IN this year Lord Cornwallis, becoming convinced of the mismangement of affairs at Lucknow, wrote a letter of recommendation for me in terms befitting his station and dignity, and sent me to Lucknow. I had been four years in Calcutta. During that interval what had occurred was as follows:—Lord Cornwallis, when he heard my representations, after my arrival in Calcutta, promised to help me when opportunity occurred, and nominated me for the time to the agency at Haidarábád; but owing to the war with Tippu which then broke out, and his own departure for the Dakhin, he kept my appointment in abeyance. The Governor-General, therefore, made some verbal recommendations regarding me through Tafazzul Husen Khán and left for the Dakhin. Haidar Beg, however, who used to hear alarming news from the Dakhin, gave no effect to the Governor’s orders. He died about the time the war ended, and Lord Cornwallis, when he returned to Calcutta, being resolved to support me, sent me to Lucknow. His intention was that through his letter I should gradually get a footing in the administration at Lucknow, and he would afterwards work out his designs regarding me, Unfortunately, at the very time that I arrived in Lucknow, Lord Cornwallis went to England. Rája Tikait Rai, out of fear for his own security, and Hasan Raza Khán, through his want ofindependence, gave me no place. They kept putting me off with promises for some years, and paid me the 500 rupees a month which had been fixed many years before by that Government as my stipend.
In this year Hasan Raza Khán and Tikait Rai visited Calcutta to bid good-bye to Lord Cornwallis, and to wait on Mr. John Shore, the new Governor. The two of them were honoured with drums, the armorial bearings of ‘the Fish,’ and with steps of rank, and they left Lucknow in mutual ill-feeling. Hasan Raza Khán wished to take me with them on this embassy, but, through fear of Tikait Rai, said nothing of it to the Wazír. Tikait Rai wished the same, but could not venture to express his wish for fear of Hasan Raza Khán. The two left Lucknow. After their departure I applied to the Wazír to be permitted to join the embassy and pay my respects to Lord Cornwallis. The Wazír gave me a khila’t and accorded me permission. I joined Hasan Raza Khán and travelled with him for three stages. When Tikait Rai heard this, he was greatly excited, sent alarming reports to the Wazír, and forwarded to him repeated letters, advising my recall. Hasan Raza Khán was helpless, insisted on my return, and sent me back. The two arrived in Calcutta, and, owing to their silliness and discord, returned next year to Lucknow without either experiencing any satisfaction. They represented their expenses to the Wazír as amounting to about 15 lakhs of rupees.