As to myself, I remained on the spot, looking at what these senseless Generals, and officers were doing. In the evening I returned home, and in an hour’s time, was followed by my father. Most of the Commanders likewise returned to their quarters; but the troops remained where they were, to guard their posts, and their artillery. At night, the plunderers of both sides, availing themselves of the security in which the inhabitants of the out-houses of the city were sleeping (and these trusted entirely to the safeguard of the Prince’s presence, who, in fact, was encamped amongst them), plundered those poor people, set their houses on fire, and deprived them of their little all. In the confusion, the family and baggage of Vehhab-aaly-qhan under­went the same fate; and his lady and children found themselves in the morning without a single farthing, or a yard of cloth, or apparel. Luckily for them, that some generous officer passing by at the very nick of time, interposed timely enough to save the honour of that forlorn family, which, but for his interference, was going to be wrecked. He brought those hopeless women to camp, and having lodged them there, under some trees, he went away. All this time the unfortunate owner was searching for them throughout the whole plain, and throughout the whole camp; he spent the night in running about, and about the dawn of day, he was returning in despair, to my father’s quarters, when he unexpectedly found them under the trees that were behind his encampment. The unfortunate nobleman, without minding their being almost naked, returned thanks to God, for their having escaped with their honour. He then remembered the advice I had given him; but remembered it when it was too late.

Matters being as we have been observing, there is no wonder in my resolving to quit this camp, although indeed, on my very first casting my eyes upon these blundering Generals, and sense­less politicians, I had long ago despaired of their ever being able to do any thing. At last I took my final resolution, being anxious about my own family which I had left in the city. But it chanced that my illustrious mother, with all our families, was already in camp. On the evening of the day which preceded the attack on the city walls, Her Highness, my mother, (whose shadow may long remain stretched over me!) hearing that her husband, my father, was in Mahmed-c8li-qhan’s army, had set out, with a number of ladies, our relations, each of them in a covered chair, and each with a female servant, a few clothes, and some bedding-apparel; her intention being, to pay her respects to her husband. With that view, she advanced towards the western gate, where the guards opposed her passing further; but notice of this being sent to Ram-naráin, he ordered that no one should presume to molest her, or her retinue; and this was an important service which he rendered our family; for had Miren, on his arrival at Azim-abad, found them within the city, God knows what merciless usage he would have offered them. God Almighty be thanked for this signal proof of his providence.

Sometime after, Mahmed-c8li-qhan having found his present encampment incommodious, quitted Djaafer-qhan’s garden, and went to encamp southward of the city, in a part which the lake had left dry, and which was out of the reach of the enemy’s fire. As for me, having tarried two or three days more in camp to examine a little more into the perverse intentions, and the blunder­ing schemes of those ignorant Generals and famished Grandees, with which it swarmed, I became tired of my situation; and could not help expressing my uneasiness to my forgiven father. “I observed, that the number of unfortunate objects that were now present with him, were not capable of following on foot; that such a city was not likely to be taken, by such an army, in many months to come; that meanwhile the army from Bengal, with the English at their head, would soon arrive; and that Mah­med-c8li-qhan would in time be tired, and in time return to his own country. So that if His Highness chose now to do some­thing for those unfortunate objects, and to provide a retreat for them, it would be very well; else, the matter would become impossible in a few days.” At these words he assumed a peevish countenance, and he answered, that as to himself he could do nothing; and that they had better do as to them might seem best. On receiving this answer, I provided some covered coaches and carriages for them, and their little baggage, and I procured a further supply from the head cartman of Alem-gundj, one of the suburbs of the city, who was my acquaintance. With these, and a supply of chairmen, I contrived to obtain an escort from the Zemindar, Pahluvan-sing, with which I set out with my mother, my consort, and my family, together with the families of Mehdy-nessar-qhan, of Abdol-vehhab-qhan, and of my two brothers. We passed the Sohon about Col8r, and we arrived safe in that Zemindar’s country, where I took my abode for some days at Saharseram, in the habitation of Shah-kyam-eddin, grandson of Shah-cahlen, who was still living; and I was waiting the events which time might bring forth, when one day the Shah-zada and Mahmed-c8li-qhan, led by their ill fortune, made suddently their appearance at Saharseram, and afforded me again the opportunity of kissing the dust of the paternal feet. This strange event was brought about in the following manner:—

After my departure from the army, Mahmed-c8li-qhan, with the Shah-zada’s Generals, made many efforts to take the city. He advanced his trenches very near the foot of the wall, and lost a great number of men in killed and wounded; but as all these pains and all this trouble were taken with no knowledge, and no intelligence at all, they produced no advantage; and they only served to betray much ignorance and incapacity. Mahmed-c8li-qhan, who had directed his efforts against the tower of Mehdy-gundj, ordered his pioneers to sap the bottom of the wall. It was on the ninth day of the siege, and five men ventured to execute his orders. But the wall from above, having given way, smothered three or four of them; and the fifth only escaped. The assault was given immediately. The besieged, without being dismayed, were throwing on the assaulters such quantities of powder-bags and other fires, and the neighbouring tower sent such a shower of bullets amongst them, that numbers that had got on the third part of the height of the breach, as well as some that had been higher, were scorched by the powder on fire, or wounded by the bullets, and they rolled down in heaps. Great numbers besides, were slain or wounded at the foot of the breach. They say that about two hundred men, or more, lost their lives in that manner; nor could the breach be got over. At night the troops retired within their trenches; but in the morning, in consequence of some messages that passed between the Shah-zada, and Mahmed-c8li-qhan, the latter took offence; and having ordered his troops to withdraw from the foot of the wall, he talked of returning to his country. The Prince, informed that he had already sent away part of his baggage and tents, thought it expedient to pay him a visit where he made some concessions, and where he engaged him to send a contra-order to his baggage, and to attack the wall anew. But much time having been already spent in messages, before the troops could return to their posts, it became too late to recommence an attack the next morning. Therefore another assault was given, and this was supported with so much vigour, that Ram-naráin and his people, intimidated by such a perseverance, were on the point of abandoning the walls, and of flying by the opposite gate; and this was the state of things, when in the afternoon it appeared that the besiegers were retiring of their own accord.

This singular retreat was owing to two important pieces of intelligence, which Mahmed-c8li-qhan received at the same time. The first was, that the Bengal army, with the English at their elbows, was at hand. The second, that the fortress of Ilah-abad was lost for him; Shuja-ed-döula having artificiously availed himself of Mahmed-c8li-qhan’s absence, to deceive the Governor, and to take possession of that fortress. The General astonished and confounded at two such pieces of news, thought it better for him to abandon the siege, and to turn himself towards Shuja-ed-döula, in hopes of being able to impress him with some regard for those rights of consanguinity, which subsisted between them. The event proved, that he presumed too much upon such ties; and as fortune had now turned her back upon him, and the day of his death was drawing near, he did precisely what he ought never to have done. Having once resolved to return, he neglected the attack; and on the evening of that same day, he appointed the next morning for his march. He then retired to his quarters, and gave the Shah-zada notice of his intention, and of the arrival of the Bengal army with its English. The Shah-zada advised him to shew more firmness; and he repeated two or three times his entreaties and messages thereon; but with so little effect, that finding the General inflexible, he determined to retire likewise, and to seek out some asylum somewhere. In the morning, every one found out, by the total change in the dis­position of the army, that they were going to decamp. In vain did Pahluvan-sing, the Zemindar, and some others attached to Mahmed-c8li-qhan, strongly reflect on the impropriety of expect­ing to pacify Shuja-ed-döula, and on the necessity of tarrying some days more, as whatever remained for him to do, was to be done at those foot of the walls, until some other party might be taken. These remonstrances availed nothing; and in the morning he beat the General, and prepared to return to his own country. It was at this very moment that the Fransis, M8sher Lass* arrived in camp. This foreigner entreated him to stay a couple of days more, to see how he would manage with the walls. “He observed that this was the purpose for which he had come running, and out of breath, from Chitur-p8r; and he offered to let him do as he should think proper, as soon as that short delay should be over.” But Mahmed-c8li-qhan would hear nothing; so that M8sher Lass, amazed at this sudden disposition of Providence, resolved to return likewise; but thought it incumbent upon him to pay first a visit to the Shah-zada. The Shah-zada listened to the message, and deferred his departure accordingly, until the troops that followed M8sher Lass should come up. As soon as they arrived, M8sher Lass paid his respects to the Prince, and asked what part he intended to take? The Prince frankly acknowledged, “That hitherto he had joined Mahmed-c8li-qhan’s cause, on the hopes of finding with him, resources to support his troops and his dignity; but now that the General was bent on returning to his own country, he (the Prince) did not find in himself either those treasures, or those necessaries requisite for fighting the Bengal army; and that his circumstances being such, he was forced to retire towards Chitur-p8r, in order to wait what should happen next.” As M8sher Lass himself was settled in that country, he approved his resolution of retiring thither; but he always made it a point to precede him by some cosses. On his passing at Saharseram, I went to see that foreigner; he much complained of the Grandees of Hindostan, who by their misintelligences seemed to mind nothing but themselves, to the ruin of all the world besides; and he severely reflected on Mahmed-c8li-qhan’s precipitation, which he ascribed wholly to his ignorance and incapacity. “I have seen,” added he, “all the country from Bengal to Shah-djehan-abad, and have been able to observe nothing but the ruin of the poor, and the oppression of the lesser ones, by their rulers and superiors. And although I have proposed to some of those ignorant inconsiderate Princes, namely, to the Vezir Umad-el-mulc, and to Shuja-ed-döula, to endeavour to bring order, tranquillity and union in the empire, after which, Bengal might be easily recovered from the English; I have found attention nowhere; and nowhere did any one pay any regard to my representations; nor did any one so much as once examine the good and bad side of my proposed expedition.”