On Monday, the 6th, I went to hunt and shot a female
nilgaw. Presenting an elephant to Mīrzā Sharafu-d-dīn
Ḥusain Kāshgharī, I dismissed him to duty in the Subah
of Bangash. A present of a jewelled dagger, a muhr
of 100 tolas, and 20,000 darbs was made to Ūdā Rām.
On Tuesday, the 7th, I shot an alligator in the tank at
Dhār. Though only the top of his snout was visible
and the rest of his body was hidden in the water, I fired
at a guess and hit him in his lungs and killed him with
a single shot. An alligator is of the crocodile species
and exists in most of the rivers of Hindustan, and grows
very large. This one was not so very big. An alligator
has been seen (by me) 8 gaz long and 1 gaz in
breadth. On Sunday, marching 4 1/2 kos, I halted at
Sa‘dalpūr. In this village there is a stream over which
Nāṣiru-d-dīn Khaljī built a bridge and erected buildings.
It is a place like Kāliyāda, and both are his works.
Although his building is not worthy of praise, yet as it
has been built in the river-bed and they have made
rivulets and reservoirs, it is somewhat remarkable. At
night I ordered them to place lamps all round the canals
and streams. On Mubārak-shamba (Thursday), the 9th,
a feast of cups was held. On this day I made a present
to my son Shāh Jahān of a ruby of one colour, weighing
9 tanks and 5 surkh, of the value of 125,000 rupees,
with two pearls. This is the ruby which had been given
to my father at the time of my birth by Ḥaẓrat Maryam-
On Monday, the 13th, I went to hunt and shot a blue bull. From the day on which the elephant Nūr-bakht was put into the special elephant stables, there was an order that he should be tied up in the public palace (court). Among animals elephants have the greatest liking for water; they delight to go into the water, notwithstanding the winter and the coldness of the air, and if there should be no water into which they can go, they will take it from a water-bag (mashk) with their trunks and pour it over their bodies. It occurred to me that however much an elephant delights in water, and it is suited to their temperament, yet in the winter the cold water must affect them. I accordingly ordered the water to be made lukewarm (as warm as milk) before they (the elephants) poured it into their trunks. On other days when they poured cold water over themselves they evidently shivered, but with warm water, on the contrary, they were delighted. This usage is entirely my own.