AND THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 505
The palace of the monarch is situated in the middle of the city appropriated to his residence. It is almost entirely constructed of carved wood, and is admirably laid out. It has seven gates. At the first gate sits the Kotwcil, who is the chief of the porters, whilst elevated platforms right and left of the gate are occupied by the pages called Pardacicriyah (curtain-keepers), who are the warders of the palace gates. These were 500 in number, and I was told that they used to be 1,000. At the second gate are stationed the Sipd his, or archers, to the number of 500 ; and at the third gate are the Nizandars, or spearmen, also 500 in number. At the fourth gate are the Teghda'uiyah, (sabre-men) men with sabre and shield. At the fifth gate are the offices of the ministerial departments, and these are furnished with numerous platforms.' On the principal one of these sits the wazir, mounted on an enormous sofa, and this is called the Masnad. Before the wazir is a great writing table of gold. Opposite is the platform of the private secretary ; to the right of it is that of the secretaries for despatches, and to the right of the wazir is that of the clerks of the finances.
These four platforms have four others facing them. One is called the office of control ; the second is that of the office of Mustakhraj, or ` Produce of Extortion,' the chief of which is one of the principal grandees. They call mustakhraj the balances due by collectors and other officials, and by the amirs from the claims upon their fiefs. The third is the office of appeals for redress, where one of the -great officers of state sits, assisted by secretaries and counsel learned in the law. Any one who has been the victim of injustice ad-
The real name of the emperor at this time was Togon Timur, surnamed Ûkhagatu, called by the Chinese Shunti.
1 The word is Saq!fah, which is defined in the dictionary Locus discubitorius ad instar latioris scampi constructus ante cedes, and translated in the French Estrade. I suppose it here to represent an open elevated shed or pavilion, such as appears to be much affected in the courts of Chinese and Indo-Chinese palaces.
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