ing what you have brought me, and shall send a present
to your lord and master, befitting a king to send. Only this will I
require from you, and do not expect it from the merchants, that you will
take with you patterns of the following articles: a quiver and bow-case,
a coat of mail, a cushion to rest my head upon in our fashion, and a
pair of boots, which you shall cause to be embroidered for me in England
in the richest manner, as I know they can do these things in your
country better than any I have seen. These things I shall expect from
you, and if you send them, I promise you, on the word of a king, that
you shall be no loser." This I most chearfully undertook, and he
commanded Asaph Khan to send me the patterns. He then asked if I had
any grape wine, which I said I had. He desired to have some of it to
taste next night, and if he liked it, he would be obliged to me to let
him have it, otherwise I might make merry with it myself. Thus the whole
of this night being spent in discourse only with me, he rose up, and I
departed.

On the 3d of March we arrived at Mundu, into which the king was expected
to make his entry; but the day for that was not yet fixed, as he waited
till the astrologers had determined upon an auspicious hour for the
ceremony, so that we had all to remain without, waiting for the good
hour. The 6th I entered Mundu, and my servants, whom I had sent before
to seek out for quarters, had taken possession of a fair court, well
walled round, in which was a goodly temple and a tomb. Some of the
king's servants had already taken up their quarters there, but I got
possession and kept it, being the best within the whole circuit of
Mundu, though two miles from the king's house; yet it was so nearly
sufficient, that a very small charge was sufficient to make it
defensible against the rains, and save me 1000 rupees. The air was
wholesome, and the prospect pleasant, as it was on the very edge of the
hill.

I went at night of the 11th to meet the king, but was told, that, on the
news of a lion[210] having killed some horses, the king had gone out to
hunt for that animal. I thus had leisure to look out for water; for such
was the unaccountable want of foresight, that we were brought, with a
multitude of people and beasts, to a hill on which was no water, so that
the men and cattle were ready to perish. What little was to be found in
certain wells and tanks had been taken possession of by the great men,
and kept