Major Carnac, after dismissing me to M8rsh8d-abad, marched at the head of the English troops, as well as those belonging to Ram-naráin, and to Miren; his intention was to fight the Emperor, who was at Gaya-manp8r. The latter on being informed of that General’s approach, wrote letter after letter to my father, requesting his joining him with the large body of troops which he had assembled in his retreat. But before my father could arrive, the engagement had already taken place, and the war was at an end. M8shur Lass, with the small force, and the small artillery which he could muster, bravely fought the English them­selves, and for some time he made a shift to withstand their superiority. Their auxiliaries consisted in large bodies of natives, commanded by Ram-naráin, and Radja B8ll8b. But the engage­ment was decided by the English, who fell with so much effect upon the enemy, that their onset could not be withstood by either the Emperor or Cam-car-qhan. The latter finding he could not resist, turned about and fled. The Emperor obliged to follow him, quitted the field of battle; and the handful of troops that followed M8shur Lass, discouraged by this flight, and tired of the wandering life which they had hitherto led in his service, turned about likewise, and followed the Emperor. M8shur Lass find­ing himself abandoned and alone, resolved not to turn his back; he bestrode one of his guns, and remained firm in that posture; waiting for the moment of his death. This being reported to Major Carnac, he detached himself from his main with Captain Knox, and some other officers, and he advanced to the man on the gun, without taking with him either a guard, or any Talingas at all. Being arrived near, this troop alighted from their horses, and pulling their caps from their heads, they swept the air with them, as if to make him a salaam; and this salute being returned by M8shur Lass in the same manner, some parley ensued in their own language. The Major, after paying high encomiums to M8shur Lass for his perseverance, conduct, and bravery, added these words: “You have done every thing that could be expected from a brave man, and your name shall be undoubtedly transmitted to posterity by the pen of history. Now loosen your sword from your loins, come amongst us, and abandon all thoughts of contending with the English.” The other answered: “That if they would accept of this surrendering himself just as he was, he had no objections; but that as to surrendering himself with the disgrace of being without his sword, it was a shame he would never submit to; and that they might take his life if they were not satisfied with that condition.” The English Commanders, admiring his firmness, consented to his surrender­ing himself in the manner he wished; after which, the Major with his officers shook hands with him, in their European manner, and every sentiment of enmity was instantly dismissed on both sides. At the same time, that Commander sent for his own palky, made him sit in it, and he was sent to camp. M8shur Lass, unwilling to see or to be seen, in that condition, shut up the curtains of the palky for fear of being recognised by any of his friends at camp; but yet some of his acquaintances hearing of his being arrived, went to him. These were Mir-abdollah and Mustepha-c8li-qhan. The Major, who had excused him from appearing in public, informed them that they could not see him for some days, as he was too much vexed to receive any company. Ahmed-qhan-coréishi, who was an impertinent talker, having come to look at him, thought to pay his court to the English by joking on the man’s defeat: a behaviour that has nothing strange, if we consider the times in which we live, and the company he was accustomed to frequent; and it was in that notion of his, doubtless, that with much pertness of voice, and air, he asked him this question: And Bibi Lass, where is she? The Major and the officers present, shocked at the impropriety of the ques­tion, reprimanded him with a severe look, and very severe expressions. “This man,” they said, “has fought bravely, and deserves the attention of all brave men; the impertinencies which you have been offering him may be customary amongst your friends and your nation, but cannot be suffered in ours, who has it for a standing rule, never to offer an injury to a vanquished foe.” Ahmed-qhan, checked by this reprimand, held his tongue, and did not answer a word. He tarried about one hour more in his visit, and then went away much abashed; and although he was a Commander of importance, and one to whom much honour had been always paid, no one did speak to him any more, or made a show of standing up at his departure. This reprimand did much honour to the English; and it must be acknowledged, to the honour of those strangers, that as their conduct in war and in battle is worthy of admiration, so, on the other hand, nothing is more modest and more becoming than their behaviour to an enemy, whether in the heat of action, or in the pride of success and victory. These people seem to act entirely according to the rules observed by our ancient Com­manders, and our men of genius.

Immediately after the battle, the Major sent Shitab-ráy to the Emperor, with offers to live in peace with him, and to pay him a visit; and this was the most advantageous event that could happen. But that Prince, who was defective in discernment, and had a boundless deference for Cam-car-qhan, declined the proposal, and dismissed the envoy. The latter on taking leave foretold, that one day “His Majesty would of himself seek those very terms of pacification which he now refused, and would not find them; or if he found any at all, they would fall short of those now proffered, and would not redound so much to His Majesty’s honour and advantage. Now those men are court­ing you,” said Shitab-ráy; “but when once they shall have despaired of success, and shall entirely withdraw their thoughts from an agreement, then should you in the sequel apply your­self for it, your Majesty may guess on what terms they will listen to it.” This representation produced nothing; and Shitab-ráy came back to camp. My father arriving with his forces after Shitab-ráy’s departure, highly blamed the Emperor for his having missed so fair an overture, but it was too late; the moment was past. Cam-car-qhan, although vanquished, had still so much stomach for war, that he proposed to make new levies, and to fight once more. Mir-hosséin-qhan, a man of whom mention has been made in Mahmed-c8li-qhan’s history, was of the same opinion with Cam-car-qhan, and breathed nothing but war and battle; but my father made the Emperor sensible, “that Cam-car-qhan was a Zemindar, and that to be endlessly fighting, and flying and flying again, was nothing but the trade he had been bred to; but that such a vagrant life was beneath the dignity of an Emperor, and highly dis­graceful to his name; that a sense of shame was very proper; and that Shitab-ráy was not gone so far off, but that he might be sent for again, and his offers accepted.” We shall see in the sequel what effect this discourse made upon that Prince. But he seemed actually as much affected with the affairs of the Empire, as with those of his own camp and person.

The Abdaly-monarch was arrived at Shah-djehan-abad, on the one side, and the Marhattas on the other. The latter had taken possession of the citadel, where they had confined a Prince, called Shah-djehan, who had been set up by the Vezir, Umad-el-mulk; and they had conceived such high-flown projects, that they wanted to place on the throne their own King, Vasvas-ráo, so as to extend their dominion all over Hindostan. It was in these conjectures that the Abdaly came, and being joined by Shudja-ed-döula, and Nedjib-ed-döula, and by the two Rohila Princes, Hafyz-rahmet, and Ahmed-qhan-bangash, he gave those infidels a most destructive defeat.* But, after a sojourn of Revolution at Delhi; the victorious Abdaly-mon­arch strongly recommends submission to the Shah-zada, now Shah-aalem. nine months in Hindostan, he returned to Candahar and Herat the capitals of his dominions; and this victory produced a mighty revolution, of which a particular account shall be given whenever we come to speak of what relates to Shah-djehan-abad. The Abdaly-monarch had strongly recommeneded Shah-aalem to Shudja-ed-döula, as well as to all the Afghan Princes, whom he requested to seat that Prince upon the Hindostany throne, and to acknowledge him as their Sovereign. Nor was that Monarch a stranger to the Imperial family; his own consort was sister to Shah-aalem; but besides that, this forlorn Prince, on hearing of his father’s demise, had sent Munnir-ed-döula to him, with a view to obtain his support, as well as his recommendation to the several Powers of Hindostan. So that the Minister who had come with that Monarch to Shah-djehan-abad, availed himself of his weight to negotiate successfully with those Princes them­selves, who were then in the Abdaly camp. It was on the Abdaly-king’s instances, that Nedjib-ed-döula had seated in the citadel of that capital, the young Djuvan-baqht, as Deputy to his father, Shah-aalem; and it was on that same Prince’s rocommendation, that Shudja-ed-döula had undertaken to bring up Shah-aalem himself from the frontiers of Bengal; for he had written several supplications to request his returning to his capital, and the latter, tired with the desultory life, and the endless incursions and retreats of Cam-car-qhan’s, had adopted my father’s advice, and had signed a note commanding Shitab-ráy’s return; his intention being to repair first to the English camp, and then to Shudjah-ed-döula’s capital. Shitab-ráy having shewn the note to Major Carnac, was permitted to repair to the Emperor’s camp, where after some conference, it was agreed that the English Com­mander should pay a visit to that Prince. This concert having given umbrage to Cam-car-qhan, who observed the Emperor’s growing inclination, and how far matters were taking a turn contrary to his disposition of mind, he took his own party at once, and marched off with his troops, taking the shortest road to his own country.