Before this gallery is a fair paved court, with stone gratings and windows along the water; beneath which is a pleasure garden; and behind are the king’s principal lodgings, most sumptuously decorated, all the walls and ceilings being laid over with pure gold, and along the sides, about man’s height, a great number of Venetian mirrors, about three feet asunder, and in threes over each other; and below are many pictures of the king’s ancestors, as Akbar his father, Humaion his grandfather, Babur his great-grandfather, the first of the race who set foot on India, together with thirty of his nobles, all clad as calenders or fakiers.  In that disguise Babur and his thirty nobles came to Delhi to the court of Secunder, then reigning, where Babur was discovered, yet dismissed under an oath not to attempt any hostilities during the life of Secunder, which he faithfully performed.  On the death of Secunder, Babur sent his son Humaion against his successor Abram, from whom he conquered the whole kingdom.  There afterwards arose a great captain, of the displaced royal family in Bengal, who fought a great battle against Humaion near the Ganges, and having defeated him, continued the pursuit till he took refuge in the dominions of Persia; where he procured new forces, under the command of Byram, father to the Khan Khana, and reconquered all, living afterwards in security.  On the death of Humaion, Akbar was very young, and Byram Khan was left protector of the realm.  When Akbar grew up, and assumed the reins of government, he cast off Byram, and is said to have made away with him, when on a roomery, or pilgrimage to Mecca.  The son of Byram, Khan-khana, or khan of the khans, in conjunction with his friends and allies, is a great curb on Shah Selim, being able to bring into the field upwards of 100,000 horse.  Shah Selim affirms himself to be the ninth in lineal male descent from Tamerlane, or Timur the Great, emperor of the Moguls.[253]

[Footnote 253:  We have here left out a farther description of the palace and other buildings at Lahore, which in fact convey little or no information.—­E.]

The 17th of May came news that the Patan thieves had sacked the city of Cabul, having come suddenly against it from their mountains with 11,000 foot and 1000 horse, while the governor was absent on other affairs at Jalalabad, and the garrison so weak that it was only able to defend the castle.  In six hours they plundered the city, and retired with their booty.  For the better keeping these rebels in order, the king has established twenty-three omrahs between Lahore and Cabul, yet all will not do, as they often sally from their mountains, robbing caravans and plundering towns.  The 18th of August, there arrived a great caravan from Persia, by whom we had news of the French king’s death, from an Armenian who had been in the service of Mr Boys.