the Princess Noutonnihar iB 69

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and extremely polite, he easily distinguished himself among the
merchants, and was preferred before them all by the sultan, who
asked him about the Sultan of the Indies, and the government,
strength, and riches of his dominions.

The rest of his time the prince spent in seeing what was most
remarkable in and about the city; and among other things he
visited a temple, all built of brass. It was ten cubits square, and
fifteen high; and the greatest ornament to it was an idol of the
height of a man, of massy gold: its eyes were two rubies, set so
artificially, that it seemed to look at those who looked at it, on
whichever side they turned. Besides this, there was another not
less curious, in a village in the midst of a plain of about ten acres,
which was a delicious garden, full of roses and the choicest flowers,
surrounded with a small wall breast high, to keep the cattle out.
In the ‘midst of this plain was raised a terrace, a man’s height,
so nicely paved that the whole pavement seemed to be but one
single stone. A temple ‘was erected in the middle of this terrace,
with a dome about fifty cubits high, which might be seen for
several leagues round. It was thirty cubits long, and twenty broad,
built of red marble, highly polished. The inside of the dome was
adorned with three rows of fine paintings, in good taste: and

“there was not a place in the whole temple but was embellished

with paintings, bas-reliefs, and figures of idols from top to bottom.

, Every night and morning there were. ceremonies performed in

‘this temple, which were always succeeded by sports, concerts,

dancing, singing, and. feasts) The ministers of. the temple and

the inhabitants of the place had nothing to live on but the offerings

of pilgrims, who came in crowds from the most distant parts of
' the kingdom to perform their vows.

Prince Houssain was also spectator of a solemn feast, which
was celebrated every year at the court of Bisnagar, at. which all
the governors of Drewes: commanders of fortified, places, all the