on thought proper to
enlarge Lahore, which now, including its suburbs, is about six coss in
extent. The castle or royal town is surrounded by a brick wall, which is
entered by twelve handsome gates, three of which open to the banks of
the river, and the other nine towards the land. The streets are well
paved, and the inhabitants are mostly Banyan handicrafts, all white men
of any note living in the suburbs. The buildings are fair and high of
brick, with much curious carvings about the doors and windows; and most
of the Gentiles have their house doors raised six or seven steps from
the street, and of troublesome ascent, partly for greater security, and
to prevent passengers from seeing into their houses. The castle is built
on the S.E. bank of the _Rauvee_, a river that flows into the Indus, and
down which many barges of sixty tons and upwards navigate to Tatta in
Sindy, after the falling of the rains, being a voyage of about forty
days, passing by Mooltan, Sidpoor, Backar, &c.

The river Rauvee comes from the N.E. and passing the north side of the
city, runs W.S.W. to join the Indus. Within the castle is the king's
palace, which is on the side towards the river, and is entered by the
middle gate on that side, after entering which, you go into the palace
by a strong gate on the left hand, and a musket-shot farther by a
smaller gate, into a large square court, surrounded by _atescanna_, in
which the king's guard keeps watch. Beyond this, and turning again to
the left, you enter by another gate into an inner court, in which the
king holds his _durbar_, or court, all round which are _atescannas_,[251]
in which the great men keep watch, and in the middle of the court is a
high pole on which to hang a light. From thence you go up to a fair stone
_jounter_, or small court, in the middle of which stands a fair
_devoncan_,[252] with two or three retiring rooms, in which the king
usually spends the early part of the night, from eight to eleven o'clock.
On the walls is the king's picture, sitting cross-legged on a chair of
state, on his right hand Sultan Parvis, Sultan Chorem, and Sultan Timor,
his sons; next whom are Shah Morat and Don Shah, his brothers, the three
princes who were baptized being sons of this last. Next to them is the
picture of Eemersee Sheriff, eldest brother to Khan Azam, with those of
many of the principal people of the court. It is worthy likewise of notice,
that in this hall are conspicuously placed the pict