[328] The chaman is a small garden or parterre, which is laid out before the sitting room in the interior of the women's apartments; it means in general, parterres of flowers.
[329] The original uses a much stronger expression.
[330] Literally, the poison of the halahal, as expression used to denote poison of the strongest kind. The halahal is a fabulous poison, said to have been produced from the ocean on the churning of it by the gods and daityas. Our critic says, on this word, that it means "deadly!!!" will he favour us with some authority on that point, better than his own?
[331] On the phrase, do mahine men, our critic comes out in great force. He says, "Mir Amman here sins against grammar; it should be, do mahinon men!!!" The critic is not aware, that when a noun follows a numeral it never requires the inflection plural en, except when it is to be rendered more definite? In reality, Mir Amman would be wrong if he had employed the reading recommended by the sapient critic; do mahine men means "in two months;" do mahinon men "in the two months" (previously determined upon).
[332] The chor-mahall is a private seraglio.
[333] The twelve Imams.—Vide note 3, page 4.
[334] The threshold of a pagoda or mosque. The oriental people uncover their feet, as we do our heads, on entering a place of worship.
[335] Asiatics do not sign their names, but put their seals to letters, bonds, paper, &c.; on the seal is engraven their names, titles, &c.; which absurd practice has frequently given rise to much roguery, and even bloodshed, as it is so easy, by bribes, to get a seal-cutter to forge almost any seal, a notorious instance of which appeared some twenty years ago in the case of the Raja of Sattara. Though the Muhammadan laws punish with severe penalties such transgressions, yet seal-cutters are not more invulnerable to the powers of gold than other men. Kings, princes, nawwabs &c., have a private mark, as well as a public seal, to official papers; and a private seal and mark for private or confidential papers.
[336] A khil'at or honorary dress is generally bestowed on a person when he is appointed to a new situation.
[337] Literally, "who could hit a kauri suspended by a hair." The kauri is a small round shell used to denote the minutest denomination of money. In Bengal it is about the hundredth part of a paisa.