BOOK V. A. D. 1542. Hostile embassy from Jeselmír. Humayun arrives at that town. Jemádi I. J. At this station two messengers, sent by the Raja of Jeselmír, met them. They complained, that the Emperor had come into his country, with an armed force uninvited, and that, though no cows were allowed to be killed within his dominions, the Emperor's people were seizing and slaughtering these sacred animals, an act most abhorrent from the religion and feelings of Hindus. They added that this could not be permitted, and that his subjects would obstruct the passage of the imperial camp, wherever it moved. A consultation was held, when it was resolved to detain the envoys without returning an answer, and, having taken a supply of water, to march forward on their dreary journey. They reached the neighbourhood of Jeselmír on the 13th of August. The Raja, Rái Lankern, who was Augt. 13. little pleased with their visit, had placed a body of men to keep them off from the tank, which lay without the walls of the town. Many of Humayun's followers had already dropped down, worn out and exhausted by thirst and fatigue, in passing over the sandy desert. But, as the rest came up, they attacked the enemy, and after a contest of some hours, drove them away, but not without considerable loss on their own part. The natives retreated into the fort. Proceeds to the greater Desert. Advancing about five kos, they came upon a village, where they found abundance of grain and water, but no inhabitants. After this, they entered a country where the oases were fewer, and the desert more dry and desolate than any they had yet passed. To add to their distress, the Rái had ordered his son, Maldeo*, to precede their march, and fill up the wells with sand, which he had done. They seem now to have gone on for three days before they met with water. * The name of the Raja of Júdpúr, as well as of the son of the Rái of Jeselmír, was Maldeo, a circum At the end of their first stance that seems to have produced confusion in the narrative of some historians of these transactions. march, about noon, they reached some wells. But no water came up in any of the buckets that were let down. It was found, to their dismay, that they had been filled up. Compelled by necessity, they again moved forward. Towards evening prayers, they found a well, and orders were issued that they should halt and rest, whether water was found in it, or not. The camels were ranged around the little camp, as a defence, and, to guard against surprise, some men were appointed to make the rounds all night, on the outside of the enclosure. Humáyun himself joined them in their watch, till Sheikh Ali besought him to take repose, and supplied his place. He was prevailed upon to consent to the exchange, and having lain down, went to sleep. On waking in the morning he found his sword half drawn from the scabbard, but was unable to discover by whom it had been done.* CHAP. I. SECT. II. want of That day they, once more, proceeded on their toil- Extreme some journey, and, on the fourth day, at last reached water. four wells, one of which, however, was found to contain no water. The remaining three were given in charge to the chief Amírs. As the buckets had been removed, and none were to be found, an iron kettle was let down to supply the want. In this desert region, water is found only at a very great depth †, often six hundred feet from the surface. The rope which is fastened to the water-bag or bucket, is drawn by a camel, or by bullocks, which are of course at a great distance from the well, before the bucket comes to the top. In this instance, the distance was too great for the voice to be heard, so that it was necessary to strike a small drum, to give the camel driver notice to halt and ease the rope, when the kettle came within reach. As soon as the first bucket was seen at the top of the well, there was a rush to seize it, and four or five persons, mad † See Tod's Rajasthan. * Jouher,. c10. A. D. 1542. BOOK V. with thirst, threw themselves at the same time upon it, so that the rope broke, and the vessel fell down into the well. On seeing this, the perishing expectants raised a shout of despair, and some in their agony plunged in after it. When the water at length began to be brought up, the crowds around strove and fought for it, and there was not found enough to supply them all. One well had been reserved for the imperial household, but the artisans of the court, who could not be supplied, went in a body and complained to Humáyun, that Terdi Beg was supplying his horses and camels with water from his well, while they were dying of thirst.* The Emperor, riding up to the Beg, addressed him in Túrki, his native tongue, and requested that he would allow his servants to draw water for themselves for one hour, to which the Beg agreed. The distress was, however, unspeakable; many fell down and died, before they could get a drop to quench their burning thirst. Second Embassy from Jeselmír. Continued distress for water. At this time a son of the Rái made his appearance, bearing a white flag. When admitted to an audience, he complained that Humayun had entered his father's dominions in a hostile manner, but assured him that, had his coming been known, the Rái would have received him with every mark of hospitality. He complained of the excesses of the Emperor's followers, and of the confinement of the two messengers. He added that, if the Emperor would halt a short time where he was, a sufficient number of bullocks and buckets should be sent, to enable him to draw up the water. By the advice of Terdi Beg, the two envoys were released. Having ascertained that, at the next stage, there was only one well, the Emperor divided his little camp into three divisions, which he ordered to move forward on three successive days, so as to have the benefit of the water in turns. The first division was led by the Em Tar. Niz. f. 192.; Ferishta, vol. ii. p. 95.; Jouher, c. 10. SECT. II. peror, attended by Terdi Beg and Ishán Taimur Sultan; CHAP. L the next by Monaim Beg; the third by Sheikh Ali. Yet, in spite of this precaution, the scarcity of water was severely felt, and numbers perished of thirst. We are told that, at this time, a part of the royal army, probably one of the three divisions, about mid-day, reached a pool of water, when the horses and camels, which for some days had had little or no water, could not be restrained from rushing into it, to appease their thirst, and drank to such excess, that many of them died. Amerkot, The Emperor had now arrived within ten kos of They each Amerkot, but the nature of his reception there was probably still uncertain. Meanwhile, protracted misery had levelled all distinctions of rank, and, in some minds, had destroyed even the feelings of common courtesy. The horse of Roushen Beg having broken down on the march, he went and asked the Begum for the horse which he had given her. When notice of this was carried to Humáyun, he alighted, sent his own horse to his wife, and after marching for some distance on foot, mounted a camel belonging to the ewer-department. After he had ridden in this way a couple of miles, Khalid Beg, the son of Khwaja Khalifa, hearing what had occurred, rode up and presented his horse to Humayun, who continued on his course, and the same Jemádi I. day entered Amerkot, accompanied by only seven horse- 10. Augt. men. Most of his followers dropped in, singly or by twos and threes, in the course of the day. 22. conduct The Rána †, from various circumstances, was well Friendly disposed towards Humáyun. As soon as the Emperor of the Rána. arrived, he sent his brother to wait upon him, to apologise for his not himself appearing that day, it not being a lucky one, but promising to attend him on The Tabakát calls Amerkot a hundred kos from Tatta. + The ruler of Amerkot is usually called Rána, by the writers who BOOK V. the day following. Next day the Rána accordingly A.D. 1542. visited the Emperor, and explained to him his situation. Anecdotes of Humáy. un. He said that his principality was small and barren, but that he had two thousand horsemen of his own tribe of Sodhas, and that to them five thousand Samícha horse of his allies could be added, all ready to follow his Majesty, and devoted, heart and hand, to his service; and that, assisted by these, the Emperor might conquer both Tatta and Bheker. The Emperor thanked the Rána for his ready zeal, and gave him to understand that, though unfortunately he did not himself at that moment possess the means of fitting out and paying his allies, he did not despair of speedily falling upon a method of acquiring them. The minute details of the Emperor's conduct at this period have much in them that is curious and interesting, as exhibiting his sanguine and thoughtless temper. When the Rána retired, as Humayun possessed no change of apparel, he was compelled to undress that he might give his clothes to be washed, and, in the meanwhile, sat down in his bathing-gown. A bird happened to fly into his tent. Struck with its appearance, he caused the door to be shut, and the bird was taken. He called for a pair of scissors, and having cut its wing, made a painter take its likenesss, after which he let it off into the desert. The historians of his reign tell us, that at this time, he borrowed a sum of money from Terdi Beg and some others of his followers. The mode in which this loan was effected, is not mentioned by these historians, but is described in all its particulars by his ewer-bearer with graphic simplicity, and is highly characteristic of the shifts to which Humayun, in his difficulties, thought himself entitled to resort.* Abulfazl launches into an exclamation against Terdi Beg and the Amírs, whose avarice compelled When he had told the him to resort to force. Nizám-eddín Ahmed, with more moderation, merely says that Humayun levied a |