As soon as I saw the Vezir’s army arrived at Mecráin, a considerable town on the banks of the Sohon, I could not help thinking of my family. I had panted this longwhile for a sight of my mother; and, forgetting at once the sanguinary and undisciplined disposition of these troops, I got into a chó8pala,* a carriage very well known in India, and set out thoughtlessly for Hosséin-abad, which was the capital of the district constitut­ing the hereditary djaghir, or estate of our family. I had with me only two or three servants, and a bullock loaded with some small baggage. We passed the Sohon, and, taking by the way a friend of mine, called Mahm8d-qhan, with two or three men more, I went forward. Being arrived at Sheh-p8ra, a little town, deserted by its inhabitants on account of the ravages com­mitted by the Vezir’s troops, I was surprised to hear the neigh­ing of horses, and then to see a number of armed men; but could not comprehend from whence came those horses, and how any of the inhabitants had dared to stand their ground. With a little reflection I found they must be some freebooters from the army; and, thinking it improper to tarry there, I was pushing onward. A moment after, I perceived a cloud of dust, from whence rose now and then a number of pikes. I was confounded at the sight. A little after I discovered that the dust was raised by several thousands head of cattle, amidst which could be distinctly seen two or three hundred Moghul and Afghan troopers, of the Vezir’s army. Finding myself alone in that lonely plain, with only my friend in his chó8pala, and a few servants, I concluded myself in imminent danger; and abandon­ing my bullock with what he had on his back, I resolved to strike to my right, and to take my route beneath the banks of the Sohon, and amongst its sands, where I hoped to march without being discovered. As they were yet far off, and I thought they had not seen me, I explained my mind to my chó8pala-carriers, or chairmen, who were all of long standing in my service. Their head-man did not approve of the resolution I took; and he observed, “That they must have discovered us, just as we had seen them; and that, should we quit the highroad at once, they would attribute this retreat to our fears, and would plunder us with the more boldness. We have no other part left then,” said the man, “than that of advancing in our way through the very middle of them.” This advice appearing a good one, I followed it, and remembered the verses:

“Sometimes it happens that an ignorant boy

Will lodge an arrow within the very mark.”

As we were advancing on both sides, we soon met, and one of the troopers, whom I saw to be a Moghul, lighting up his match, came down upon me, and asked who I was, and whither I was going? I answered, What is that to you? I am going on the Vesir’s part, to bring to him Séyd-hedáiet-aaly-khan-bahadyr, the Assed-djung, a very great man, who lives on his estate at the foot of the mountain of Rohotas. And who is that other man on the chó8palah, replied the Moghul? He is my friend, said I, and we go on the same errand. My bullock comes behnid. Pray tell my men to walk faster. After these few words, I marched on; and the man, finding how unconcernedly I spoke, suspected no artifice and no deception; nor did he offer us any injury. Half a mile farther, I met another such troop; and these having put only a single question to us, which was answered by my servant, con­tinued their route. A little farther we met a third party, close to a village; and these offered no question at all, but passed on without minding us. We were marching on, but surrounded on every direction by villages on fire, and the smoke rose up to heaven. After marching five miles more, we arrived at the village of Mehvan, which was deserted; and there was not a soul to be seen there, but two watchmen, of whom I asked, whether those freebooters had been plundering still farther? No, said the man, they have only plundered and sacked as far as this village; and they have carried away every head of cattle that they could discover. On this answer, I recommended to the men to give notice of this to the other villages, as they would the next day carry their ravages still farther; and, after having reposed for a whole hour there, we marched forward, and at last arrived at Hosséin-abad; from whence, after a short interview with my mother and brother, and my other relations, for two days together, I returned to the army. As this had advanced from Muhib-aaly-poor, my journey, on account of the freebooters that infested the way, was become exceedingly dangerous. Neverthe­less I arrived safe; but it was to see a strange spectacle. The English were retreating, after having lightened themselves of some heavy baggage, and they had marched as far as Arvel where, not daring to stand their ground against an attack from the Vezir’s troops, they had quitted the field, and were marching to Azim-abad, after having been at much trouble in keeping at a The English in distress, retreat under the cannon of Azim-abad. distance the numerous freebooters of the enemy’s army. Being arrived at Azim-abad, they placed some of their artillery upon the towers, and taking the rest with them, they went out, and took post towards the buttresses, at the head of the dyke which controuls the water of that lake, by which the greatest part of the city is surrounded in the rainy season, on the southern side. There they threw up an intrenchment, enlarged the dyke, forti­fied in with towers or buttresses, and placed Mir-djaafer-qhan, with his Indians, behind their own army, adding to them some companies of their own Talingas, as if they had intended them, as well as Mir-djaafer-qhan’s troops, for a body of reserve.

Whilst the English were preparing themselves, the Vezir, constrained by the necessity of affording plenty of water to so numerous an army, was obliged, instead of marching to Azim-abad by the straight road, to descend along the banks of the Sohon, as far as the town of M8nir-mil, where I had the good luck to join the army. From thence he advanced in a straight line to P8lvary, which is only four cosses from Azim-abad; and although there was plenty of wells by the way, yet so numerous was the army, that he was obliged to order as many more to be dug everywhere. After staying one day there, the Vezir advanced to attack the English; his army, which was as numerous as the ants and as the locusts, proceeded by the highroad, as far as the reservoir of Meti-p8r, and the village of Lohan, where there is a monument over the tomb of Mir-cassem’s father. Radja Beni-bahadyr, with Radja Balvant-sing, took post at the left of the Vezir’s. He had in his line three thousand Rohillas, commanded by their countryman, Ynáiet-qhan, son to Hafyz-rahmet the Rohilla, Lord of Berheily and Pilibéit; and at the elbow of this, was the Ghossáin, or Fakir, with five thou­sand Gentoos, as naked as himself. Behind these, but at some distance, was placed Somro,* with five regiments of disciplined Talingas of Mir-cassem’s, supported by some pieces of cannon, mounted and served in the English manner. Behind these, and overagainst the intrenchment defended by Mir-djaafer-qhan, Mir-cassem himself had taken post to the right of Beni-bahadyr’s, but in such a manner as to be out of the reach of the cannon-balls. He had about six or seven thousand horse. As to myself, the poor man, as I was now in no man’s service, and had followed Mir-cassem’s army only for the pleasure of accompany­ing Engagement under the walls of Patna. Aaly-hibrahim-qhan, and Mirza-bakyr, and Mirza-abdollah, my friends, I amused myself with galloping up and down, and examining the several stations taken by each body of troops. The Vezir, availing himself of the cover afforded him by several detached buildings in the suburbs, advanced to the very seat of Zahir-hosséin-qhan; from whence, coming in the open plain, he went on advancing slowly and boldly, his troops keeping up a continual fire of musquetry and rockets. The English, on their side, were pouring an incessant storm of cannon-balls; and these balls reaching Somro’s ranks, which were more advanced by half a cosse than those of Mir-cassem’s, killed and wounded many of his Talingas; but, as some of these balls by passing over his ranks, fell only in the empty space which remained between Somro, and his master, Mir-cassem, a messenger mounted on a dromedary brought to the latter this message from the Vezir: “What for are you lagging behind there, whilst I am warmly engaged with your enemies? Advance, as I do, and engage the enemy on your side, as I do on mine. It you cannot advance, send forward, at least, Somro with his Talingas and his field-pieces. Send them to me, that I may oppose their fire to the English; and, so soon as I see them enagaged, I will wheel round with my cavalry, and take them in flank.” This direct message was answered by Mir-cassem in an indirect, vague manner; and he did not move from his post, nor did he send any orders to Somro. By this time it was past twelve, and then the Ghossáin with his naked soldiers advanced to the charge; but being received by the English with several discharges of grape, they soon fell into the utmost disorder, after losing numbers in slain and wounded. I was, as I have said, on horseback between Mir-cassem’s troops and those of Beni-bahadyr’s; and I no sooner saw the naked Sanyassees advance to the attack, than I forewarned my friends, that if after some discharges of grape, the firing ceased, they might rest assured that the English Shudjah-ed-döulah is vigorously repulsed by the English. had the worst of it, or possibly were totally defeated; but that if after the discharge of grape and a little pause, they heard a firing again, and with cannon-ball, then they might reckon that the Sanyassees had been certainly beaten. The event proved to be precisely as I had foreseen; and the Sanyassees having been very roughly handled by the English, were retreating with precipitation. On seeing this, Shudjah-ed-döulah’s troops rallied; and Ynáiet-qhan in a moment after advanced with his Rohillas and some other troops, to the charge. But he was received by the English, as they had received the Sanyassees. I waited to hear the English cannon, as I had done before, when, instead of that, I observed that the tower towards Mehdy-gundj had commenced firing incessantly. It was now about three in the afternoon; and the Vezir having rallied his troops again, brought them to a third charge, which being well supported by repeated efforts, at last made an impression on the English. Some disorder and much fluctuation was perceived amongst them; insomuch, that some of their drummers and fifers, men who play to them in an engagement, were taken prisoners by the enemy. This fluctuation, however, was only for a moment; for soon they recovered their ranks, and continued firm and immovable, firing with so much briskness, that the Vezir’s troops, unaccustomed to so hot a fire, retreated to their first post. All this while, Beni-bahadyr and Balvant-sing did not move at all throughout the whole engagement; for the only one from amongst their troops that did any service, was Sheh-din-mahmed, an adopted son of Sheh-mudjahed, an old Commander, who had long served under Ser-b8lend-qhan. This officer, putting himself at the head of his corps, advanced briskly to the charge, but was killed on the spot. At this very time, I observed that a westerly wind rising on the backs of the English, commenced blowing full in the face of the Vezir’s troops, against whom they were advancing, with their artillery in front. On this appearance, the Vezir sent a dromedary messenger with reproaches to Mir-cassem, for his neglect and backwardness during the whole engagement. The messenger added, that as the day was quite spent, he ought to return to camp, where the Vezir would take measures for renewing the engagement the next day. On this message, Mir-cassem sent word to Somro, who was advanced a little before him, to fall back with his Talingas and cannon; and in the evening he followed himself, and retired towards his quarters. It was now the dusk of the evening, and Shudjah-ed-döulah was already retired, and Mir-cassem was also retreating, when a Captain with two or three com­panies, possibly out of particular enmity to his person, detached himself from the English line, and advancing on Mir-cassem’s retiring troops, gave them a volley. The laggers no sooner received this fire, than they fled with precipitation, and with all their might; and it was then only that I got some intelligence of Mir-cassem’s backwardness, which I could not know sooner, as I had been all this while at a distance from him. It became high time for me to retire likewise; but it was too dark; and there was too much noise, dust, and confusion, for me to know how I could find my way to my quarters; so that I lost my way entirely at last. But luckily I recovered it again, and found a path to my own tents on making an observation upon the rising of the evening star. At day-break there was a report of the Vezir’s being mounted again, but it proved groundless. Two days after, another report ran throughout the troops, and it was, that he had got a bubo; but some others better informed, asserted that the Vezir having been wounded in the groin, had got his wound medicamented under the name of a bubo, for fear of discouraging his troops. After his recovering a little, he moved from his post, and going to the southward of the city, he encamped on the river of P8n-p8n, where every day some report spread in camp: one day, that he would attack the enemy by Mir-djaafer-qhan’s quarters; another, that he would fall on him by the western side of the city. All this while, he used to get on horseback every morning, with a small number of people about his person, with which he used to take a turn round the city-walls, and round the intrenchment. One day it happened that some English officers with Mir-mehdy-qhan in their company, a Commander who had now quitted Mir-cassem’s service for theirs, were taking a view of the environs of the city, and of the Vezir’s encampment; nor had they more than a company of Talingas with them. The Vezir was also upon his survey that very morning, accompanied as usual; and the two parties meeting together, some abusive language was exchanged, and a skirmish took place with sabres, lances, and arrows, on one side, and with musquets and bayonets on the other. In this conflict, Mir-mehdy-qhan having discovered the Vezir, whose person was known to him, pointed him out to the English Commander, who to all appearance was Major Carnac himself; and the latter having ordered his people to keep the Vezir occupied and in play, sent into the city for some more troops. This new detachment was advancing to surround the Vezir’s people, when a trooper ran to camp, and gave notice that he was actually surrounded by the English, and going to fall in their hands. This indeed would have been the case, had not the Vezir become sensible of his danger, and thought proper to run for it; he turned about, and fled; and then recovering himself, he retreated at a slow pace, and regained his camp. Meanwhile the trooper had spread so strange an alarm through­out the whole army, that Mir-cassem taking with him such troops as he found at hand, whether of his own or others, made haste to rescue the Vezir; but he met him on the road. They returned together; and in this manner, a tumult that had risen to a great height, subsided at once. Two or three such skirmishes more happened in the sequel. But now the rains were setting in; and the Vezir finding no ground dry enough for his encampment round the city, resolved to retire as far as Bacsar. This little town is on the very extremity of the province of Bahar, but upon a high ground on the banks of the Ganga, over against Ghazi-p8r. which is in the dependance of Radja Balvent, his own vassal, He intended to quarter and barrack his army there during the rainy season, in which time he would provide for the operations of the next campaign. This design was put in execution immediately; he beat the General, raised the siege, and marched back by the way of Monir.