“The next day, Tippoo and his whole court assembled
to see my balloon. Tippoo was seated in a splendid
pavilion, and his principal courtiers stood in a semicircle
on each side of him: the youth, whom I formerly
observed, was again on his right hand, and his eyes
were immovably fixed upon my balloon, which had been
previously filled and fastened down by cords.
I had the curiosity to ask who this youth was:
I was informed he was the sultan’s eldest son,
Prince Abdul Calie. I had not time to make any
farther inquiries, for Tippoo now ordered a signal
to be given, as had been previously agreed upon.
I instantly cut the cords which held the balloon,
and it ascended with a rapid but graceful motion,
to the unspeakable astonishment and delight of all
the spectators. Some clapped their hands and
shouted, others looked up in speechless ecstasy, and
in the general emotion all ranks for an instant were
confounded: even Tippoo Sultan seemed at this
interval to be forgotten, and to forget himself, in
the admiration of this new wonder.
“As soon as the balloon was out of sight, the
court returned to their usual places, the noise subsided,
and the sultan, as if desirous to fix the public attention
upon himself, and to show his own superior magnificence,
issued orders immediately to his treasurer to present
me, as a token of his royal approbation, with two
hundred star pagodas. When I approached to make
my salam and compliment of thanks, as I was instructed,
the sultan, who observed that some of the courtiers
already began to regard me with envy, as if my reward
had been too great, determined to divert himself with
their spleen, and to astonish me with his generosity:
he took from his finger a diamond ring, which he presented
to me by one of his officers. The young prince,
Abdul Calie, whispered to his father whilst I was
withdrawing, and I soon afterwards received a message
from the sultan, requesting, or, in other words, ordering
me to remain some time at his court, to instruct the
young prince, his son, in the use of my European machines,
for which they had in their language no names.
“This command proved a source of real pleasure
to me; for I found Prince Abdul Calie not only a youth
of quick apprehension, but of a most amiable disposition,
unlike the imperious and capricious temper which I
had remarked in his father. Prince Abdul Calie
had been, when he was about twelve years old, one
of the hostage princes left with Lord Cornwallis at
Seringapatam. With that politeness which is seldom
to be found in the sons of eastern despots, this prince,
after my first introduction, ordered the magnificent
palanquin, given to him by Lord Cornwallis, to be
shown to me; then pointing to the enamelled snakes
which support the panels, and on which the sun at that
instant happened to shine, Prince Abdul Calie was
pleased to say, ’The remembrance of your noble
countryman’s kindness to me is as fresh and lively
in my soul as those colours now appear to my eye.’
Copyrights
Tales and Novels — Volume 02 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.
