The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-24

whom there are hundreds, and men Of
the detective department, walk IN with
letters in their hands from one or other
suffering person who requires my help
and judgment. In this way l am crowd
ed and surrounded by so many who all
want to have their business attended to,
as well as to show their zeal to me by
giving NE more work to do. None of my
fellow countTynen have a tenth part 50
much TO dt. 1 keep on working till or
s the next morning, when | resume the
same routine, just keeping a few min
utes for my meals. Even then, however,
my courtiers and officials keep on asking
me questIors-and in fact, there IS no
rest for the wicked!
Since 1891 when l appointed my son
Habibullah Khan to hold the public dur
bars instead CT myself. the work which
keep for myself and attend to every day
is as follows: Foreign Office, intelligence
Department, political work. Treasury;
criminals accused OF high treason and
cther crimes and offences; hearing and de-
Gliding the appeals from the court OF ny
son and all the ether inferior courts Of
the governors; the work OF buying and
making all sorts of war materials and
things for the workshops; making new
courts and amending the law of the land
and introducing reforms. or giving in
structions to my son and other c:icials;
household affairs of my own family
we'll as of all the foreign princes and
chiefs who are under my protection, my
guests, my officials, and page boys.
The courtiers-The following people are
always in attendance upon me from the
time that l awake until go to sleep:
Court secretaries = Aishak Akasee
gentleman usher: Nazir 0ord CT the
seaD; head of the intelligence depart
ment; head of the royal kftchen-he has
the duty Of bringing all the petitions be
fore me. There is no more honored and
confidential position than this. The name
of the gentleman now holding ii is Safar
Khan. The British agents letters are
also forwa fded to the Amir through him.
One hakim, enc doctor, and surgeon,
as well as a dispenser; two or three Off
GERS of the hodySuard, who, in addition
to their being military commanders of
the bcdyguard are also executioners tenn
porarily during the time they attend the
| court There are 4 few khanah saman
! (fCotInen who look after the flowers in
| the rooms, papers. ink, and pens, etc-t;
| a few paish khitmaJs personal attendants
! who serve the dinner; maiwahdur efruit
| keeper, who hands fruits to the officials
! of the palace; charibardnr tea bearer,
who hands tea 10 the Ameer and cGur-
tiersl; alb barduF Che hands drinking wa
/ teri: sakab (who brings the water from
! the spring.: ghulam bacha ha page boys);
| shatir (the grCons who keep the horses
| ready saddled and run on foot by The side
| Ct the horses TO be in readiness to hold
| them when the riders cismounN; the
| personal chest fund treasurer; storekeep-
| or for the personal arms, gunrooTn. etc;
| cflilam bardur {hubble-bubble keeper: Z
| few farashas (those who look after the
| furniture carpets, bedding. and ether
| household wants.; few tailors and va
| lets. q librarian, a few docrkeepeTs. and
| as:rcIcger; arg begi "a person who shouts
cut loudly anything that the complainers
| have to say; alma bashi ia person who
| gives notice to these who attend the
| court; mir akhcr (the master of the
| horse.
| In addition to these peosle, the follow
ing are always near the durbar room to be
| ready when required. though not in per-
scnal attendance: Professional chess play
eTs and backgammon players, a few per-
| sonal companions, a reader OF books to
me at night q story teller. Some of the
officials who bring reports before me dur
ing the day are invited to sit IN my So
ciety in the evening when they have fin
| ished their work. AT night q few other
mobiles and chiefs residing at Kabul come
to see me. II I free, those who are in
vited to come in TO entertain me and have
| interviews with me are allowed to remain;
the rest go away.
When I ride out in any direction every
| enc OF these DeTSUHai dtlSHudnIS anu SER
| wants starts with me, together with caval-
| ry infantry, and artillery of the body
guard. The riding horses of my cour-
tiers, several of the officials, page boys
and other personal servants have gold
and silver harness. When the whole cav
aIcade starts out, it forms very pretty
and brilliant picture. The retinue is ar
ranged as follows, even though the ride
is only from one building to another. I
ride in the centre, surrounded by my
courtiers and officials and special ser
| wants. page boys, etc. These completely
surround me on every side, talking to me
| in t.Irn. The shatirs, or runners with the
| horses, chuprasses, walk on foot near my
| horse or paIanquin. This forms the inner
| circle The outer circle is made up from
| the second class of personal servants; the
taiIors Farashas, hubble bubble carriers
dispensers, etc. The third circle is formed
| of infantry of tie bodyguard, riding in
front and behind. The artillery rs ar
| ranged according to circumstances, and
| the direction and time. etc
| am always ready as a soldier on the
march to battle, in such a manner that
I could start without any delay in case OF
| emergency. The pockets of my coats and
| trousers are always filed with loaded re-
|! yoIyers, and one OF two loaves of bread
| for one days food; this bread is changed
| every day. Several guns and swords are
| always lying by the side of my bed or the
chair. on which I am seated, within reaei
| of my hand, and saddled horses are al
ways kept ready in front Of my office, moi
OILY for myself, but for all eourtiers ant
psfsona1 attendants, at the door of my
durbar room. have also ordered that {
| considerable number of gold coins should
be sewn up in the saddles of horses wheI
| required for a journey, and on both side!
| of the saddles are two revolves- l thinf
| it is necessary in such a warlike countrl
that the sovereign. and especially a soy
! ereign who is a soldier himself, shouh