Page:Lord Amherst and the British Advance Eastwards to Burma.djvu/187

Rh emerald drops I ever saw, his turban was a blaze of diamonds.' Lady Amherst also adds, that he himself was the largest man she ever beheld, with a merry, laughing countenance. As usual he arrives in state with his processions of horses, elephants, camels, and howdahs, and native chiefs.

The progress continues by Mírzápur, and they come by difficult navigation to Allahábád, at the confluence of the Jumna and the Ganges. 'This city is esteemed by the Hindus equal to Benares in holiness. During their great native festivals many pilgrims annually sacrifice themselves to the alligators. Going in a boat to the centre of the river, they plunge in and are no more seen; from the bloody appearance of the water it is known they are dismembered by the crocodiles. The victims invite all their friends to the ceremony as they call it; I heard this account from those who had witnessed it.'

Lord and Lady Amherst landed in state on Oct. 27, 1826, and were received by General Marley, the Governor of the Fort of Allahábád, and lodged in his quarters. The great chiefs of Bundelkhand and the regions round come to welcome them. Among others the Nawáb of Bánda, with a following of 9,000 men.

The company is not let into the Fort, but received in tents outside. More and more processions arrive with hawks and greyhounds dressed in gold and silk, as well as the usual camels and elephants. So great is the influx of strangers that a famine is apprehended.