All round the palace
there are cast up great heaps of earth instead of a wall, planted with
reeds and canes that grow to a prodigious height and thickness. These
reeds are continually green, so that there is no danger of fire. There
is no ditch or drawbridge before the gates leading to the palace, but,
on each side, a wall of stone, about ten feet high, that supports a
terrace on which some guns are planted. A small stream runs through the
middle of the palace, which is lined with stone, and has steps down to
the bottom of it for the convenience of bathers. There were four gates
and as many courts to be passed before we came to the royal apartments,
and in some of these outer courts are kept the king's magazines of
rifles and cannon. Here also are stalls for the king's elephants. In
the king's magazines are to be found numerous cannon, and a quantity of
small arms, while his guards consist of a thousand men. But his
greatest strength is in his elephants, which are trained to trample
upon fire, and to stand unmoved at the report of artillery.
When we came to the inner courts, beyond which were the apartments of
the king, our bodyguard halted, and Mahomet Achmet and I entered the
king's presence unattended.
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