THE ROYAL PALACE 299
subdary, under the king's balconies, stand two carv'd
elephants of emboss 'd work, but not large, painted
with their natural colours; and in the front of the
royal lodgings are other such ornaments, after their
mode, of little consideration. Some said that a while
ago in one of the Balconies stood expos 'd to publick
view an image of the Virgin Mary, plac'd there by Sciah
Selim, who, they say, was devoted to her, and to whom
perhaps it was given by one of our priests, who fre-
quent this court out of a desire to draw him to the
Christian faith; but the image was not there now, and
possibly was taken away by Sultan Chorrom his Son
(reported an enemy of the Christians and their affairs)
since his coming to the government of those parts of
Guzarat. The station of the greater captains, and of
higher dignity than the Mansubdary, as the Chans and
others of that 'rank, is in the king's balconies, or near
hand above there within the rooms. The inferior soul-
diers, that is such as have onely two or three horses,
stand upon the ground in the court without the above
mention 'd inclosure. In the front of the court is an-
other building, with an inclosure also before it, but
less adorn 'd; 'tis the place where the king's guard
stands with all its captains; and the same order, I
believe, is always observed in the Moghol's court, in
whatsoever place or city he happens to be. Within
this court is another on the left hand, surrounded with
other buildings for necessary offices, but not so well
built nor polish 'd.
Having seen what we could of the royal palace, we
