I was at that time standing on the wharf of the English factory, and looking at the runaways that were crossing the water; Mr. Amyatt was standing close to me, looking with his glass; and on distinguishing an English paleky, he concluded that it must be some wounded officer which they were bringing back. At last the boats arrived, and the men landed; but as they had fled in a panic, every-one of them reported that the English were undone, and that Qhadum-hassen-qhan had gained the victory. As they were unanimous in their report, fear and anxiety seized not only Ram-naráin, and the whole of the inhabitants of the city, but the English of the factory themselves, who listened to every explosion in great apprehensions of what might happen. I was with Mir-abdollah, my friend, and some others, close to Mr. Amyatt, and endeavouring to encourage that gentleman and the rest by some observations of mine. “I took notice that these men gave no detail at all; that they seemed overcome with fear; that the smoke on the other side of the water was kept up; and the report of cannon and musquetry continued. How then could those runaways know that the English were defeated? If they have been defeated, who are those then that go on actually with the engagement?” After saying these few words, I went to Mir-abdollah’s house, and standing on the terrace with a number of others, I was listening and looking. At this very moment a great explosion rent the air. On hear­ing it, I exclaimed out “that now, if after this we should hear the report of the cannon, then the English were victorious; else, it would prove the very reverse.” Another explosion followed; and then for some moments all was silent again; and people became anxious and fearful as the cannon was heard no more. But this was not my opinion; and I declared that Qhadum-hassen-qhan was vanquished, and retreating. No one amongst the by-standers would believe me, so confounded were they with astonishment and fear. A moment after, some guns were heard again, and then they ceased entirely; but instead of that, we perceived a sudden flame that flashed out very high, and then subsided totally; and this flashing was successively observed several times. By this time the day was far spent, and the evening approaching, when a note came to Mr. Amyatt from Captain Knox, which mentioned that the enemy was defeated and flying. This intelligence was sent to all the principal men of the city, and occasioned a deal of joy. On this intelligence I went to the factory to compliment the gentlemen, when on the dusk of the evening Captain Knox himself crossed over, and came with Shitab-ráy in his company; they were both covered with dust and sweat; the Captain then gave some detail of the battle, and paid the greatest encomiums to Shitab-ráy’s-zeal?? activity and valour. He exclaimed several times, This is a real Navvab; I never saw such a Navvab in my life. A few moments after Ram-naráin was introduced; he had in his company both Mustapha-c8li-qhan, and Mahmed-afac, the cutval of the city, with some other men of consequence, who on hearing of the arrival of those two men, had flocked to the factory; and on seeing them alone, could not help believing that they had escaped from the slaughter; so far were they from conceiving that a few hundreds of men could defeat a whole army. Nor could they be brought to believe (impressed as they were with Hindian notions) that a Commander would quit his army so unconcernedly, unless he had indeed run away from it; nor would they listen to what Mr. Amyatt repeatedly said to convince Ram-naráin and the others of their mistake. Mr. Amyatt went on recounting, that as “Mir-afzyl had been defeated with his troops, it could not be said that Qhadum-hassen-qhan had gained the victory, since he had no other troops than those led on by Mir-afzyl. That one might reckon on his having been certainly defeated, as his troops were dispersed, and himself retreating and retir­ing far off, to be out of the reach of a surprise. He added, that the Captain finding no enemy in the field of battle, or in their camp, had pursued for a whole cosse; that he had brought away, all the enemy’s cannon and baggage, as well as vast a number of his wounded, which last he had taken care of; and that he had set on fire all the powder and amunition which had fallen in his hands; so that the blaze which had been perceived arose from that execution. That the Captain finding the enemy gone far off, had left the command of his troops to his officers, and returned to the factory to take some rest; and as Shitab-ráy had now extremely endeared himself to the English, he had brought him over for the same purpose.” Ram-naráin and the others having their incredulity a little affected by such a circum­stantial detail, returned home somewhat easier than they had come. In the morning the same account came from several places, and ceased to be doubtful. Qhadum-hassen-qhan had fled towards Betiah; and the English and Shitab-ráy’s troops having tarried a few days more, crossed over and came back to town. It is from that time that we must date the high character, for bravery and abilities, to which Shitab-ráy rose amongst the English. He from that moment won the hearts of the whole nation; and all to a man became convinced of the sincerity of his zeal and attachment; and really he deserved that confidence, having afforded ample matter for it. Nor were the dignities and the station, to which he was raised afterwards, owing to any thing else but to the gratitude of the English, and to their talent for singling out and selecting men of parts.

A few days after this victory, intelligence came that Miren with the forces of Bengal, commanded by Colonel Clive, now styled Séif-djung,* was hastening to Azim-abad by continual marches. The Court of M8rsh8d-abad informed, that Qhadum-hassen-qhan was going thither with a great force by the northern side of the water, whilst the Emperor was master of the southern shore, entertained the more apprehensions on that subject, as the Navvab knew how small a force was that which Ram-naráin could muster, and how small would prove the resistance which he could afford to make against two such powerful enemies. It was therefore resolved that Miren, who was his father’s General, should march to Ram-naráin’s assistance. Letters came at the same time from Ram-naráin, which complained of the smallness of his force; and they were supported by Mr. Amyatt, who on his side took care to represent that he needed an immediate assistance. Colonel Clive and Miren arrive. These representations made such an impression at M8rsh8d-abad, that Miren set out with a numerous army, and numerous artillery. He had with him Colonel Clive and his English, and they arrived near Azim-abad at the end of the dry season; but did not enter the city, as Qhadum-hassen-qhan was encamped on the other side of the Ganga. They crossed therefore that river in pursuit of the enemy. It was at the beginning of the month of Zilcaad, of the year 1173 of the Hegira. The Governor of P8rania, who had been defeated by Captain Knox’s small force, did not think himself a match for the joint efforts of the army of Bengal, and the English of the Colonel’s; yet he con­tinued to express himself in a very high flown style; but it was only out of policy, and in reality, he was impressed with black fears, and wished only for an opportunity to make his escape to some place of safety. Nor was such a measure easy. The river Gandec, which comes from the mountains of the north to join the Ganga at some distance west of Hadjip8r, was full on his passage; nor could such a river be crossed over by so numerous an army, and so immense a baggage, as his, without a large number of boats; and on the other hand, Miren having marched several days consecutively, was now over against him. On this intelligence, Qhadum-hassen-qhan dismissed his baggage in the latter part of the night, and with an army thus disincumbered, he marched so expeditiously, that in the morning he could hardly be discovered from the vanguard of Miren’s army, being already at so great a distance. Miren, who took those troops to be the Shah-zada’s army, of which he was afraid, as he had received two wounds from them, declined the combat; and he also sent word to the English to caution them against being too eager in pursuing the enemy. A few shot only, with some musket-balls, were exchanged from a distance; and whilst matters were yet uncertain, Qhadum-hassen-qhan, who had got near the woody country which he had been seeking, found means to effect his escape before the mistake could be corrected. Miren pursued without seeing an enemy; and after advancing some cosses, even beyond him, he found himself on the banks of a river, without knowing whither he was going, or where he was actually. But now his last day was come, and the moment of his death was at hand. Most of Qhadum-hassen-qhan’s men had lost their way; both because they were in a forest,* and because they were confounded by having the enemy at their heels. Dispersed in the middle of the woods, it became impossible for them to reach the rendezvous. It is even reported that Qhadum-hassen-qhan, for want of accommodations, had passed the whole night upon his elephant, as did most of his men upon their horses; and that he had undergone every hardship imaginable during the whole night. At day-break, his people could not discover the morning star, and they concluded that it must be hidden by the chain of mountains close to which they supposed themselves to be actually. But now their case was deplorable; they had a river in front, the enemy in the rear, and were at a loss what would become of them. The next morning, luckily for them, Miren’s last hour was now come; that hour which the Divine Providence had set apart for that tyrant’s chastisement, and for a day of retribution. For now the rainy season had set in with its usual fury, and at the beginning of the night there fell such a violent storm of rain, as obscured the world from Miren and his flatterers, and turned the luminous days of his life and pros­perity into utter darkness and everlasting obscurity. It was now ten o’clock at night; but the rain continuing with unremitting violence, he had already dismissed two or three of his favourites, such as Séyd-mahmed-qhan and Himmet-qhan, two men who were his intimates and always with him. Half an hour after, Miren observing that the storm and rain increased in violence, quitted the spacious tent in which he then was, and went into one smaller and safer; one of those called Dilir-qhani-palls or tents, which are much lower and much closer to the ground, and likewise made fast by a greater number of iron pins. As he intended to pass the night there, one of his two or three favourite women which always followed him wherever he went, presented herself at the foot of his bed, together with a story-teller and another servant, whose office was to chuppy his limbs,* as it is termed in India. But as that woman’s last hour was not yet arrived, she was dismissed, and the servant entering immediately, fell a-handling his feet and legs, whilst the story-teller com­menced his narrative to lull him asleep. God knows whether Miren really fell asleep, or whether he only waited for the Angel Miren killed by the light­ning. of death with his eyes open. This much is certain that, at that very moment, a threatening thunder rent the air with a dreadful crash; and the lightning of revenge and retribution, rushing down from the clouds upon his guilty head, deprived him of a life which he so little deserved. He was found dead, just as he was upon his bed, without any motion at all having preceded his dissolution. Thus did he fall a sacriffce to the Divine vengeance. The flame that had burned that odious man, communicated itself to the servant and to the story-teller, and burned to ashes the rising plants of the existence of those two persons.

“Beware of a bad man’s company, beware;

Preserve us from that, O! God, as from the fire of hell.”