The Syc observing that the Minister spent his time in negotiations, soon guessed the temper of the man he was to deal with, and breaking at once the conferences, he prepared to fall upon his enemy. Accordingly he attacked the next day. Some skirmishes took place, but nothing like a general engagement; and yet this was enough to damp Abd8l-ahed-qhan’s spirits at once. Without having suffered any loss, or even any check, he took fright at the sight of unsheathed sabres; and his cowardly timorous nature informing him internally that he would never stand the brunt of a battle, he took the Shah-zadah with him and fled without once turning about to look behind on those numerous troops of his, where not a single man had yet moved Is shame­fully defeated by these Sycs. a foot from his post. After this flight, the troops retired of course, and Nedjef-qhan’s corps was amongst the first that retreated; but it was in so good order, that no one would choose to approach it. Some other Commanders followed, and retiring in good order, marched off unpursued. Numbers of the bravest of the other corps joining together, retired at a slow pace like­wise; but numbers of others, after having through their own ill conduct, or the incapacity of their Chiefs, roamed about for sometime, dispersed at last, and were then set upon one after another by the enemies, who despoiled them of both arms and horses, as well as clothes. It was in such a dismal condition that they fled to their homes, and most of them to the capital, but not without undergoing a variety of hardships. Such a complete disgrace was enough to humble the Minister; but it served moreover to demolish him totally.

Nedjef-qhan thought of making his profit of it. He had all along stood still like a mark to be shot at by Abd8l-ahed-qhan and his party, and he had all along put up with the daily injuries he received from him. But thinking now that his concerns were blended with those of an incensed public that cried for ven­geance, and concluding that there was no safety for him as well as for the public, but in the removal of that man from all power and influence, he supplicated the Emperor to remove that disturber of the public repose from all his offices and employments, and to send him into condign confinement. The Emperor, who is a strange sort of a man indeed, and of a character that borders upon foolishness and imbecility, made haste to obey his Gen­eral’s Is deprived of all his offices, and confined by Nedjef-qhan. mandate; and the latter without losing time, made haste to send a number of trusty officers to the Minister’s house, where they seized and confined his person, and confiscated his whole fortune. Out of all that wealth, the General took nothing for him­self but his Library, and his Pharmacy, and collection of drugs and fossiles, which really contained great curiosities; but he sent to the Emperor the money, furniture, and jewels—three articles that amounted to a great number of lacs. After this operation Nedjef-qhan sent several Commanders of his own, who repulsed the Sycs and drove them back to their homes; and these officers exhibited in other respects so much bravery and conduct, that the Sycs acknowledged Nedjef-qhan’s superiority, and behaved submissively to him, although those mendicants turned soldiers, had been during all these troubles receiving such continual additions, that they now reckoned their numbers by lacs. Nedjef-qhan, having now confirmed his power by that act of authority, has seen his name become an object of dread and respect all over the provinces of Delhi and Acber-abad, where he lives with the utmost splendour and dignity. His character now commenced spreading abroad, and making impression even on the English, a nation acute, provident, and that sees deep into futurity; and he that had been left hitherto unnoticed and unminded, now received an Envoy from General Coote, who happened to be in that neighbourhood. This Envoy was Mr. Massac*, who delivered a message full of complaints, mixed with some threats, in which he mentioned how much the English had hitherto borne and forborne. Nedjef-qhan returned a firm answer, and such as was calculated to impose silence, and to quash all further discussions. But many dangerous troubles having arisen at this very time in the south of India, a stop was put to all further discussions with that rising conqueror; otherwise, there is no doubt, but the disputes would have grown warmer between the two parties, and that the respective pretensions would have been supported by armies; so that it is highly probable, that Nedjef-qhan would have appeared in the field against the English. We must wait to see what may be the subsequent events, and in whose behalf the Divine protection shall be pleased to declare itself; what nation shall prevail by the superiority of its fortune in the contest, and on whose standards the gale of Divine Provi­dence shall be pleased to blow.

“Let us wait till we see which of the two parties, the prevalence of fate

Shall raise to the skies, or depress and crush for ever.”

But as we have already mentioned succinctly, in the former volume, such authentic accounts of the affairs of Decan as had come to our knowledge, and have inserted them in the body of our history, it is not therefore out of its place that we should continue to impart to the reader such further creditable intel­ligence as is come to hand in the month of Shaaban and the beginning of the month of Ramazan, in the year 1195 of the Hedjra. According, then, to those accounts, General Goddard, after having taken the Fortress of Bessi*, which is one of the strongest and most important fortresses under the Marhatta power, marched with intention to make himself master of P8nah, the Capital of that Empire, the centre of its power, and the residence of all the principal Grandees and rulers of that nation. This undertaking was opposed by several Marhatta Generals, who joining their forces together, advanced some stages from The English wage war in Decan, against the Marhattas. P8nah towards the salt-water*, where they fought the English troops with a variety of successes, but in such a manner, however, that not a day passed without some severe action, in which the Generals on both sides exerted themselves to the utmost of their abilities and courage, and vast numbers of brave men fell every day on both sides. At last a final engagement took place, in which General Goddard was defeated; but he had the abilities General Goddard defeated. and presence of mind to assemble the few men that had escaped the slaughter (and these did not exceed two thousand men), and to make good his retreat towards the sea, abandoning his cannon and baggage; there he found ships ready, in which he embarked with his men, and reached Bombay. This is an island defended by a strong fortress of the same name, built long ago by the English, and replenished with every necessary for a long defence; there he remains actually waiting for reinforcements, and for an opportunity of re-commencing his operations. There is some report that he is gone to Bender-s8ret (Surat); but the truth of this God knows. What is come to our knowledge of late is this, that another English army, under the command of Colonel Camac, another Commander of great conduct and bravery, had penetrated into the province of Malva (where the English were already in possession of the famous Fortress of Goaliar), and had made themselves masters of a number of strong places, and a vast extent of country. But these conquests brought upon The Mar­hattas oblige Colonel Camac to a retreat. him a great army of Marhattas from Decan, who, by intercept­ing his convoys and forages, and by repeated engagements with his troops, as well as by reducing to straits his garrison and troops in Goaliar, so harassed that officer, that he was obliged to surrender that fortress to the Radja of Gohud, its owner, and, moreover, to evacuate all his other conquests; after which he retreated towards Calpy and Atava. That Commander arrived in that neighbourhood after a very fatiguing retreat, and took up his quarters there.

The same reports mention that Haider-näik continues to lord it all over the Carnatic; and that General Coote, who is a Member of the Supreme Council, and the Commander-in-Chief of all the English troops in India, having gone over to those parts with a body of troops by Governor Hushtins’s commands, had been obliged to shut himself up in the Fortress of Mandradj from which he now and then came out and fought the enemy, just as opportunity served, and times could afford.

So many disasters having befallen every one of the armies which Governor Hushtins had sent throughout Hindostan and Decan, and the unprosperous state of the Company’s affairs becoming truly alarming, he though it incumbent on him to provide betimes for the safety of the provinces entrusted to his care, which were Bengal, Azim-abad, A8d, and Ilah-abad. It was with that view he commenced some connections with Nedjef-qhan and Shah-aalem, as well as with some other Princes that figured in Hindostan. To all those he sent envoys, with letters and messages fraught with sentiments of friendship and amity, his intention being to gain them over to the English interest, lest the Marhattas, availing themselves of the misfor­tunes of his nation, should think of penetrating into their richest provinces, and spread ruin and devastation everywhere. He, at the same time, intended to obtain from the wealthy men who had enriched themselves in the affairs of the Government, a mighty sum of money by way of contribution, as he wished to keep it in reserve for unforeseen emergencies. These letters and proffers had such an effect on Nedjef-qhan, as proved the very reverse of what was intended. The style of the messages that had heretofore passed between that conqueror and General Coote, had rendered the former so suspicious against the designs of the English, that it is probable he would have entered into a treaty with the Marhattas, as he was apprehensive lest some connections might come to take place between that nation and the English against his interest: not that he had any certain Admirable character of Governor Hushtins. intelligence of such a design, for he only suspected it; as the English are a race of men who are keen-sighted and full of policy and secrecy, but none so much as the Governor himself, whose breast is a casket full of inaccessible secrets, and a repository of impenetrable views and projects. Who is the man that can make him speak against his mind? And who is that one who could guess from his features, or from his air, or from his words, at any of those secrets locked up in that inaccessible breast? It is out of any man’s power; it is utterly impossible. The Governor, naturally impenetrable, and who had views which none but himself could know, set out from Calcutta in the month of Redjeb, of the year 1195 of the Hedjra, and travelled towards Lucnow. He had in his company a number of men of merit, He makes a progress into Hindostan. whom he knew, and whom he had selected for that purpose. One of these was Mr. Anderson. Amongst the Hindostanees was Aaly-hibrahim-qhan, a nobleman whose valuable qualifica­tions we have just hinted with many an honourable mention in our former volumes, and who being neglected by the jealous and unattentive administration of the great ones at Moorshood-abad, lived at his own house in obscurity and retirement. The Governor, who is a connoisseur of the first rate, and who knew him personally, invited him to be of his company, where he always received him with the utmost distinction. The Governor travelled with all his household and retinue, and with so much pomp and so many commodities, that he had about four hundred boats in his retinue. He arrived in Shaaban, at Azim-abad, from whence, after a short stay, he went forwards. It was the twenty-third of that month when he arrived at Benares, and the report is that he will make but a short stay there, his views being chiefly turned towards Lucnow, and that city being the place where he intends to unfold them. Before his departure from Calcutta he had received certain intelligence from Europe, that war had been declared to the Hollanders, and he had been enjoined to seize on their forts and factories all over India. These orders were executed in Bengal with a great deal of ease. A fortress of theirs, close to the Bacshy-bunder at Hooghly*, where the Hollanders had their principal settlement, and which was defended by a small garrison, and a number of guns, not less than thirty or forty, under the command of a man of conse­quence, fell in the hands of the English, without any attack or dispute; and the whole property of the Hollanders* became a prize for the conqueror. Several factories which that nation The Hol­landers dis­possessed by the English in Bengal. had in various places of Bengal, and every one of which was inhabited by three or four Hollanders, busy with the concerns of their Company, were taken possession of in the same quiet manner. They had a factory at Azim-abad, a house of great beauty and vast extent*; nor was it even quite destitute of strength, being furnished with cannon and men. This also fell in the hands of the English, without the least defence or opposi­tion. Mr. Macs8l (Maxwell), Chief of Azim-abad, and Major Hardy, who commanded the garrison, did not meet with the least difficulty in putting in execution the Governor’s order, and in seizing the factories and settlements of that nation all over the province of Bahar. The reason of all this ease and sub­mission is, that the English having from longhand expected such a rupture, had not allowed the Hollanders to fortify them­selves in such a manner in Bengal, as should render a military force necessary to subdue and expel them.