Meanwhile, the two armies from Calcutta, and from M8r­sh8d-abad, were approaching each other. Mahmed-taky-qhan, who was really a man of talents, and worthy of command, could not be much pleased with seeing himself under the orders of Séyd mahmed-qhan, Deputy Governor of M8rsh8d-abad, a man incapable, and of little understanding. But indeed, how could he submit to such a man? The one was of a liberal generous temper, whilst the Deputy Governor was of a mean, sordid disposition. Hence the Governor was constantly blowing with his breath, the fire of enmity between that General and his col­leagues, whilst himself lay roasting on the blazing fire of envy and jealousy; for he was unable to bear the General’s high character and great reputation. The latter was under the necessity of asking many necessaries, such as artillery, tackle, and carriages, which the other constantly refused, although, by his position in the city, and his being at the head of the treasury, he had a command over all those necessaries. He furnished them with slowness and reluctance, like one that wished no good to the success of his campaign, and would be glad to see him defeated. Nor had he common sense enough to feel all the consequences of such a conduct, and how ruinous it would prove to his master’s affairs, and at last to his own. Matters went on at that rate, until the troops, destined to reinforce Mahmed-taky-qhan, arrving from Monghyr, took their route through M8r­sh8d-abad, where, there is no doubt, but the envious Deputy Governor engaged the Commanders to assert their own indepen­dence of that General, and by all means to procure his shame and defeat. This much is certain, that those Commanders who had orders to join the General, and to remain under his com­mand, seemed to stand upon punctilioes. Instead of encamp­ing with him, and acting in concert, as he requested them to do, they had the folly to go on the other side of the Bagraty, and to encamp there by themselves, but with the strong detachment they had brought. The next day, intelligence was brought that two English Battalions of Talingas had set out of a certain town where that nation had a factory; on which intel­ligence, the new arrived Commanders, who intended to attack them, sent word to Mahmed-taky-qhan, requesting to be assisted with some of his musqueteers. It must be observed, that this General’s musqeteers had acquired a character all over the country; he had raised their pay to ten rupees per month; divided them, as they do in Iran, by tens, hundreds, and thousands, with a Com­mander at each of those divisions; had increased the salary of those officers from fifteen to twenty, sixty, and a hundred rupees per month; had constantly exercised them himself, by making them fire at a mark under his own eyes, and had kept them him­self in daily motion, and under constant training. To prevent their repining in long marches, he used to assist them with oxen, camels, and sumpter-horses, for their baggage; so that they were loaded only with their Djezáirs, or muskets of large bore, and with their ammunition. These troops of his being so armed and accoutred, were constantly kept in readiness, and prepared for immediate service, being all young, stout men, of his own choosing and picking. The request then was founded on reason; but although Mahmed-taky-qhan had no cause to be satisfied with those Commanders, that now applied for his assistance, yet, out of regard to his own character, and to his master’s service, he sent them a body of five hundred such men, under the com­mand of Feramorz, a slave of his own breeding, who was their principal officer. Sheh-háibet-ollah then, and the other Com­manders, having received this reinforcement, marched against the two battalions of the enemy; and, chiefly by the valour and perseverance of the brave Feramorz’s, he pushed the English Talingas back, after a sharp engagement, as far as the town and factory from whence they had set out. The environs of it were immediately secured, so as to prevent the enemy’s retreat.* At night the besieged battalions were reinforced by some others that flocked from Bardvan, and from other parts; and, the next morning, the whole came out in great order, so as to form a fine sight. The engagement then commenced anew. Then only did Sheh-háibet-ollah and Alem-qhan become sensible of the conse­quences of the caution which Mahmed-taky-qhan had given them, when he recommended their joining together, and fighting together. Terrified with the endless firing of the English, they seemed, after some fighting and some movements, to have lost their senses; for, now after a short conflict, most of the Djezai-árchies were slain or wounded; and the two Commanders, unable to stand the hot fire of the enemy’s, retreated, and then fled towards Mahmed-taky-qhan. The latter ordered the dead to be taken up from the field of battle, but refused to admit the run­aways in his camp, or even to give them passage through it, for fear of their disordering his own encampment, and communicat­ing their own terror and dismay to his troops. The English, after this victory, advanced two or three cosses towards their own army; and two or three days after, that is, the fifth of A. D. 1763. Muharrem, in the year 1177 of the Hegira, Mahmed-taky-qhan came out with a resolution to oppose the enemy’s march. Put­ting the foot of courage in the stirrup of steadiness, he mounted a horse whose motions were as fleet as the moments of his unfortunate rider’s existence; and, without applying for assistance to those three Commanders, whose duty it was to fight under his orders, he advanced to the field of battle, followed only by his own trained bands; the refractory Commanders continuing motionless in their encampment behind him. As his men were filing off, he spoke to them, reminded them of the character they bore all over the country, exhorted them to support the same, and promised them victory, if they would stand by him. All this was uttered with such an air of familiarity, that he seemed to be rather their companion than their General; and they were so animated with this kindness, and that air of fellowship, that in marching with the utmost alacrity, they were endeavouring to get the start of one another, and swore that they would sacri­fice their lives for his honour. The General having formed his troops, and recommended to his officers to march in order, advanced to the enemy. The latter being soon in sight, the engagement commenced; and, as the firing of the cannon and mus­quetry on both sides grew warm, and both sides kept advancing, those who being overtaken by their fates, were shot at like so many marks, drank up, without hesitation, each in his post, the bitter cup presented them by death. Nevertheless, encouraged by their General, they kept advancing; and an appearance of victory being seen over Mahmed-taky-qhan’s troops, some dis­order Bloody battle of Cutwa. and fluctuation, not unlike a defeat, were observed in the English ranks. The moment was becoming critical, when a ball of cannon wounded Mahmed-taky-qhan in the foot, and killed his horse, which fell sprawling on the ground. The General, without betraying any anguish, mounted another, and continued to advance, and to exhort his men; and he was now very near the ranks of the English, who, on their side advanced; but it was with this advantage over him, that in compliance with their rules of discipline, they advanced firing. At this moment a musket-ball entering at his shoulder, came out on the opposite side. That brave man, without betraying any emotion, assembled the hem of his garment, and throwing it over his shoulder, to conceal his wound from his men, he still advanced. The English were on the point of retreating; but they had placed an ambuscade at the bottom of a little river, which was full on his passage; and the General being arrived there, was looking out for a passage to come to hand-blows with them, when the ambuscade-men rising at once, made a sudden discharge full in his face, overthrew numbers of his followers, and lodging a bullet in his forehead,* that incomparable hero, who was the main prop of Mir-cassem-qhan’s fortune, hastened into eternity in the middle of his slaughtered soldiers. The rest, intimidated by the loss of their intrepid Commander, retreated in the utmost confusion, leaving the English in possession of victory, with a full reason for embracing each other. All this while Sheh-háibet-ollah and his colleagues kept themselves at a great distance, as mere spectators of a shew, but not daring now to stand their ground, they fled on all sides. The victorious English, after raising the wounded, and making them over to their chirurgeons, spent two or three days in taking some rest, and in setting to right their artillery and necessaries, and then they advanced towards M8rsh8d-abad.

On hearing this defeat, Séyd-mahmed-qhan, the Governor of that city, seemed to have lost his senses. Without shewing his face to the enemy, or making the least opposition; without even assembling his people, and securing, by a timely retreat, those numerous effects of his master’s, which he had in his cus­tody; without exhibiting a spark of courage or a grain of firm­ness; he deserted his post, and fled towards Monghyr, in the utmost perturbation of mind. After that retreat, the city remain­ing without a ruler, Mirza-iredj-qhan, who lived this longwhile utterly neglected by Mir-cassem-qhan, availed himself of the opportunity to repair to the English army, where he congratulated Mir-djaafer-qhan on his accession to the throne, and being invested by him with the command over the city, he returned thither, and proclaimed his new master’s accession, by beat of drum; after which, he applied himself to the business of quiet­ing the minds of the people, and of gaining the hearts of the principal citizens. Shortly after, Mir-djaafer-qhan himself arrived. A. D. 1763. It was on the twelfth of Muharrem, in the year 1177 of the Hegira. He made his entry into the city at the head of the English army, at which time there happened some commotions, and some disorders; the mob having found means to commit The English depose Mir-cassem, and reinstate Mir-djaafer. insolencies, and even to make some booty. After a stay of seven days, in which time he constantly resided in Aaly-verdy-qhan’s palace, which had become the seat of Government ever since that Prince’s demise, he on the seventh day quitted it with the English army, and marched against the enemy.