rubies, some with pearls, and
others with diamonds, while some had only plain gold studs. Next behind
the coach came three palanquins, the carriages and feet of one being
plated with gold, set with pearls, and a fringe of great pearls in
strings a foot long, the border being set all round with rubies and
emeralds. Beside this, a man on foot carried a stool of gold, set with
precious stones. The other two palanquins were covered and lined with
cloth of gold.

Next followed the English coach, newly covered and richly trimmed, which
he had given to his favourite queen, Nourmahal, who sat in the inside.
After this came a coach, made after the fashion of the country, which I
thought seemed out of countenance, in which were his younger sons. This
was followed by about twenty spare royal elephants, all for the king's
own use, all so splendidly adorned with precious stones and rich
furniture, that they outshone the sun. Each elephant had several flags
and streamers of cloth of silver, gilded sattin, or rich silk. His
noblemen accompanied him on foot, which I did likewise to the gate, and
then left him. His women, who accompanied him on elephants, as before
mentioned, seemed like so many parroquitos in cages, and followed about
half a mile in the rear of his coach. On coming to the door of the house
in which his eldest son was kept prisoner, he caused the coach to stop,
and sent for prince Cuserou; who immediately came and made reverence,
having a sword and buckler in his hands, and his beard grown to his
middle, in sign of disfavour. The king now commanded his son to mount
one of the spare elephants in the royal train, so that he rode next his
father, to the great joy and applause of the multitude, who were now
filled with new hopes; and on this occasion, the king gave him 1000
rupees to throw among the people; his gaoler, Asaph Khan, and all the
ministers, being still attendant on foot.

To avoid the press and other inconveniences, I took horse and crossed
out of the _leskar_, getting before the king, and then waited for him
till he came near his tents, to which he passed all the way from the
town between a guard of turreted elephants, having each on the four
corners of their howdars a banner of yellow taffety, and a _sling_[208]
mounted in front, carrying a bullet as big as a tennis-ball. There were
about three hundred elephants armed in this manner, each having a
gunner; besides about six hundred other elephants of honour,