and supplies from the Upper Provinces.

It having been announced that early on the morning of the 8th of August
the Shah would take formal possession of the Balar Hissar, the troops
were under arms and in review order at ten o'clock. The
Commander-in-Chief, the Politicals, and the whole of the general
officers and staff rode up, shortly after, to the tent of his Majesty,
at which I happened that morning to be stationed as orderly, and were
kept waiting some time. Sir William McNaghten and Sir Alexander Burnes
were at length summoned to the Shah's presence, and having remained with
him a few minutes, they came out and informed the Commander-in-Chief, it
was his Majesty's pleasure that the ceremony should be postponed until
three o'clock the same afternoon. The reason assigned for this
alteration was understood to be an augury pronounced by his Majesty's
priests or soothsayers, that the hour was unpropitious, an opinion in
which the troops devoutly concurred, the prospect of broiling for
several hours under a meridian sun not being extremely agreeable.

At the appointed hour the troops were again under arms, and salvoes of
artillery announced the Shah's departure from his tent. His Majesty was,
as usual, borne on an elephant, the howdah of which was of silver, and
the caparisons crimson and gold. On each side of him sat Sir William Mc
Naghten and Sir Alexander Burnes, the former attired in the same court
dress which he had worn at Candahar. His Majesty appeared in excellent
health and spirits, and addressed much of his conversation to Sir
Alexander Burnes, who seemed to be high in his favour. The Shah's
costume was, as usual, magnificent, his turban being ornamented with a
single diamond, whose value was estimated at L100,000. Immediately after
came six elephants, containing the ministers and household of the Shah,
and then followed the Commander-in-Chief, with the whole of the general
officers and staff in brilliant uniforms, and decorated with their
various orders. The next feature in the procession, and a ludicrous one
it was, was the appearance of two burly-looking fellows, dressed in red
and yellow, and wearing conical caps, out of which shot two large
horns. We at first supposed they were his Highness's jesters, but
instead of that they turned out to be his executioners, functionaries
far more essential to the comfort of an Asiatic prince. The Shah's
troops, consisting of two thousand infantry, brought up the rea