MOHAMMED ALY BEG, and Mohammed Kurreem, ambassadors from Nadir Shah, being introduced to the Emperor, presented him a letter from their master, with an hundred elephants, some inlaid sword hilts and other articles, which being made after the fashion of Hindostan, were useless and of little value in Persia. They met with a gra­cious reception, and were honoured with rich dresses. Some days after, they told the Emperor, that Nadir Shah had com­manded them to deliver a verbal message, setting forth, “that the large armies which he had been obliged to main­tain, to enable him to carry on his wars in Turan, Daghistan, and Turkey, had exhausted his treasures, at the same time that he had remitted three years tribute throughout his dominions: that therefore it would be brotherly in Mohammed Shah, to assist him with fifty or sixty lacks of rupees.” However, as no mention was made of money in the letter, Mohammed Shah gave the following direct answer to their application on that score. “My brother, the king of kings, when we parted, told me never to pay any attention to verbal messages, but only to give credit to what should be written in his letter. On account of the weak state of the empire, the Zemindars* fail in their remittances of the revenues, so that the expendi­tures exceed the receipts: moreover the letter is totally silent on this sub­ject, and a verbal answer is surely sufficient for a verbal message.” The China dishes, lignum aloes, sandle wood, and other articles required in the letter, were carefully sent. However, notwith­standing the valour displayed in the Emperor’s words, himself and every one about him, were dreadfully apprehensive for the consequences, till they heard of the death of Nadir Shah.