The slaves of the Sultán each receive a monthly allowance for their maintenance of two mans of wheat and rice, and a daily allowance of three sírs of meat, with all the necessary accompaniments. Besides, he receives ten tankas per month, and four suits of clothes every year.

The Sultán has a manufactory, in which 400 silk-weavers are em­ployed, and where they make stuffs of all kinds for the dresses of persons attached to the Court, for robes of honour and presents, in addition to the stuffs which are brought every year from China, 'Irák, and Alexandria. Every year the Sultán distributes 200,000 complete dresses; 100,000 in spring, and 100,000 in autumn. The spring dresses consist principally of the goods manufactured at Alexandria. Those of the autumn are almost exclusively of silk manufactured at Dehli or imported from China and 'Irák. Dresses are also distributed to the monasteries and hermitages.

The Sultán keeps in his service 500 manufacturers of golden tissues, who weave the gold brocades worn by the wives of the Sultán, and given away as presents to the amírs and their wives. Every year he gives away 10,000 Arab horses, of excellent breed, sometimes with saddle and bridle, sometimes without. * * * As to the hacks which the Sultán distributes every year, their number is incalculable. He gives them in lots or by hundreds. Notwith­standing the number of horses in India, and notwithstanding the numbers annually imported, the Sultán has horses brought from all countries, and buys them at high prices for presents. These animals are consequently always dear, and yield a good profit to the horse-dealers.

The Sultán has under him a náíb, chosen from among the kháns, who bears the title of Amriya, and enjoys, as his official appanage, a considerable province, as large as 'Irák. He also has a wazír, who has a similar large appanage. This officer has four deputies called shak, who receive 20,000 to 40,000 tankas per annum. He has four dabírs, or secretaries, each of whom receives the revenue of a large maritime town. Each of them has under his orders about 300 clerks, the lowest and worst paid of whom receives 10,000 tankas a year. Some of the highest rank have towns and villages, and some have both (pay and lands) to the value of fifty (thousand).

The Sadr-i Jahán, or Kázíu-l kuzát, which office is held, at the time I am writing, by Kamálu-d dín, son of Burhánu-d dín, has ten towns, producing a revenue of about 60,000 tankas. This dignitary is also called Sadru-l Islám, and is the chief officer of justice. The Shaikhu-l Islám, who corresponds to our Shaikhu-sh shuyúkh, has the same revenue. The Muhtasib, or chief of the police, has a village which brings him in about 800 tankas.

At the Court of this prince there are 1,200 physicians, 10,000 falconers, who ride on horseback, and carry the birds trained for hawking, 300 beaters to go in front and put up the game, 3,000 dealers, who sell the articles required for hawking, 500 table com­panions, 1,200 musicians, not including the mamlúk musicians to the number of 1,000, who are more especially charged with the teaching of music, and 1,000 poets skilled in one of three languages, Arabic, Persian, or Indian. All these are men of fine taste, who are included in the establishment of the Court, and receive magnificent presents. If the Sultán hears that one of his musicians has sung before any other person, he has him put to death. I asked my informant what pay these various officers received, but he did not know; he could only inform me that the table companions of the prince held some of them one, and some of them two towns; and that each of them, according to his rank, received 40,000, 30,000, or 20,000 tankas, without taking into account dresses, robes of honour, and other presents.

According to Shaikh Mubárak, the Sultán gives two audiences daily, in the morning and in the evening, and a repast is then served, at which 20,000 men are present, kháns, maliks, amírs, isfah-sálárs, and the principal officers. At his private meals, that is, at his dinner and supper, the Sultán receives learned lawyers to the number of 200, who eat with him and converse upon learned matters. Shaikh Abú Bakr bin Khallál Bazzí told me that he asked the Sultán's cook how many animals were killed daily to supply the royal table, and the reply was 2,500 oxen, 2,000 sheep, without taking into account fatted horses and birds of all descriptions. * * *

The amriya has under his charge the army and the people at large. Lawyers and learned men, whether inhabitants of the country or foreigners, are under the inspection of the Sadr-i Jahán. The fakírs, whether natives or strangers, are under the Shaikhu-l Islám. Lastly, all travellers, ambassadors, or others, men of letters, poets, both native and foreign, are all under the dabírs, or secre­taries. * * *

When the Sultán goes hunting his suite is less numerous. He only takes with him 100,000 horsemen and 200 elephants. Four wooden houses of two stories are carried in his train by 200 camels. Tents and pavilions of all kinds follow. When he travels from one place to another, for pleasure or for other motives, he takes with him 30,000 horsemen, 200 elephants, and 1,000 led horses, with saddles and bridles worked with gold, and with other trappings of gold, set with pearls and jewels.

The Sultán is generous and liberal, and at the same time full of humility. Abu-s Safá 'Umar bin Is'hák Shabalí informed me that he saw this monarch at the funeral of a fakír of great sanctity, and that he bore the coffin on his shoulders. He is noted for knowing the Holy Book by heart, as also the law book called Hidáya, which expounds the principles of the school of Abú Hanífa. He excels in all intellectual accomplishments. He possesses in the very highest degree a talent for caligraphy. He is given to religious exercises, and is careful to regulate his passions. To these advantages he adds literary acquirements. He is fond of reciting verses, com­posing them, and hearing them read, when he readily seizes their most hidden allusions. He likes to consult with learned men, and to converse with men of merit. He is also particularly fond of contending with poets in Persian, a language which he knows perfectly, and understands all its niceties of expression. * * *

The stories I have been told of the benevolence and generosity of this Sultán towards strangers, and to all who have recourse to him, pass all belief. * * *

The Sultán never ceases to show the greatest zeal in making war upon the infidels, both by sea and land. * * * Every day thou­sands of slaves are sold at a very low price, so great is the number of prisoners. According to the unanimous statements of the travel­lers I have cited, the value, at Dehli, of a young slave girl, for domestic service, does not exceed eight tankas. Those who are deemed fit to fill the parts of domestic and concubine sell for about fifteen tankas. In other cities the prices are still lower. Abú-s Safá 'Umar bin Is'hák Shabalí assured me that he bought a young slave in the flower of his youth for four dirhams. The rest may be understood from this. But still, in spite of the low price of slaves, 200,00 tankas, and even more, are paid for young Indian girls. I inquired the reason, * * * and was told that these young girls are remarkable for their beauty, and the grace of their manners. * * *

According to what I heard from Shabalí, the smallest quantity of wine is not to be found either in shops or in private houses: so great is the Sultán's aversion to it and so severe the punishments with which he visits its votaries. Besides, the inhabitants of India have little taste for wine and intoxicating drinks, but content themselves with betel, an agreeable drug, the use of which is per­mitted without the slightest objection. * * *

From the information of the learned Siráju-d dín Abú-s Safá 'Umar Shabalí, it appears that the Sultán is very anxious to know all that passes in his territories, and to understand the position of all those who surround him, whether civilians or soldiers. He has emissaries, called intelligencers, who are divided into a great number of classes. One goes among the soldiers and people. When any fact comes under his notice which ought to be communicated to the Sultán, he reports it to the officer above him; this one, in like manner, communicates it to his superior; and so in due course the fact comes to the knowledge of the Sultán. For communicating the events which happen in distant provinces, there are established, between the capital and the chief cities of the different countries, posts, placed at certain distances from each other, which are like the post-relays in Egypt and Syria; but they are less wide apart, because the distance between them is not more than four bow-shots, or even less. At each of these posts ten swift runners are stationed, whose duty it is to convey letters to the next station without the least delay. As soon as one of these men receives a letter, he runs off as rapidly as possible, and delivers it to the next runner, who starts immediately with similar speed, while the former returns quietly to his own post. Thus a letter from a very distant place is conveyed in a very short time with greater celerity than if it had been transmitted by post, or by camel express. At each of these post-stations there are mosques, where prayers are said, and where travellers can find shelter, reservoirs full of good water, and markets where all things necessary for the food of man and beast can be purchased, so that there is very little necessity for carrying water, or food, or tents.