He in reply said that, although there were abun­dance of stores and provisions, still, the Náíkwars (Hindu chiefs apparently), and the chiefs of districts at the suggestion of the traitor, Iyaz, acted contrary to his, Kásim’s wishes; and having made a secret agreement with the enemy, without his knowledge, admitted them into the fort; that he, the Sul­tán’s slave, being without remedy, determined to proceed to the presence, but that his enemies prevented him. The Sultán then said to him,— “allowing the truth of what you state, why were you not prepared against the arts of the Náíkwars, or Náírs, and why did you not send intelligence of this to the presence; and besides, when you thought your best policy, present and future, lay in the surrender of the fort, why did you allow the money and property of the state to be gratuitously plundered by the enemy, and why did you not take as much care of it as you did of your own?” that in this matter he was undoubtedly an ungrateful faithless servant;— to conclude, the Sultán having established his guilt, by the advice of his council of state the delinquent was sen­tenced to be impaled. The next day Zein al Abi­dín the Bukhshi of the Kutcheri of regular infantry (the son of Assad Khán, Mehkurri; Fouj­dár of Kishingiri), received orders to put the sentence in effect, and other officers of horse and foot were attached to the Bukshi above mentioned to be present at its execution. The Bukshi, troops &c., having assembled at the place appointed, they sent for the prisoner who was under a guard of the commandants, when he himself accompany­ing the prisoner came to the place of execu­tion and said, this man has claimed my protec­tion,* you must forgive his offence, or you must first put me to death and then execute him.

The Bukshi and the rest of the officers reported this in detail to the presence, and the Sultán said we will spare the criminal this day for the sake of Muhammad Alí, but let him be placed under our own guards and this therefore was immediately done.

The Sultán now sent for Muhammad Alí in private, and repeated his determination to execute the prisoner, and told him that his opposition in such a measure tended to disturb and interrupt the operations of government, the regulation of the different departments of the state, and to do away with the example necessary to be shewn to others— that he, the Sultán, in punishing this man only acted as directed by the provisions of the divine law, in order that other governors of dis­tricts and towns of the kingdom, might in future avoid the commission of such crimes: but, that leaving that alone, punishment was indispensable in a newly established government; that the controul and regulation of the troops and country might be ensured, for that it was a saying of the wise “in order to confirm or establish your government you must give the sword no rest.”— But, notwithstanding the Sultán for two hours expostulated with him, and advised him not to oppose the execution of a convicted malefactor, still he, with his original obstinacy, which indeed belonged to his nature, and because his last day had arrived and the hand of death was striking the drum of his departure on his shoulders, paid no attention to the commands of the Sultán, but rose up and went away without asking leave,— verse— “advice makes no impression on crooked minds, or obstinate men”— “the branch of the stag’s head is not made green by the rain.”— The Sultán was much displeased at his disrespectful conduct, but, on account of former acquaintance and services, took no notice of his insolence, and remained silent that day. The next day the fire of the Sultán’s wrath flamed violently, and he again gave the same orders to the Bukhshees as before;— but when they took the prisoner to the place of execution, the idiot before mentioned from excess of folly or pre­sumption, not knowing that (verse)— “to seek an opinion contrary to that of a king (tyrant), is to wash your hands in your own blood.” Arrived on an elephant and taking the prisoner from that fatal place, and mounting him on his elephant called out,— “any one who will join and support me let him follow us;”— two or three hundred muske­teers of his own Risala therefore joined him, and altogether they took the road to Seringaputtun. As soon as this had taken place, certain persons who were his enemies, and who, during the whole of his life, had been seeking opportunities to effect his destruction, represented this circumstance to the Sultán, the reverse of what was intended, as that Muhammad Alí had rebelliously taken the criminal and was proceeding to the port of Cochin, and there was no doubt but from that place he would proceed to Bombay, and that in such cir­cumstances to allow him to remain alive, was in fact to give up the whole of his kingdom and authority.

Hearing this story, the Sultán despatched horse and foot to trace his steps, while he himself, troubled and agitated, mounted his horse and fol­lowed them; and Syud Humíd, an officer from Arkat, a man of great stature, and strength, and of great abilities, was sent on in advance with Gházi Khán to compel him to return. These two officers, therefore, with a large body of troops pressed on and overtook and surrounded him on a hill, about four Kose from the encampment of the victorious army; and with soft words and threats brought him round to the right path.

As the foolish fugitive was now ashamed of his conduct, he dismounted from his elephant and stood alone, when the Sipahdár, or commander before mentioned, laid hold on his hands and he with the criminal doomed to death, and the soldiers who had followed them, were presented by him to the Sultán, who without any delay ordered Kásim to be impaled and the commandant to be heavily ironed and placed in a covered palankin and des­patched to Seringaputtun.