This departure having rendered the Navvab easy with respect to the Emperor, he turned his views towards bringing Radja Ram-naráin under his controul. With that view he wrote repeatedly to the Council of Calcutta, and to Governor Vansittart, who had declared himself his protector; and he likewise engaged Macguire to write against Ram-naráin, with whom the latter was himself much displeased. The Navvab took care, at the same time, to keep this new friend steady in his interest, by a variety of favours and presents which he knew how to place. It was in these conjunctures that General Coote arrived at Azim-abad. He had been Major heretofore, and was the man who, by Colonel Clive’s order, had pursued M8shur Lass as far as Bacsar. This officer came of late from Europe, whither he had repaired after that expedition of his; and from whence he came out again with the title of General, and the office of Commander-in-Chief of the English forces. Ram-naráin, ever intent on his own affairs, soon found means to gain him over to his own interest; and he used every day either to fill his ears with senseless rumours, that took their rise amongst the mob, or he was at the trouble of fabricat­ing them himself. One day he sent him word, that Mir-cassem-qhan intended to surprise the English in their cantonments; and to countenance that intelligence, he took care to put his own troops under arms. That officer, struck with the report, sallied before day-break from his camp with a small number of men, and suddenly made his appearance in Mir-cassem-qhan’s quarters, where he found the Navvab asleep, as well as most of his troops; nor did his camp by any means wear the appearance of any pre­parative, or of any design whatever. Ashamed of his precip­itancy, and full of repentance for so inconsiderate an action, he departed immediately, leaving behind an English officer, who had orders, on the Navvab’s rising, to present him the General’s excuses, and to say, “that having come to see him, he had gone back on his finding him fast asleep.” The Navvab had been awakened by this time, and receiving intelligence of this intru­sion of the General’s, he was exceedingly displeased at it; and he reprimanded the officer for so improper an action. The officer brought forward all the excuses he could muster, and then departed; but these excuses did not prevent Mir-cassem-qhan from making a handle of this behaviour of the General’s, to complain at Calcutta; and he drew that intrusion in such colours, that the Council disapproved the General’s conduct, and sent him a reprimand. That officer finding now that his behaviour had become public, and that it covered him with shame, concluded that he had no other party left, than that of returning to England. But meanwhile this affair having brought to light some of Ram-naráin’s suggestions and machinations, they gave rise to such a train of consequences as ended in his own ruin.

As I was now at Calcutta these three months, and I had daily intelligence of the contents of Mir-cassem-qhan, now Aaly-djah’s, letters,* I used to make various attempts to gain Mr. Amyatt’s mind to the cause I had been entrusted with, but always to little or no purpose at all. One day, when I imagined I had gained some ground, he thought proper to open his mind, and to speak very frankly in these very words: “You know Amyatt objects to Mir-cassem, only because the latter is sup­ported by Vansittart. yourself very well,” said he, “that I never had any particular attachment to Ram-naráin, and no kind of inclination for his person. I am not without some objections to him; but as Mr. Vansittart has promoted Mir-cassem-qhan, and has declared himself his protector, it behoves me of course, in con­sequence of that settled jealousy that subsists between him and me, to side with Mir-djaafer-qhan, and with Ram-naráin. And now that we have on both sides wrote to England, and to the Council of London, on the subject; have both depreciated and accused each other, and are actually vilifying and accus­ing each other still, every Council-day; matters are come to such a pass, that nothing can settle them, but such a decision from Europe as is expected by both sides; until, then, such a decision is arrived, I cannot turn towards Mir-cassem-qhan; and even did I go so far, such a change of hands would redound to my own dishonour and accusation. Let your master wait therefore the dispatches from Europe. If the decision of London should prove favourable to Mr. Vansittart, the Navvab is too knowing a man to think of minding me; and if it should prove to favour the opposite party, and to trasfer the disposal of affairs into my own hands, then Mir-cassem-qhan will soon find where I shall be; and if he should seek me with sincerity, I shall have no objections to a connection with him.” This conversation having convinced me of Mr. Amyatt’s turn of mind, and of that of his party, I gave full information of it to my constituent; but this did not discourage him. He was supported by Governor Vansittart and his party, and always gained his point with the council; so that at last, he obtained their consent for his bringing Ram-naráin under his controul and dependence, and for obliging him to give an account of his long administra­tion at Azim-abad. As soon as I got information of this important intelligence, I took my leave of Mr. Amyatt, and of my other friends, and I repaired to M8rsh8d-abad, where after a stay of a few days, become necessary for some particular business of my own, I set out, and arrived at Azim-abad. It must be remembered, that Mir-cassem-qhan was not only an able accomp­tant and a keen discerner of the intricacies of public accounts, but that he had given himself able Ministers who helped him assiduously. After receiving then, from the Council, the consent for which he had applied, he called Ram-naráin to the Controul-office, and examined him about the following articles: “The quantum of the revenues he had hitherto received during his long administration, and the sum total of the expenditures he had made; the monies charged in the books, as paid to the Djaghiry-holders of the Emperor’s Court, and the Navvab’s; and the receipts and vouchers of those disbursements; the sums charged as paid to the troops, with a comparative statement of the reviews made, and of the number of horses marked on the thigh, and borne on the books.” Vouchers and regular accounts of all these, he required of him in the auditing-hall, in the presence of a large number of Ram-naráin’s own officers, and heads of office, with whom he had formed a large circle round that Governor’s person. But as the whole of Ram-narain’s administration and conduct was one continual series of fraud, double-dealing, and artifice, this requisition struck him with concern and astonishment; and he applied to his friends for their sup­port and assistance; but finding them impotent, he repented of the unlimited confidence he had reposed in them, and especially in Major Carnac and Mr. Amyatt, but repented too late. Some of them, who were men of firmness and courage, exhorted him to stand up in his own defence; and some others, who were of a different temper, advised him to submit to his fate, and to become humble. As he had no personal courage or firmness of his own, and the time was come for his receiving his due for the usage which he had offered to so many Mussulman widows, and to so many other defenceless people, he found he had no other party left than that of submitting intirely to Mir-cassem-qhan’s Ram-naráin obliged to submit to the Navvab’s con­troul. orders. But, first of all, he made some of his principal accomp­tants abscond with their books. However, this did not prevent the Navvab’s people from soon finding their retreat. Sunder-sing was the first found out, and the first brought away, and put in confinement, under the care of Bereket-aaly, and some other trustees of the Navvab’s Court; and as this confinement brought to light an immensity of embezzlements in that man’s manage­ment of the army accounts, and an infinity of frauds and infidelities in the accounts of the Djaghiry-holders, and in the receipts of the public income, severities of course were added to this confinement, and his effects, in money and jewels, were con­fiscated. But as the man had had the precaution to disperse his fortune in time; and his people, even at the moment of his lodg­ings being taken possession of, had probably found means to save, through the women’s apartments, and from elsewhere, many articles of high value, no more could be found in his house than about seven lacs in cash, and nearly as much in other effects. But Mansaram-sah8, an eminent banker, in whose house he kept his accounts and effects, was involved in the confiscation, as well as Ganga-bishum, cash-keeper to Sunder-sing; both being accused of concealing his effects. Mighty sums of money were recovered from these two men, and carried to the trea­sury. Radja M8rly-dur, the head harcara, or head spy, who was Ram-naráin’s associate, and had as much authority in the Govern­ment as himself, was put to the torture, as well as Mahmed-aafac, the Cutval, or Inspector of the Police: a Magistrate, who was one of M8rly-dur’s principal satellites, and who carried on his back a load of curses and imprecations from an infinity of defenceless people, whom he had oppressed or ruined. Both these guilty men were obliged to surrender those immense sums which they had been hoarding up for so many years past; and all that went to Mir-cassem-qhan’s treasury. The enquiries overtook Mustepha-c8li-qhan himself, who was brother to Mirza-iredj-qhan, father-in-law to Seradj-ed-döula, (upon whom be God’s mercy!) He was certainly a malicious, ill-natured man, that deserved to be involved in the severities exercised on his friends; but he died in confinement, before he could be examined, and he departed towards those mansions of mercy, prepared by Him to Whom nothing is hidden or impossible. These severities involved Séyd-abdol-aaly-qhan, my paternal uncle, who on the fame of Ram-naráin’s power and influence, had come over from Banares in search of employment, and had very unfortunately chanced to land at Azim-abad, whilst Ram-naráin himself was actually under confinement. This unfortunate man, having fallen, as well as others, under the lash of Mir-cassem-qhan’s resentment, received an order to quit the city, and to return to Banares; in short, the conduct of every one of the prisoners, after being subjected to a variety of chicanery and accusations, underwent a thorough scrutiny; nor could any one be ransomed but by surrendering those sums of money which had been hoarding up these many Immense sums amassed by Mir-cassem-qhan. years past. Mir-cassem-qhan, after having gone through so much inquisitorial business, and having confined Ram-naráin with his associates and dependants, marched through the city with all the pomp imaginable; after which, he took up his quarters in the castle. M8rly-dur was sent prisoner to Djehanghir-nugur-dacca; but Ram-naráin, with all his relations, was kept confined near his palace; and at last they were carried to M8r­sh8d-abad.