a raised stage, attended by two men, and near it a great band of
musicians. Part of the hall was divided off by curtains which came close to
the throne, that the ladies belonging to the palace might see the company
without being seen. After all the victuals and liquors were brought in and
properly distributed, two khojas withdrew, the curtains which covered a
door behind the throne, and the emperor came forth, amid the sound of many
instruments of music, and took his seat under a canopy of yellow satin,
ornamented with four dragons. After the ambassadors had made five
prostrations, they sat down to table, and were treated as at other times.
During the entertainment, many comic tricks were acted for the amusement of
the emperor and the company. The first performers that appeared were
painted with white and red, like girls, and dressed in gold brocade,
holding nosegays of artificial flowers. After this, a man lay down on his
back, as if asleep, holding his feet raised up in the air; then another
person held several thick canes in his hands, seven cubits long, placing
the other ends between his legs, on which a youth of ten or twelve years of
age mounted, with surprising agility, and performed several tricks at the
top. At last the canes slipped away from under him, and every person
thought he must have fallen to the ground and been dashed to pieces; but
the pretended sleeper instantly started up and caught him in the air. There
was one musician who played tunes after the twelve different modes of the
Kathayans. Two men played the same air together, each having one hand on
his own instrument, and the other on that of his companion. During this
entertainment, several thousand birds of different kinds flew about the
court of the palace, and lighted among the people, to eat up what they
could find scattered on the ground, without appearing to be in the least
scared at the multitude. During the five months that the ambassadors
remained at Khanbalik, they were regaled at several other banquets, where
plays were acted, much surpassing that now mentioned.

On the seventeenth of the month Zu'lhajjeh, all the criminals were carried
to be punished according to the nature of their offences, and as prescribed
by the laws. The twenty-fifth of Moharram, Mulana Kadhi Yusof sent to
acquaint the ambassadors that next day, being the first of the new year,
according to the reckoning of the Kathayans, the emperor was to go to his
new palace, an