Chapter V

_Kanchanamala._ Glory to your grace! The queen sends
you word that Samvarana Siddha, the magician, is
arrived from Ougein; will your majesty be pleased to
see him?

_Vatsa._ By all means; I take much pleasure in this
cunning; bring him hither.

_Kan._ Here is the king.

_Sam._ What are your majesty’s commands? Would
you see the moon brought down upon earth--a mountain
in mid air--a fire in the ocean, or night at noon?
I will produce them--Command.

HINDOO DRAMA.

To the proclamations which he had distributed amongst the chieftains of the northern and western provinces of the empire, Chusero received so many favourable answers, that by the time the adverse troops marched from Delhi, he found himself at the head of a formidable army. He proceeded from Lahore to meet them, and encamped a few leagues to the south-east of that city, where he waited for the auxiliaries from Cashmere.

The difficulty of procuring provisions for his army, in a country already ravaged by the insurgents, compelled Jehangire to encamp in a plain near Shahabad, and there await the fresh supplies, for which he had issued orders to all the provinces still bearing him allegiance. The ground was peculiarly favourable for the display of that superb military spectacle, the halt of a grand army, within the neighbourhood of the field on which a general engagement is expected to take place. The principal quarter-master selected for the emperor’s tents a rising ground, which was speedily prepared by the pioneers, and enclosed by high screens of strong cloth, lined on the inside with printed calico, representing gardens, and lakes, and vases of flowers, and other objects agreeable to the eye of taste. The screens thus raised, formed an ample square, and on the side on which the imperial entrance was formed, festoons of rich silk drapery embellished the external side of the temporary mural boundary.

Within this square the first tent erected was that called the Am-kas, from the hall in the capital in which the emperor, attended by his judges and nobles, gives public audience, and administers justice. The tent is devoted to the same purposes, and near it was raised another of scarcely less extent, to which the omrahs repaired every evening to pay their obeisance to the sovereign, and when necessary to consult with him upon the affairs of the empire. A lower boundary of screens, lined with chintz, and decorated with deep silken fringes, secluded the remainder of the square for the pavilions of the emperor and his seraglio. The outside of all these habitations was covered with coarse red cloth, ornamented with large variegated stripes, the roofs and walls inside being lined with white velvet or flowered satin, richly embroidered with gold and edged with fringes of azure silk. Cotton mats, three or four inches thick, were spread on the floor, and covered with Persian carpets, on which were disposed large cushions enveloped in the most splendid brocade. These tents were supported by pillars of massive gold.

On either side of the imperial gate, leading to this square, were erected two long tents, where horses saddled and superbly caparisoned were kept in readiness for the emperor, whenever he chose to ride forth to the chase, or to review his troops. Before the tents several pieces of field artillery, and trumpeters on high stages were stationed, in order to salute the emperor as he passed through the gate. Here also tents were arranged for the omrahs on guard.

Within a short distance from the other three sides of the great square were the tents of the officers of the household, and those prepared to contain the arms and harnesses belonging to the emperor, the vests of brocade, and other materials given by him as presents upon state occasions, the fruit, sweet-meats, Ganges’-water, wines, saltpetre for cooling them, betel leaves, and other stores necessary for the use of his table, his choice elephants, and the various animals employed in hunting. The tents within and immediately without the great square constituted the imperial quarters, and beyond these were laid out, in long lines, the imperial bazaars, from which the emperor and his household were supplied with provisions, and all other articles of which they stood in need. These bazaars were distinguished by extremely long poles, erected at a distance of three hundred paces from each other, bearing red standards, surmounted by the tails of Great Thibet cows.

Beyond the bazaars the great omrahs had their tents pitched, surrounded also by screens, and near them those of their officers and cavaliers. Then appeared the bazaars of the suttlers, who supplied forage for the horses of the army, and rice, corn, butter, and bread for the great body of the cavalry, artillery, and infantry. Each of these bazaars had also long poles at both ends, distinguished by peculiar standards floating high in air, in order that those which furnished the different supplies might be the more easily distinguished. The remainder of the ground was occupied by the tents of the inferior officers, the artillery, cavalry, and infantry, the civil officers, trades-people, and the multitudinous followers of the army.

Three of the emissaries commissioned by Chusero to watch the movements of the hostile forces, met, on a cloudy night upon a hillock, from which they beheld, for the first time, stretching far and wide before them, the imperial encampment. They saw numerous fires blazing in all directions, round which were collected groups of men employed in cooking. They recognised the entrance to the imperial quarters by the lantern which was suspended at the top of a very lofty pole, and which at a distance looked like a star. Approaching nearer, in order to penetrate as far as possible into the camp unperceived, they passed the outer lines of tents and bazaars, when their apprehensions were excited by seeing long rows of flambeaus suddenly kindled, amidst lanes of tents, from which the omrahs, followed by their attendants, hastened towards the imperial pavilion. They suspected that a council of war was about to be held, and anxious to divine the results, they concealed themselves from notice as well as they could, until the council broke up. The trumpets at the imperial gate sounded as the omrahs passed in, the shrill and oft-repeated notes incessantly echoing through the vast encampment, while the lines of light, and the countless fires, threw a lurid reflection on the dark clouds, portentous of the approaching scenes of slaughter. After an absence of two hours, the omrahs returned to their tents; the flambeaus were extinguished, the cooking fires were permitted gradually to go out, and the emissaries, disappointed in their hope of meeting any one who could afford them the information they required, resolved to retire.

As they withdrew in different directions, they were obliged frequently to lie down on the grass, to avoid meeting with the watchmen who perambulated the quarters of the omrahs, and who cried out from time to time, “Kaber-dar, kaber-dar” (have a care). Similar warnings were uttered in peremptory voices by soldiers sent in all directions by the grand provost, who visited the bazaars in search of thieves, and sounded trumpets at assigned stations to denote that all was well. It was not without difficulty that the spies made good their escape from these guards, and also from the sentinels posted round the whole camp, near guard-fires kindled at the distance of five hundred paces from each other.

Having re-assembled at the hillock where they met the previous night, the emissaries waited there until the dawn, when the sun rising, unveiled by a single cloud, presented to their view the whole encampment in all its magnitude and splendour. The red-striped pavilions of the imperial quarters standing on an eminence, surrounded by their screens, looked peculiarly superb and imposing. The bazaars of the household, and many-coloured tents of the omrahs and their officers, the bazaars of the suttlers, the hosts of tents assigned to the great body of the army, stretching over the plain to the very edge of the horizon, the long poles surmounted by Thibet cow-tails, and by standards floating high over the encampment in all directions, exhibited a spectacle of authority and strength, and a combination of resources, which the emissaries began to apprehend their master was but ill prepared to encounter.

They therefore consulted amongst themselves as to the course they ought to take, whether to go back and represent the overwhelming numbers with which the prince would have to contend, or to penetrate the camp again, and observe whether any opportunities were presented by the habits of the emperor which would enable a resolute man to take away his life, and thus remove the only obstacle to Chusero’s ascent to the throne. Could they accomplish that object, they doubted not that, besides the plunder which they might possibly be able to carry away from the royal tents, during the confusion which such an event would create, they would receive, as their least reward, the principal provinces of the empire. They were not ignorant of Chusero’s objection to the many propositions that were made to him for the assassination of his father. But the deed once consummated, and the throne opened to his acceptance, they could not persuade themselves that he would refuse it, and that, having the power, he would hesitate to bestow any compensation they could reasonably require for such an important service.

“Who doubts,” said one of these debaters, “that the Orcha Rajaputs were employed by Bochari to cut off Abul Fazeel on his way to the Deccan? Who doubts, that whether this act was or was not suggested by Jehangire, it was sanctioned by him, since he has elevated Bochari to the first office in the state?”

“But the question now is,” observed another, while he looked upon the splendour of the imperial quarters with the eye of the miser counting over his ingots of gold--“how any of us could find the means of getting near the person of the emperor, surrounded as he is by all those tents, and bazaars, and screens, and lines of household guards. It seems to me that even if we had resolved upon the course you recommend, the accomplishment of it would be impossible.”

“Not impossible,” said the third emissary,--“if the proper means be taken. You remember the Bengal Bauzigurs, whose tents we passed three days ago. Let us go back to them, and say that we have been sent to invite them to the imperial camp, where they may reckon on being well received, for the emperor never loses an opportunity of witnessing the performances of those wondrous magicians. We will, of course, accompany them, as if we formed part of their train, and shall then stand a good chance of being admitted to the imperial presence.”

“An admirable suggestion!” exclaimed at once both his companions--“let us not lose a moment in carrying it into execution.”

The emissaries returned, without delay, through the bye-paths of the country to the well, near which they had previously encountered the Bauzigurs; but not finding them there, they made inquiries amongst the shepherds, until they traced them to the high road towards Lahore. Having at length, by great exertion, overtaken the magicians, they stated that they were commissioned by the emperor, who had heard of their extraordinary feats, to conduct them to his camp, where they would be sure of receiving magnificent presents for the exhibition of their skill.

The Bauzigurs, of whom there were seven in all, too much delighted with this intelligence, and the invitation by which it was followed, to think of putting many questions to their new acquaintances, were easily prevailed upon to give up their intention of proceeding to the northern provinces, and directed their steps towards the camp, attended by the emissaries, who took care to make themselves useful as carriers of part of the equipage with which those wonder-workers are usually incumbered. Upon their arrival at the outskirts of the encampment they were challenged by the sentinels, who refused to allow them to pass without orders from the emperor. This difficulty had been foreseen and provided against by the emissaries, who produced a memorial signed by the Bauzigurs, setting forth some of the marvels which they had it in their power to display, and praying his majesty’s permission to appear before him. This memorial, which the emissaries represented to the Bauzigurs to be an affair of court form, indispensable even where an invitation had been previously given, was forwarded to the hands of Jehangire, who read it with puerile transport, happy to have the listlessness of the camp thus broken in upon for a day or two, and gave instant directions for the admission of the strangers.

Advancing through the tents and bazaars, amidst the gaze of the curious multitude, to whom they were obliged to promise a day’s amusement upon their return from the imperial quarters, they entered the imperial gate, passed the screens, and preceded by a guard of eunuchs, approached the pavilion of the emperor. The report speedily went the round of the tents in which the ladies of the harem were lodged, that famous Bauzigurs from Bengal were arrived, and about to entertain the court. They forthwith prayed and obtained permission to witness the spectacle through latticed screens, which were speedily arranged for the purpose. A space was cleared for the exhibition, in front of the imperial pavilion, and the magicians having announced that all things were prepared for their operations, the emperor came forth, attended by Bochari and a number of his principal officers and omrahs, whom the emissaries were well pleased to see unarmed. Immediately behind the divan, however, upon which Jehangire was seated, they observed a number of eunuchs, in close array, with drawn scimitars. A rustle of silks and brocades, accompanied by low busy whispers, intermingled now and then with gentle laughter, drew occasionally the attention of the younger omrahs to the lattices, through which many bright eyes were beheld, waiting, with intense eagerness, for the novelties of the day. The emissaries, who were actively engaged in assisting in the marvels about to be performed, now and then conveyed to each other, by their glances, an expression of rejoicing at the success which had so far crowned their scheme. But those glances had not altogether escaped the vigilant eye of Bochari, from whose mind suspicion never was absent.

The first performances were little beyond the usual arts of manual dexterity. One of the Bauzigurs plunged a red rose into water, and brought it out a bright yellow. The next produced a bird-cage, which at first appeared to contain a pair of sweet-singing nightingales. The cage seemed to be without partition; but upon being turned around, the nightingales were changed into a couple of beautiful green parrots, and these vanishing were replaced by a brace of partridges, singularly mottled. They exhibited a large ewer, filled with water. Reversing it, they spilled the water to the last drop; but on turning the vessel, with its mouth upwards again, it appeared as full of water as before. They shewed a sack, open at both ends. At one end of this they introduced a melon, which at the other was brought out a cucumber; then the cucumber was converted into a bunch of grapes; and these into a branch of a tree, laden with apples of the true Abbas sort.

One of the seven stood up, and setting open his mouth, the head of a snake immediately came out of it. Another of the men seized the snake by the neck, and drew it out to the length of four cubits. This being cast to the ground, another and another followed, in the same manner, to the number of ten, none of them being less than five cubits in length. These being all flung upon the ground, were immediately seen writhing in the folds of each other, and tearing one another with the greatest fury.

They arranged twelve porcelain jars, which every body who looked into them pronounced to be completely empty. The jars were then covered, and the covers being removed a few minutes after, they all appeared to be full, one of wheat, parched, and fit for use; another of sugar-candy; another of citron; another of tamarind, and so on; each jar containing a different eatable, which was tasted by the eunuchs. The jars were again covered, and so remained for a few moments, when, upon the covers being once more removed, the vessels appeared as empty and as clean on the inside as if they had been washed with spring-water.

One of the men displayed a ruby ring on his little finger; he removed the ring to another finger, when the gem became emerald, then to another finger, when the emerald became a diamond; then to another, when the diamond was transformed into a turquoise.

Jehangire expressed his astonishment at these various changes. At the conclusion of each feat a buzz of admiration was heard throughout the whole courtly circle, and from behind the lattices expressions of wonder and delight became so audible, that it became necessary to intimate in that quarter the expediency of lowering their voices a little. Curiosity, however, was raised still higher, when the Bengalese announced that they had still in reserve matters better worth his majesty’s attention.

They held up a book, the leaves of which they turned separately over before the whole court. Every body was convinced that the leaves, which were of the purest white paper, were perfectly blank, containing neither figures nor colours of any description. When the spectators were satisfied upon this point, one of the men took the volume in hand, and, opening the first page, shewed it a most elaborate vignette, sprinkled with gold upon a bright red ground. The second leaf appeared of a beautiful azure, sprinkled in the same manner, the margins being illuminated with numbers of men and women in various attitudes. On a third leaf were delineated herds of cattle, pursued by lions and panthers, painted with such exquisite perfection, that they seemed almost to live on the page. The fourth was of a beautiful green ground, powdered with gold, on which was represented, in glowing colours, a garden, with numerous cypresses, rose-trees, and flowering shrubs in full bloom, and in the midst of the garden a sumptuous pavilion. The next change exhibited a leaf of orange, also powdered with gold, on which was pictured a battle. Two adverse hosts were seen engaged in deadly strife, led on by two kings, who fought hand to hand against each other, with a degree of frenzy that roused the enthusiasm of the young warriors to the highest pitch.

The seven Bengalese armed themselves with bows, and quivers full of steel-pointed arrows. One shot an arrow into the air, where it remained, at a considerable height, as if fixed in some solid substance. A second discharged an arrow at the first, to which it became attached; and so with every one of the remaining arrows, to the last of all, which, striking the united sheaf, the whole broke asunder, and fell in a shower upon the earth.

The principal Bauzigur, placing himself at the emperor’s feet, asked his majesty to mention the kind of trees which he would wish to see composing a shady grove before his pavilion. The emperor named the mango, the apple, the cypress, the fig, the walnut, the mulberry, and several other trees. The seven, immediately placing themselves in different parts of the open space, set seeds in the ground, and recited over each certain prayers in language unintelligible to any of the spectators. In a few moments plants were seen springing gradually up from each of the seeds, small and slender at first, like saplings, then rising higher, throwing out branches, the stems constantly acquiring greater thickness, the branches becoming stronger, with buds coming forth as in spring time, and then blossoms and leaves, and, finally, fruits, until a dense grove appeared, composed of all the fruit-trees which the emperor had named.

Jehangire could scarcely believe the evidence of his senses. Descending from his divan, he plucked mulberries, apples, and figs, with his own hand, and, tasting each, convinced himself that he was not deceived. While the emperor and different members of the court were roving beneath the shades of the trees, and partaking of the fruits which were thus wonderfully placed within their reach, they were still more astonished to hear the notes of different birds. Looking up among the branches, they perceived them tenanted by crowds of yellow and black nightingales, thrushes, cuckoos, goldfinches, and mocking-birds, of such beauty, shape, colour, and melody, as they had never seen before. They poured forth their different songs, hopped from spray to spray, followed each other through the branches with playful indifference, and seemed, in all respects, as if they had been familiarised to the presence of their visitors. The fruits, after a while, gradually disappeared; the leaves assumed the variegated tints of autumn; the birds took their departure; the branches became bare as in winter; the cold blasts howled through them, they were covered with snow, and beautiful filagree work of hoar frost; and then diminished rapidly in size, until they disappeared into the earth, from which they had been so miraculously made to spring.

This exhibition every body pronounced most extraordinary. They believed it to be the work of no mortal hand. The emperor asked his learned men to account for it, but they acknowledged their inability to explain the power thus exercised, without attributing it to super-natural sources. The emissaries, in their astonishment, overlooked the purpose which they came to attempt, and fearing that persons of such skill as the Bauzigurs might divine it, and denounce them to the vengeance of the emperor, resolved, at all events, to postpone their design until the conclusion of the shows.