holding fans, and dressed in the same colour as their mistress, but
without jewels. On each side of her, forming a semicircle, were
grouped the ladies of the Court, all arrayed in artistically
contrasting colours; they were more or less pretty and refined
looking, and the Maharani herself was extremely handsome. My wife was
placed by her side on the sofa, and carried on a long conversation
with her through one of the ladies who spoke Hindustani and acted as
Interpreter. The Maharani presented Lady Roberts with a beautiful
little Chinese pug-dog, and the Maharaja gave me a gold-mounted
_kookri_ (Gurkha knife). After this little ceremony there was a grand
display of fireworks, and we took our leave.

Nothing could exceed the kindness we met with during our stay in
Nepal. The Maharaja endeavoured in every way to make our visit
enjoyable, and his brothers vied with each other in their efforts to
do us honour. It was impressed upon me that the Nepalese army was at
the disposal of the Queen-Empress, and hopes were repeatedly expressed
that we would make use of it in the event of war.

Notwithstanding the occasional differences which have occurred between
our Government and the Nepal Durbar, I believe that, ever since 1817,
when the Nepal war was brought to a successful conclusion by Sir David
Ochterlony, the Gurkhas have had a great respect and liking for us:
but they are in perpetual dread of our taking their country, and they
think the only way to prevent this is not to allow anyone to enter
it except by invitation, and to insist upon the few thus favoured
travelling by the difficult route that we traversed. Nepal can never
be required by us for defensive purposes, and as we get our best class
of Native soldiers thence, everything should, I think, be done to show
our confidence in the Nepalese alliance, and convince them that we
have no ulterior designs on the independence of their kingdom.

On leaving Nepal we made a short tour in the Punjab, and then went to
Simla for the season.

One of the subjects which chiefly occupied the attention of the
Government at this time was the unfriendly attitude of the Ruler of
Afghanistan towards us. Abdur Rahman Khan appeared to have entirely
forgotten that he owed everything to us, and that, but for our support
and lavish aid in money and munitions of war, he could neither have
gained nor held the throne of Kabul. We refused to Sher Ali much that
we could have gracefully granted a