal garments, and rations were assigned to them.
On the 13th (March 18th) the Emperor sent for the ambassadors and said to them :-"I shall depart on a hunting expedition, and shall perbaps stay away for sone time. Take charge of your falcons, lest you lose them." According to this command the birds were surrendered to them, and the Emperor went to the case. During his absence a royal prince arrived from the country of Tamná; the ambassadors paid him a visit on the 18th (March 23rd), and found him sitting on the eastern side of the Emperor's house, which was, according to custoin, adorned with tables laid out; they ate some food and came out again.
In the beginning of Ráby the second (March 25th). the ambassadors received information that the Emperor had returned from the hunt, and that they inust go out to meet him. Accordingly they mounted their horses, but when they reached the Yámkhánah, they found Mulláná Yusuf Qádzy sitting on his horse in a state of great melancholy and dejection, and, asking for the reason of his sadness, he whispered to them "The horse sent by His Majesty Shah Rokh has thrown the Emperor whilst hunting, which event made him so angry that he ordered the ambassadors to be taken back in fetters to the city of Khatá [Peking)." At these words the arnbassadors became much distressed and confused. In the camp of the Emperor, where they bad alighted in the night, they perceived a wall built around it, which was 400 cubits long and as inany broad, the wall itself was four paces broad and two cubits high ; it had been built up that night. They built the wall of green trees and left two gates in it; in the rear of the wall, which was plastered with mud, a deep fosse could be seen. At the gates armed soldiers were standing, and within the [en- closure of the wall were two square tents, each 25 cubits long and supported by four poles ; around them stood snaller tents and sheds of yellow and gold-embroidered atlas. As the ambassadors were yet 500 paces distant, Mullánú Yusuf said to them :"Get down froin your horses and reinain on this spot till the Emperor comes." Then he went alone forward, and when he arrived near the escort of the Emperor, he alighted and found hiin sitting with Lyllájy and Jan Wájy, and blaming the ambassadors; both of these men, however, as well as Mulláná Yusuf Qádzy, touched the ground with their heads, aud interceded, representing to him that the ambassadors were not guilty, since their king, to whose government no damage would be done in case these men should be killed, was obliged to send a good horse, but that on the contrary His Imperial Majesty,
who was far and near celebrated for his mercy, would be accused of an act of tyranny for punishing in this manner ambassadors who were not guilty according to any code of laws. The Emperor approved of this argument of the well-wishers, and gave up his intention of punishing the ambassadors. Accord ingly Mulláná Yusuf went joyfully to them and said "God the Most High and Glorious has taken mercy on you, poor fellows, and the Emperor has graciously pardoned the transgression you have not committed." Afterwards the Emperor came near, mounted on a tall black horse, with white legs, which Mirza Olugh Beg had sent him. He wore & red gold-embroidered dress, and rode slowly, having an Okhtaji on each side ; his beard was encased in a wrapper of black atlas and he was accompanied by seven small Sedan-chairs, which were covered and contained girls sitting in them : there was also one large Sedan-chair borne on the shoulders of seventy men, and escorted by numerous mounted troops on the right and on the left, no other person daring to move a single step forward or backward, and the interval from the people was always 20 steps.
When the Emperor had arrived nearer, the ambassadors made demonstrations of respect at the instigation of Jan Wájy and Lyllájy and of Mulláná Yusuf, and the Emperor said to them "Mount your horses !" Accordingly the ambassadors departed in the cortege of the Einperor, who had by way of complaint said to Shady Khájah that the presents of horses and other animals sent with the other offerings ought to be good ones, and added : “On account of my affection for thee I rode the horse thou hadst brought when I was on the hunting ground, but it was so vicious that it threw me and injured my hand." Shady Khájah apologized and represented that the horse was a souvenir from His Majesty, the Lord of the two conjunctions, the Arair Tayınúr Kurkán, and that the king Shah Rokh had sent. it as a present to the Emperor to show him respect." This excuse the Emperor accepted, and marched to the capital, in the vicinity of which great crowds of men were assembled uttering good wishes and praises of the Emperor in the Khatay language, and amidst this display of power and glory the Emperor alighted at his own palace, whilst the people returned to their homes.
On the 4th of Ráby the second (April 8th), an imperial messenger came again, and said to the ambassadors whilst he took them away :-"This day the Emperor will give you presents !" When they arrived at the foot of the throne, they observed that the Emperor had heaps of gifts collected around him, which he distributed to the ambassadors as follows :-To Shády Khájah ten ingots of silver, thirty robes of atlas, with seventy pieces of cloth, and various other presents; to Sultan Ahmad, to Kukjal, and to A'rghdáq, severally, eight ingots of silver, sixteen robes of atlas, and other things. To Khájah Ghayath-ul-din, to Ardván, and to Táj-ul-din, severally, seven ingots of silver, sixteen robes of atlas, and other articles. When the ambassadors
