Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 17.5.1

17.5.1

Once (and he was then in his private apartment with a number of ladies behind the curtain) he took into his head to make me a present of an elephant, for he was that day very merry, and amusing himself with the apparatus of the Busunt-panchmi, or festival used in introducing the spring season. He had with him in the closet, an old man called Mir-mahboob-aaly, who was extremely attached to him, having been his acquaintance so early as the times when he came in Bengal with Hadji-ahmed, his father, in quest of a livelihood. There was no other person at all in the apartment, save a few menial servants. An eunuch came out of the closet and called me up. I went in, and made my bow; on which he desired me to be seated; and he commenced conversing on a variety of subjects. After some time spent in this manner, it was announced in a high tone of voice by Hazyraaly-qhan (a slave of his household, and now a man of importance, for he was Superintendent of his hall of audience), that Mirsoltan-aaly-qhan, who had been honoured with the gift of an elephant, was waiting at the gate of the hall of audience, and, should it be His Highness's pleasure, would just shew himself from afar, make his bow of thanksgiving, and be gone immediately. To which the Prince consented; and that ceremony being over in a moment, he turned again to me, and asked me whether I had ever seen his elephant-office? My Lord-qhan, said he, I want to know your opinion of them.