The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-18 00:00:00

2ZUNZEET BINGE.

RUNJEET SINGH'S POWER —The death of the old Lion
of the Punjab placed that fine dominion under the rule
of his son Kurruck Singh. So long as the old chief
held the reins of government, the turbulent and power-
ful Sirdars or chiefs remained in wilful subjection to him.
Unable to read, yet his vigorous mind in early youth
grasped the real position of himself and his neighbours.
Although so diminutive as to be scarce above a dwarf's
stature, he possessed indomitable bravery. His Court
was filled with chiefs of higher family, sighing for inde-
pendence, but not daring to emancipate themselves from
servile attendance on him. He passed his leisure in
orgies and vices, and yet his servants were ever
faithful and respectful. He had not attained
manhood when he led his troops to battle. He
wrested the rich and valuable territories around Peshawur
and up to the foot of the Khyber-pass from the Affghans.
The Mussulmans of the valley of Cashmere paid unwil-
ling tribute to the infidel Sikh, and nothing but our de-
sire to save the Ameers of Hyderabad, protected them
also from the grasp of their powerful neighbour ; all
these haughty followers of the Arabian Prophet trembled
at the war-cry of the Sikh. The north, including
Ladok, up to the borders of Thibet, and the south to
Mittun Khote, trembled at his nod, and acknowledged
his power ; and though he left that power in its full
vigour, and his treasury heaped up with wealth, in two
short years this vast fabric has crumbled, and the reign-
ing Prince is struggling to maintain his diminished do-
minion.

RUNJEET SING'S GARDENS.—He had a fancy for gar-
dens, of which he possessed many, all around Lahore,
same few miles apart : in each was a small single-roomed
villa, with a verandah all round, and on the flat roofs of
these he often reared a small tent, in which he slept.
His habit was to gallop from one to the ether of these in
the cool season, suddenly ordering the light camp equi-
page (always ready) to meet him, and sometimes appoint-
ing his Court to wait on him, at other times with no more
than his necessary attendants.
his " Immoimu.s."—Runjeet's favourite regiment of
Suwaurs, he called his " Immortals." Their uniform is
a tunic of yellow silk, quilted ; the nether-man is clad
in tight scarlet silk trousers ; and on the head a light
steel helmet, round which is twisted a red silk turban,
and altogether they glittered brightly. The shield of
tough bull-hide, with its bright bosses, is usually slung
behind each horseman's back ; and their picturesque
arms are the curved scymitar, spear, or matchlock.
The looks of pride and seat of grace of these dusky
warriors, the gorgeous trappings of their steeds, which
were the pride of Runjeet's stud, called forth the admi-
ration of all who saw them : and the interest was in-
creased, by knowing that this entire regiment, of 600
men, was of the same tribe, and ready to follow their
beloved chief to death.

THE BROTHER RAJA.HB.—Dhian Singh (the Prime
Minister), and Suchait Singh, are both singularly hand-
some men. Dhian Singh, an Asiatic Mars, under a
panoply of polished steel plate armour, moves as lightly
as if clad in silk alone. Ms brother, the taller, is of a
softer cast of beauty ; he dresses in keencaub and silk,
and is on parade days one blaze of jewels.

KURRITCX SINGH, and his Son, N.S.O
Kurruck Singh, the son and successor of Runjeet,
was of weak intellect, and his scn, a fierce, dissolute boy,
by name Nao Nihil Singh, soon put aside his father's
authority, and for a time ruled in his name. Kurruck
Singh, ere long, however, died, not without suspicion of
being poisoned. Even before this, so open had been the
young man's feelings of hostility to the British, further
proved by the discovery of a treaty entered into with
Nepaul against us, • that Lord Auckland had no
resource but to prepare to `meet the coming storm.
Orders for the march were issued, and a noble force of
20,000 men were put in motion towards the Sutledge.
The campaign was contemplated by the troops in India
with delight, but no sooner were they on the march,
than the necessity for their movement vanished. When
returning from the very funeral of the father he was
suspected of having hurried to the grave, the young
Prince was struck from the throne he had that same day
ascended—a beam of wood falling on him as he passed
through an archway, and killing him on the spot.

KURRITAT SINGH'S GARDENS AT PXNJORE.
These gardens were laid out, on the natural slope of the
ground in six separate and successive terraces. A canal
of the clearest water, 10 feet wide, ran through the centre.
In this was a line of fountains, supplied with water from
the hills above, and falling in chuddurs or broad
cascades from terrace to terrace ; ar.d behind these
apparent crystal curtains, were recesses for lamps, lit
during nights of festivity. A profusion of roses, with
flowers, shrubs, and handsome trees, ornament this fair
spot, not surpassed by the.gardens of Shalimar, Secundra,
or Sirhind. A thickly wooded valley skirts its sides, richly
diversified by the tall, broken banks of the Kosilla, which
runs through it and clothes it in smiles ; nothing is want-
ing to perfect its beauty.