tries where money was not generally regarded as the
best of presents. When, however, no reply came to
my request, I pointed to the scarlet raiment on my
back, telling his Majesty that Such a decoration was
worn by our chief mullahs in England ; that I had
heard he was a mullah, and that I should be gratified
if he would accept my Doctor’s h o o d a n d then, to
make quite sure that among my presents there should
be something decidedly new, I added the masonic
collar and jewels ! He seemed at first not to understand
me, until, having called in the aid of his own
interpreter, he replied, “ Yes ” ; and again there
followed a painful silence.
I was beginning to think him provokingly uninquisi-
tive, and inquired whether he had any questions to
ask about England.
Again there came no answer, whereupon I rose.
Then he said he must consider. Did I mean about
England, or about my travels ?
I answered, “ Whichever your Majesty pleases/’
“ What,, then,” said he, “ is the aim of your travels?”
“ Primarily,” I answered, “ to distribute good books
in prisons and hospitals; but, besides that, I am
interested in antiquities.”
“ Now,” said he, “ I understand your object.”
I handed him two of my letters, with accompanying
translations in Turki, but he hardly glanced at them,
and rather impatiently, I thought, put them aside.
We then shook hands, and all literally “ backed out ”
of his presence. We had been told beforehand that
refreshment would be provided, of which we partook,
in the room of the chief ministers. They said we
ate too little, and asked about my costume, one of
them having been in Belgrade, the very town where
my vest was purchased. They had no prisons worth
seeing, they said. They used to put prisoners in the
stocks, but not now. They were curious to know what
were the books we had given to the Emir; they understood
our giving books in “ the hospitals to cure the* sick,
but had we, besides, any medicine?” I gave presents
of rings and ^ pocket microscope 'to these ministers,
for which they said they had nothing to give in return ;
but they soon came to tell me that the Emir had
looked at my presents, and thought them very curious,
and, further, they brought into the room to me, as. a
present, at least a score of changes of raiment, for
myself and retainers. These were the robes of honour,
or khalats, of which the Russians had told me the
Emir would give enough to “ bury me.” Some were
of cotton, of gaudy colours, others of native silk, some
few of Russian brocaded satin, like the Russian priests’
vestments ; one or two were of Cashmere, and another
of pea-green velvet, to envelop me from head to fo o t!
This, however, was only the beginning of favours, for
I was next informed that the Emir had sent me a
horse for myself, and another for whomsoever I pleased.
Nor was my charger sent without saddle or bridle,
for it had both, as well as a saddle-cloth, covering
him from mane to tail, and hanging down on either
side, two feet from the withers and three feet behind.
The saddle-cloth is the handsomest I have ever seen,
and is of crimson velvet, embroidered with gold and
silver thread and silk of various colours, in seven
large foliate patterns, surrounded by a scroll border
of similar workmanship, and edged with wide amber
and crimson fringe, the whole being adorned by
spangles of silver and gold.
The bridle, too, is no less remarkable, being mounted