The English factory at Hooghly, which was situated close to Ghowlghaut* and Moghul­pooreh*, sunk at once into the river, in the middle of the day, whilst the English were at dinner. A few lives were lost, and the rest escaped with difficulty; but their merchandize, and property of every description, totally perished. Mr. Charnock, their chief, looked out for a proper spot for a new factory, and pitched upon the garden of Bannarassy*, the English Company’s Gomashtah*, situated at Ghowl­ghaut, close to the river. He bought the ground, and, without asking permission from the govern­ment, began to build a new factory, which he surrounded with a ditch, and fortified with bas­tions. When the factory was nearly finished, and the surrounding wall entirely completed, the moghuls and native merchants who lived in the neighbourhood of Moghulpooreh, com­plained to the foujdar, Meer Nassir*, that they were overlooked from the terraces of the houses in the new factory, some of which were two stories high. The foujdar did not choose to interfere immediately in the disputes between the native and European merchants, without express orders from Jaffer Khan, and therefore wrote to him on the subject: the moghuls also repaired to Moorshedabad, where they made heavy complaints of the encroachments of the English, which operated so far with Jaffer Khan, that he sent a perwannah to the foujdar, wherein he was positively ordered to prohibit any further progress in the construction of the new factory. The foujdar communicated to the English the purport of the Nawab’s* order. The work­men immediately refused to go on with the building, and deserted; and thus the factory was left half finished. Mr. Charnock having at this time but a small number of troops, and only one ship, was not in a condition to main­tain his ground by resistance. He, therefore, contented himself with setting fire to all the houses on the side of the river; and embarking his men on board the ship, weighed anchor to go to sea. The foujdar sent orders to the tannahdar* at Mukhwah* to sieze the ship. The tannahdar accordingly ran across the river a strong iron chain, which had been provided some time before to impede the incursions of the pirates of Arkung, and the Mughs*, who were used to infest the river. The ship was stopped for some time, but at last Mr. Charnock contrived to break the chain, and set sail for the coast of Coromandel.

There happened at that time to be a grea scarcity of grain in Alumgeer’s camp in the Decan; and the English settlements in the Car­natic* having been very active in sending supplies by their ships, Mr. Charnock met with such a favourable reception from the Emperor, that he obtained a firmaun, confirming the English Company in all the privileges which they had before enjoyed, and permitting them to erect a new factory in Bengal; and in lieu of the duty of two and a half per cent. collected at the port of Hooghly from the ships of the English Com­pany, the Emperor accepted of an annual peishkush of three thousand rupees. When Mr. Charnock returned to Bengal with the imperial firmaun*, he sent vakeels with valuable presents to Jaffer Khan, who, in compliance with the Emperor’s edict, gave the English permission to erect a factory at Calcutta* *.

Formerly Satgong was a very considerable city, and the residence of the foujdar and other officers of the government; but, having been very much impaired by the encroachments of the river, they removed to Hooghly, which soon became a flourishing city.

The mild and equitable conduct of the English, in their new settlement, gained them the confidence and esteem of the natives; which, joined to the consideration of the privileges and immunities which the Company enjoyed, induced numbers to remove thither with their families; so that in a short time Calcutta became an extensive and populous city.

Sittaram*, the zemindar of pergunnah* Mahmoodabad*, entertained a band of rob­bers, with whom he used to infest the roads, and carry off the cattle from the neighbouring coun­try; and, when pursued, they took refuge in the jungles and lakes. Abu Toorab*, the foujdar of the Chuckla of Bhoosnah*, in Sircar* Mahmoodabad, was a syed*, related to the imperial house of Timour, and moreover a man of great abilities; but being above courting the favour of Jaffer Khan, the latter slighted him; and his establish­ment was so small and ill paid, that he was obliged to suffer these enormities of Sittaram, for want of a sufficient force to oppose him. Whenever he received any supplies, he sent a party after these free booters, who then retreated to their hiding places till they had tired out their pursuers, when they returned to their for­mer practices. At last Abu Toorab entertained Peer Khan*, a jemidar*, with two hundred horse, whom he sent in pursuit of Sittaram and his band. Sittaram, receiving intelligence thereof, placed a party in ambush to cut off the jemi­dar and his men. Abu Toorab was at this time upon a hunting party, with a few attendants and friends; Sittaram, mistaking him for Peer Khan, gave orders for him to be followed and attacked. Although he cried out to the assassins, that he was Abu Toorab, they would not listen to him, but put him to death. When Sittaram came up and saw Abu Toorab lying dead upon the ground, he bewailed his death, beat his head against the earth, and told his followers that Jaffer Khan would revenge the injury, by fleaing him and them alive, and by desolating all the country of Mahmoodabad. The body of Abu Toorab was carried to Bhoosnah, and interred there.

When Jaffer Khan received intelligence of the murder of Abu Toorab, he was greatly alarmed, being apprehensive of incurring the displeasure of Alumgeer, for the neglect that had been shewn to this great man. He appointed his own brother-in-law Bukhsh Aly Khan* foujdar of Bhoosnah, and sent him, with a considerable force, to apprehend Sittaram and his party. Perwannahs were issued to all the neighbouring zemindars, to assist in seizing Sittaram, and threatening, that if he was allowed to make his escape through any of their zemindarries, they should be expelled from their lands, and suffer other punishments. They accordingly hemmed him in on all sides, till the arrival of Bukhsh Aly Khan, who seized Sittaram, his women, children, and accomplices, and sent them in chains to Moorshedabad. Jaffer Khan condemned Sittaram to have his head enclosed in a raw hide, and after being impaled alive, to be hung on a tree, on the high road from Moorshedabad to Jehan­geernagur and Bhoosnah, for an example to other zemindars. The wives, children and accomplices of Sittaram, were condemned to suffer perpetual imprisonment at Mahmoodabad. His zemindarry was given to Ramjewun; and all his property confiscated into the khassne­veesy. The proceedings were entered in the public records; and Jaffer Khan also wrote a representation thereof to the Emperor.