One day Mir-djaafer-qhan, after having much amused him­self with the songs and dances of the actresses of that city, con­ferred the government of the province on his own elder brother, Mir-cazem-qhan; and at the same time he required Ram-naráin, to render a full account of the management of the revenue for so many years past. Ram-naráin, who had attached himself to the English, on purpose to parry such a stroke, did not fail to com­plain to Colonel Clive. The Colonel sent a message to the Navvab, to dissuade him from such a design. The message dis­pleased that Prince, who in conversing with the Colonel’s agent and envoy,* grew warm, and expressed himself in these very words: “What does mean, my Lord! Shall I leave such a Government in the hands of a Ram-naráin, and behold my own brother without employment? What for, pray? And for whom?” The Colonel sent word in answer, “that it was for fear of such contingencies as these that he, on the Navvab’s desiring to be accompanied by the English, in his expedition to Azim-abad, had objected to his being of the party; and had reminded him, that it was improper in him to desire the con­currence of the English in what concerned his finances and the government of his dominions, as he (the Colonel) might come to observe many actions of his to be contrary to sound policy and to good faith; and that once the English being embarked with him in those regulations, they would think his honour as well as their own concerned in preventing wrong measures. I added,” said the Colonel, “that the interference of the English might produce an alteration, and change our union and friendship into disputes and discontent. All this you would not hear; and now that you have brought me so far, and have made me write, as mediator and as guarantee, a letter, con­firming under my hand and seal a number of promises all made by yourself, how can I take a share in offering so much injustice? And how can I be guilty of breaking my word after having solemnly given it?” The Navvab, surprised at the style of the message, denied that either the Colonel or himself had ever entered into any such agreement. The Colonel, in reply, sent him the minute written by the Navvab’s own Secretary, minute which the Colonel had kept as a voucher. The Navvab got it read, and paid great attention to the contents. Surprised at what he heard, he sent for his Secretary and Govinda-mul, and expostulated with them on this strange affair. These two men who were closely linked together in this business, took care to answer in such a manner, as to confound the old man totally. They observed, “that they had brought that minute to him, and offered it to his perusal; that he had ordered the contents to be recited to him, had given his consent, and had requested Ram-naráin manages so as to put himself under the safe­guard of the English Gov­ernment. that of the Colonel’s. They added, that it was not strange at all, that those contents should have slipped out of his memory, in the variety of businessess, and avocations that crowded upon his Princely mind.” Mir-djaafer, feeling he was in the wrong, found he had no other party to take, but that of abiding by the Colonel’s pleasure, with respect to Ram-naráin. He did more; for after having so bluntly published his intention to dispossess the latter, he fourd it convenient to caress him, and, at the same time, to promise some other preferment to his disappointed brother, whom he desired to quit Azim-abad, in order to live with him at his Court.

These small dissensions were followed by several others of a more private nature. Cam-car-qhan, Radja or Prince of some mountainous tracts in the province of Azim-abad, was this long while attached to Mir-cazem-qhan, the Navvab’s elder brother, who had invited him to Court, where he intended to make interest in bringing to an issue some difference which he had with Sunder-sing, another Radja of those parts, but where he received nothing but promises from that Prince; whereas Sunder-sing, who had all along sided with Ram-naráin, now carried his point with a high hand. He even did more; for on observing how much stability had accrued to his friend’s Government, by the late interference of the English, he made no account of Mir-djaafer-qhan, to whom he seldom paid his court; and on the contrary, he very assiduously cultivated Ram-naráin’s good will, who now interfered so far in this affair, that he got Cam-car-qhan to be arrested, and confined. Nor did this proceeding much affect the old Prince, who glad to have somehow rid himself of this affair, turned his mind towards amusements; and having ordered a numerous assembly of Fakirs and religious men, he entertained them handsomely, and complimented each of them with one rupee gratuity. These assemblies are called Mels.* From this entertainment he repaired to a pastime of another kind; where, being heated by the pleasures of the festival of H8ly,* he amused himself with seeing dances, hearing songs, and distribut­ing amongst the actors and actresses, a number of lively coloured dresses.* It was in one of those moments of mirth and jocularity, that Ram-naráin, who had a deal of kindness for me, the poor man, supplicated the Navvab for the release of the Districts of Belondjana, and of some other lands about Mongher; together with the villages of Beni-nagur and Mö8la-nugur, which composed a certain Djaghir or estate, hereditary in our family, but that had been confiscated by Seradj-ed-döula. The Navvab, who did not choose to disoblige a man so well supported, gave his consent, and the Governor sent me notice of it immediately. This incident roused the Navvab, who seeing that this affair was as good as done, resolved to assume the merit of seeming to confer an obligation of consequence on Naky-aaly-qhan, my younger brother, who had been an intimate companion of his, and who, as we have already hinted, had fruitlessly conceived mighty hopes from Mir-djaafer-qhan’s accession to power and dominion. He therefore sent for him directly; and willing to get rid of a man, whose distressful circumstances reflected a reproach upon his old friend, he told him, that if he had anything to say about the confiscated Djaghir of his family, he ought to present him a paper, and that he would be glad to sign it. My brother, who knew what had happened, reluctantly presented a petition, in which he requested a release of his paternal estate; and the Navvab having signed it, addressed it to Ram-naráin for its execution; and thereby, in his opinion, obliged two persons with a single favour. But as he was now on his return to Bengal, he spent some days in celebrating the festival of the H8ly in the Chehel-s8t8n, that building of stone raised by Zin-eddin-ahmed-qhan. Not content with that, he ordered a sandy spot in the river, through which ran a small stream, to be surrounded by cloth-walls, and there he spent some days in fulfilling the rites of that Gentoo festival, the last of which consists in throwing handfuls of dust and coloured earth at each other, and syring­ing coloured water on one another’s clothes; and this ceremony, likewise, having been fulfilled to his heart’s content, he returned in town, where he fixed a day for his departure. But first of all he spent some days in visiting the holy places of the town of Bahar; and especially the tomb of Shah-sherf-ben-yahya, the illuminated, who is the patron Saint of that town, and is entombed in its neighbourhood. And it was here, likewise, that he satisfied his cravings for ox’s flesh,* fried in sesam oil, which is a kind of minced meat, for which that town is famous, and of which the tary-drinkers* of those parts are so very fond. He was heard to say, before his arrival there, that he would eat his bellyful of it; and I have been told, that quantities of that kind of meat had been ordered to be prepared by such of the inhabitants as had a knack at the frying-pan business. All of whom brought him their performances; on which some were applauded, some loaded with encomiums, and some cursed and abused; just as his taste would point out, and his natural levity prompted. And let the credit of this story rest with my author.

It was about this time that Ráo-shitab-ráy made his appearance in these parts, a man henceforward destined to cut so capital a figure. Originally he had been a clerk in the service of Aga-suléiman, a Georgian slave of Qhandö8ran’s, who was Minister of Mahmed-shah; which Georgian, on Qhandö8ran’s demise, became Steward to his son, Semsam-ed-döulah. At first Shitab-ráy had but a small salary, and a small office in this nobleman’s house; but his merit and abilities having come to light by degrees, he advanced so far in his family, as to be the centre of all the business transacted therein. Several revolu­tions having happened meanwhile in the capital, and giving rise to an infinity of troubles, that almost overset the circumstances of every inhabitant of that unhappy city, Ráo-shitab-ráy who did not think it a secure place of abode, nor such as could afford him a subsistence suitable to his wishes, resolved to quit it, and Some account of Shi­tab-ráy. to seek his fortune elsewhere; but as he had friends at Court, he obtained several offices before his departure. These were the offices of Imperial Divan at Azim-abad, and the government of the Fortress of Rhotas, together with the management of Semsam-ed-döulah’s Djaghir-lands in Bengal. Furnished with such credentials, he quitted the capital, and arrived at Azim-abad, a little after Mir-djaafer-qhan’s arrival there. He made his appearance with an honourable retinue, a conduct and manner which attained universal esteem, and a tolerable stock of money, which his industry had found means to save. And first of all, he paid a visit to Radja Ram-naráin; and by his means, he had the honour to be introduced to the Navvab. But as he was a man of keen genius, he soon comprehended on one hand, that the Radja being already under ties of friendship to Mahmedy-qhan, who enjoyed those very offices for which he had brought a patent, would not dispossess his friend and acquaintance; and on the other, he soon became sensible that the Navvab being an indolent man, who knew nothing of business, and never meddled with it, nothing at all could be done with him. He thought it best, therefore, to attach himself to the rising fortune of the English; and he followed the Colonel to M8rsh8d-abad, where he found means to engage that General to accept some very curious and valuable presents; whereby he insinuated him­self so well in his friendship, that he obtained that Commander’s recommendation, in support of the patents he had brought from the Imperial Court. This recommendation drew after it that of Mir-djaafer-qhan’s; and they both gave him letters for Ram-naráin. This Governor, on seeing him return to Azim-abad with such a powerful support, installed him in those three offices, to which he had been appointed from Court; and it was in that honourable manner that Shitab-ráy opened his way to them. In time, he managed so well, as to gain likewise Ram-naráin’s good will; so that Shitab-ráy found means to live at M8rsh8d-abad, honoured and respected, as well as in great state and splendour.