DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.15172#0151
116
enormous elephant.
CHAP. V.
to cool the wine and water, and the necessaries
and luxuries of life were supplied without bounds.
The heat now became oppressive, and gave in-
dication of the monsoon, according to the natives.
In the afternoon of the 3d of July we had the
thermometer in the shade so high as 110° at
'4 p. m. ; and at sunset a storm set in from the
north-west, which was really sublime. Clouds ap-
peared to approach us for about half an hour, gra-
dually rising from the horizon, and looking more
like mountains in motion. When it came upon us,
we found it to be one of those tornadoes that we
experienced near Mooltan, and unaccompanied by
rain. The wind was hot and sultry, and bore clouds
of fine dust along with it. It passed over in an hour,
and was succeeded by vivid flashes of lightning from
the same quarter. Six days after the phenomenon
the rain set in with great violence ; and till then we
had a continuance of the dust every evening.
Our Mihmandar waited on us at the village
of Cheechawutnee with an enormous elephant, and
said that he had been instructed by the Maha-
raja to place it at our disposal, as he feared the
native houda did not suit our taste : he was right
in his conjectures, and we appreciated the civility.
The animal was richly caparisoned, and bore a
large chair, ornamented with silver and enamel
work, lined with red velvet. He was accompanied
by six of the Maharaja's own Orderlies, in dresses
of scarlet faced with yellow, which had a good
appearance. The Seiks, in all the various military
costumes that they have adopted, never lay aside
enormous elephant.
CHAP. V.
to cool the wine and water, and the necessaries
and luxuries of life were supplied without bounds.
The heat now became oppressive, and gave in-
dication of the monsoon, according to the natives.
In the afternoon of the 3d of July we had the
thermometer in the shade so high as 110° at
'4 p. m. ; and at sunset a storm set in from the
north-west, which was really sublime. Clouds ap-
peared to approach us for about half an hour, gra-
dually rising from the horizon, and looking more
like mountains in motion. When it came upon us,
we found it to be one of those tornadoes that we
experienced near Mooltan, and unaccompanied by
rain. The wind was hot and sultry, and bore clouds
of fine dust along with it. It passed over in an hour,
and was succeeded by vivid flashes of lightning from
the same quarter. Six days after the phenomenon
the rain set in with great violence ; and till then we
had a continuance of the dust every evening.
Our Mihmandar waited on us at the village
of Cheechawutnee with an enormous elephant, and
said that he had been instructed by the Maha-
raja to place it at our disposal, as he feared the
native houda did not suit our taste : he was right
in his conjectures, and we appreciated the civility.
The animal was richly caparisoned, and bore a
large chair, ornamented with silver and enamel
work, lined with red velvet. He was accompanied
by six of the Maharaja's own Orderlies, in dresses
of scarlet faced with yellow, which had a good
appearance. The Seiks, in all the various military
costumes that they have adopted, never lay aside