Page:Wanderings of a Pilgrim Vol 1.djvu/267

 time, for good luck perhaps; his rosary was composed of enormous pearls.

His majesty's hooq[)u] was presented to the Nawāb; Lord William Bentinck and the Resident were honoured with the same: it is a great distinction; no subject can smoke, unless by permission, in the royal presence. Hooq[)u]s are only presented to the Governor-general, the Commander-in-chief, the Resident, and the Bishop of Calcutta—if he likes a pipe.

Numerous histories respecting the prime minister were current in the bazār, far too romantic and extraordinary to be believed, of which the following is a specimen:

"The truth or falsehood of the story rests on the head of the narrator ."

"The dagger in his bosom and salutation in his mouth ."

The hakīm (physician or learned man) was formerly employed on a salary of about twenty rupees a month. The commencement of his enormous fortune began thus:—He was in tents in the district; a very rich Hindoo was with him, within the (kanāts) canvass walls, with which tents are surrounded. This man was said to have died during the night; his corpse was given to his relations, who were in the camp, to be burned according to Hindoo custom. There were two black marks round the neck of the corpse. It is a custom amongst Hindoos to put sweetmeats into the mouth of a dead body. When they opened the mouth of the corpse for this purpose, within it was found a finger, bitten off at the second joint. On that very night the confidential servant of the hakīm lost his finger! The hakīm seized the man's treasure, which laid the foundation of his fortune. He next took into pay a number of thieves and murderers, who made excursions, and shared the booty with the hakīm. They say the man's art is such that he keeps in favour both with natives and Europeans, in spite of his crimes.

Having been unable to bring the Resident over to his views, he is his sworn enemy, and would give thousands to any one who would poison him. Many of the servants now standing