Untitled - Sabrizain.org

226 BIBMAH.
the two female attendants, neatly dressed, kneeling,
one on each side, fanned her with long gilded fans.
Every person seemed to pay her profound respect, and
when she entered, both men and women bent their
bodies in the attitude of submission. I had brought,
as a token of my veneration, a string of pearls and
some fine muslin. The Sandphgaan announced the
offering, and enumerated the articles with a loud voice,
entreating, in my name, her gracious acceptance of
them. She looked at the English gentlemen with
earnestness, but seemed entirely to disregard the
Chinese, although their dress was much more showy
than ours. Her manner was on this occasion extremely
complaisant, and she asked several questions, such as,
what were our names ? how we were in health ? what
were our ages ? On being informed, she obligingly said,
she would pray that we might attain as great a longevity
as herself; adding, that she had reached her
seventy-second year. I did not perceive, amongst the
numerous company that attended, any of the junior
princes, or of the principal ministers, although there
were several personages of distinction. After she had
retired, a very handsome dessert was served : up the
fruits and preserves were delicious: whatever China
could yield, was united with the produce of their own
country. Having tasted of various dishes, we withdrew
without any ceremony."
Rope-dancers, figure-dancers, musicians, tumblers,
and masquerade performers, were in attendance both
at the imperial palace and at the levees of the princes.
The tumblers, however, appeared much inferior in
agility to those of southern India.
When Captain Cox repaired to Amarapura, the
emperor, with all his court, was residing at Mhe-
ghoon, a few miles higher up the river, where his