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who had joined our party in the Bellafpour camp, went on before, and my fervant lagged behind. In the evening, having reached the bottom of a hill, we observed a body of horsemen defcending in our road. The fight of these men, who were immediately known to be Sicques, gave a ferious alarm; and on their near approach, I deposited, unnoticed by my companions, my little property of bills and cash in an adjacent bufh. But we had formed an unjust opinion of these cavaliers; and I am to think myself fingularly fortunate, in being enabled in two inftances to place their conduct in a favourable point of view. This party, confifting of about two hundred, many of whom were Mahometans, was then marching into the Hurriepour diftrict. Summoning an affected compofure of countenance, we affected to smoke our pipes, from which fome of the Mahometans took a whiff en paffart, and at the same time gave us an assurance of protection against any ill defigns of their affociates; for notwithstanding the looks we had borrowed, they must have feen much embarraffment in them. After their departure, I took my valuables out of the bush without the obfervance of my companion, who was transported with joy at the escape, fwearing, by his beard, that on reaching our evening quarters, he would offer up to Mahomet, or to his national faint Mucdoom Saib, two-pennyworth of brown fugar, in thanksgiving for the extraordinary prefervation. We met many of the Sicque ftragglers, who are always the most mischievous; thefe we directed to fpecdily join their companions, who, we faid, had strictly en

joined us to give fuch directions; and this pretended meffage gave us fome credit; for feeing we had not been plundered by their party, they followed the fame meritorious example.

A SHOP-KEEPER accommodated us with a convenient lodging at Tulwara, where, being joined by my fervant, who had likewise been involved in the dangers of the day, though he had carefully preferved the remains of the fish that had been procured at Dada, a sumptuous feast was served up, and joyously participated. The truth of this remark will be readily acknowledged by thofe, who, from the like adventures, have reached in the evening a fafe retreat. My friend, who faithfully performed the tenor of his promife, reprobated my infenfibility of the providential interpofition that had been made in our behalf. It was in vain to urge the merits of internal prayer, or to affert, that I had already offered unfeigned thanks for our escape, which I trufted would not be the less acceptable from the want of fugar. This being a doctrine wholly repugnant to his creed, which exifted only in noify and oftentatious ceremony, I drew on myself a further severe reproach.

On the 5th at Badpour-feven coffes: a populous village in the Nourpour district. About two coffes to the eastward of Badpour, we croffed at the Rhay Ghaut, or Puttun,* in a ferry-boat, the Byas Gungah, and came into the Jumbo road, which in this quarter has not yet experienced the depredation of the Sicques.

* The name of a ferry in fome parts of the Punjab.

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ON the 6th, at Gungatau-ten coffes. In the passage of a rivulet near this village, the horse, in fuddenly stopping to drink, threw me headlong into the water, where among the rest of my chattels, a bill on Jumbo was thoroughly drenched: nor was this the first injury it had received.

On the 7th, at Nourpour; the refidence of the chief of a diftrict of the fame name. This town fituate on the top of a hill, which is afcended by stone steps, has the appearance of opulence and industry. Towards the fouth-east the country is open and of a pleasant afpect, to which a winding stream of fine water gives additional beauty. Mountains that have already made my eyes ach, contract the view to the west and north; but these have their ufes; and having experienced an effential one, not to give it a place would be ungenerous. The heat of the fun now growing intense would have been severely felt, had not the wind which came from the north-weft received a cool refreshing quality from the fnows which on that quarter cover the hills; and had it not been for a like favourable fituation, the refidence in the Bellafpour camp, the remembrance of which makes me fhudder, might have proved fatal to us,

On a plain adjacent to the town of Nourpour, was encamped a Jumbo kafilah, chiefly the property of Sunaffees,* and configned

* Though this fect, conformably to the tenets of their doctrine, ought to renounce or never engage in the affairs of the world, yet many of its members have become merchants, foldiers, and ftatefmen.

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to the Dehli market. From these people I learned, that the chief of Jumbo was much embarrassed in his finances, from a destructive war he had entered into with the Sicques: that to raise supplies he had levied a general contribution on the inhabitants of the city; and that his exactions had induced many of the principal merchants to abandon the place. The Sunaffees had employed in their service two or three Kashmirians, who are men of an univerfal occupation, and endowed with unwearied patience and activity in the cause of gain. They told me that I should incur a manifest risk in going to Jumbo, at a time, when the appearance of perfons of any property, attracted the notice of government: an information then more alarming, as my business at Jumbo required a personal attendance. Whilst I am writing of Nourpour, it may not be fuperfluous to mention, that a refpectable merchant named Daud Khan, a native of the Punjab, refides in that town. He had lived many years at Jumbo, but having felt the oppreflion of that government, he has taken refuge in Nourpour, where he enjoys, with a moderate fecurity of property, the benefit of a fine air and a plentiful country; and should any of our countrymen come this way in the Mahometan character, they may be confidently affured of deriving conveniency, from an acquaintance with Daud Khan.

On the 8th, halted. On the 9th, at the village of Bungureeeight coffes. My fervant, from a cold and a conftitutional weakness in his breast, which he faid had long afflicted him, was this day scarcely G g able

VOL. I.

able to walk. I am now fearful that the burthen he was loaded with, was too heavy a one, and I am also to accufe myself of not alleviating its weight, by an exercife of thofe offices of kindness, which the law of humanity, as well as the ufages of fervitude, efpecially in the Afiatic world, obliges a mafter to fhew his fervant, the more fo if he is a good one; and to fay that this follower of my fortunes was not a good fervant, would be an unworthy attempt to exculpate, at the expence of his character, my frequent neglect. But fhould I ever be enabled to recompence his worth, the act fhall be claffed among those of my beft deeds. I used to fortify my occafional diffatisfaction at him, by enlarging too rigorously on the petulance of his temper; but I hold the reason no longer valid, nor will it atone for the compunction I feel, when I recall to my mind the many affectionate fervices which the honeft fellow performed in the courfe of a laborious journey.

THE diftricts of Nourpour on the north, are bounded by the river Rawee; on the eaft by the Chambay* country; on the west by fome finall Hindoo districts, lying at the head of the Punjab. and by the river Byas; and on the fouth by Huriepour. The revenues of Nourpour are calculated at four lacks of rupces, and it would feem that it enjoys a state of more internal quiet, is less molefted by the Sicques, and governed more equitably than any of the adjacent territories.

* A mountainous territory of large extent.

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