MR. AMYATT, finding that none of his proposals to the Nav­vab had been accepted,* and that no care had been taken to give him satisfaction in any thing, descended towards Calcutta, extremely discontented and mortified at the success of his embassy; but he had the attention to inform Mr. Ellis, that as no agreement had taken place between the English and the Navvab, the consequence would be a rupture with hostilities. Be therefore, said he, upon your guard in matters of war, and do not fail to seize such an opportunity as may offer. As Mr. Ellis himself had his heart full against the Navvab, and he reckoned it for certain, that on Mr. Amyatt’s making his report to the Counsellors of their party, now the majority of Calcutta, the Council would not fail to declare war against that Prince, and to make every effort to drive him out of his dominions; he on his side prepared himself underhand for the event; and being certain of the day on which Mr. Amyatt had departed from Monghyr, he, by calculating in how many days more he might be out of the reach of the Navvab’s forces, rightly concluded that he must be now arrived in Calcutta; and he resolved on such a conclusion, to attack Mir-mehdi-qhan, and to surprise the city of Azim-abad, where that officer commanded. A short note was therefore written to Major Carstairs, who was at the head of all the English troops in the environs, to desire his managing in such a manner, as that his people should all be assembled at the English factory in the evening, in order to assault the gates of the city at day-break. He, at the same time, prepared a number of ladders of bamboo,* and of wood; and he wrote to Doctor Fullarton, The English commence hostilities by surprising and plunder­ing the city of Azim-abad. who lived in the middle of the city, to desire his attendance. The Doctor, who knew nothing of the scheme, obeyed the order; but, on being arrived at the factory, he soon saw what was going forward. Of all these preparatives, the Governor, Mir-mehdy-qhan, was completely ignorant. He lived in the citadel, which is at the other extremity of the city, and was actually fast asleep at the moment of the attack; and, as to the garrison and the troops destined to watch the walls of the city, every one of them, in compliance with that inveterate custom of neglect and supineness that has now taken place in these countries, and to which people never fail to conform themselves, was either unarmed and fast asleep upon the walls, or living unconcernedly in his own home; insomuch, that there was hardly a man to oppose some defence, whether officer or soldier. The English, setting out of their factory at the rising of the morning star, applied their ladders to that tower which was close to Mir-abdollah’s house, and to the English factory, and got silently and courageously upon the wall. It was on a Friday morning, the 12th of A. D. 1763. the month Zilhidj, in the year of the Hegira 1176. The few soldiers of the garrison, who, on account of the neighbourhood of the English factory, appeared to be still there, having taken to their arms, wounded some English and Talingas, and then fled; so that the English were left masters of the ramparts; and they descended in two bodies within the city, directing their march towards the citadel. One body advanced firing, along the main street and the several markets; and the other marched along the catra and the street of the Divan’s quarter, firing all the way occsionally Mir-mehdi-qhan, and the other officers, awakened from their sleep and supineness by the report of the cannon and musquetry, assembled what troops they could in that moment of surprise and trepidation; and, half asleep, they advanced to oppose the enemy, whom they met at the head of the street Corhatta; and there, as soon as the English had fired a volley amongst them, with a few grape-shot, which wounded Mahmed-amin-qhan, with many others, the rest lost courage and fled, leaving Mir-mehdy-qhan, and Sheh-bereket-aaly, and Mir-mahmed-amin-qhan, with the shame of so sudden a defeat. The latter, in despair of such a disgrace, fled towards the Eastern gate, and wanted to go to Monghyr. Sheh-bereket-aaly, confounded at this sudden revolution, made the best of his way towards the Rani’s wicket, and fled along the water side, without knowing whither he was going. But, Mahmed-amin, although wounded, repaired to the Chehel-s8t8n, (a building of stone, raised by the Azim-abad lost for Mir-cassem, and recovered in one and the same day. late Zin-eddin-ahmed-qhan) shut up the gate, and, with the few followers he could muster on so sudden an emergency, he pre­pared to defend himself. At the same time the Gentoo Colonel, Laal-sing, having assembled his people, shut up the gate of the citadel, and commenced firing, resolved to stand his ground. The same resolution was also taken in the Chehel-s8t8n, from whence balls now commenced raining on all sides.

We have said, that the English left in possession of the walls, had spread themselve all over the city and its ramparts, from the Western, up to the Eastern gate; nor was any appearance of resistance to be seen anywhere, but at the citadel and at the Chehel-s8t8n; all the rest being taken possession of by the English, and as far as twelve o’clock, their Talingas, together with their harcaras and looch-chas,* who had dis­persed themselves everywhere, leisurely plundered the houses of the citizens, without leaving in some of them so much as a bit of straw: a treatment the more strange, as it had never been experienced from any English army. Mir-mehdi-qhan, the Gov­ernor, was all this while on his way to Monghyr, and he had already reached Fatwa,* when he was met there by a body of troops that had been sent from Monghyr to support him, and to re-inforce his garrison. The Commanders of those troops, without minding the condition in which they saw Mehdi-qhan, attended only to what they heard of the resistance at the citadel, and at the Chehel-s8t8n, and forthwith they resolved to recover the city out of the hands of the English. Instantly they set out, marched expeditiously, and taking their route by the water-side, they in a couple of hours arrived at the foot of the tower called, the Séyds, where they suddenly made their appearance. It was at the Eastern gate, which they prepared to assault directly. The English, without being dismayed, opened the gate, placed two pieces of cannon upon the bridge that crossed the fossé, and rang­ing themselves in a line, they prepared to receive the enemy. It must be observed, that Mir-nasser, who commanded the rocket-men, having outmarched General Marcar, the Armenian, was already arrived at Fatwa, with his two colleagues, Djaafer-qhan, and Aalem-qhan, from whence he had brought back the Governor of the city. These officers having put themselves at the head of their men, attacked the English with a discharge of rockets and musquetry, and instantly broke their line. The English retreated; but being disheartened by their loss, they thrust an iron needle into the touch-hole of each of the two guns, and dispersed for their lives. The Governor, animated by this success, exhorted the three Commanders that were with him, to make use of the occasion, and to pursue hotly; and this pursuit had a full effect. On hearing of this disaster of the English, even the other troops, that were yet stationed on the towers and ramparts, were confounded, lost their wonted firmness, and fled on all sides. Victory declared for Mir-cassem-qhan’s people, and the ramparts and towers were cleared and recovered in one and the same day.

The dispersed English quitted the city, and assembled again at their factory, which they put in a state of defence; whilst the enemy lodging themselves on the tower opposite to it, and on the berme which reigns about the Birbanna small gate, commenced pouring a hot fire. The English, finding themselves too much exposed to it, resolved, with Mr. Ellis at their head, to quit the place, and, in the night time, they resolved to retreat to Banky­poor,* their old encampment; but this was put out of their power. Marcar, the Armenian, arriving at this time with six regiments of disciplined Talingas, and eight field-pieces, joined the Governor and the others, and determined to pursue the English at day-break. But Mr. Ellis, who had now lost all courage, not choosing to stand his ground even there, resolved to fly farther, as far as Chapra, by water, and from thence to cross the Serdj8, which is the boundary of the two Soobahs, or provinces, intend­ing to take shelter in Shudjah-ed-döula’s dominions; but even that could not be effected. One Ram-nedy, Fodjdar of the dis­trict of Sarun, an ungrateful Bengaly, who owed much to the English, had the confidence to attack the fugitives, whilst Sumro, with some regiments of Talingas, crossed over from Bacsar to support him. This sight having totally daunted Mr. Ellis and his followers, the English, who were now quite dispirited, or rather had been overtaken by their fate, thought proper to surrender prisoners, although they had still three battalions of Talingas, and might have done many things. Intelligence of this success having reached the Navvab, it raised his pride to a height, and gave much additional strength to Gurghin-qhan’s influence and credit. It was noon-day when he had received intelligence of the English having seized the city of Azim-abad, and expelled Mehdy-qhan; and such an intelligence had nearly killed him; when lo! about twelve hours after, in the middle of the night, another letter came, that mentioned how the Governor, having been met by the re-inforcement intended for his garrison, had put himself at the head of those troops, and had recovered the city with a great slaughter of the English. This sudden intelligence revived the Navvab’s spirits. The Navvab’s soul, which was just going to quit his body, recovered its seat, and gave him a new life. It was now past midnight. Instantly he ordered the mili­tary music to strike up, and its sound awakened the whole town of Monghyr. As soon as it was day-break, every one of those in his service made haste to offer their congratulations; and the gates of the public hall being set open, he received the nuzzurs and compliments of his whole Court. It happened, that as Mir-abdollah was still at Monghyr, from whence the Navvab had not given him leave to return to Azim-abad, lest his friendship with the English might prompt him to introduce them into that city through his house, which was close to the walls, I took him with me, and we went together to pay our respects, and to offer our nuzzurs to the Navvab. This Prince, fixing his eyes upon Mir-abdollah, spoke these very words: Pray, did you not say, that the English could eat men alive at one mouthful, and that no one could stand in their presence? Turning then towards me, he added: Your friend, the Doctor, can use his friends very ill, in a very strange manner, indeed. He has introduced troops secretly through his house, and it is he that has given rise to those disturbances, which you have doubtless heard of. “And who am I, my Lord Navvab,” answered I quickly, “to be so great a friend of theirs? The Doctor was an acquaintance of your Highness, and your friend; and it becomes us, your servants, to be friends of their master’s friends, as well as enemies to his enemies. If the Doctor be your friend, his friend I am from that moment; and if he be your enemy, I become his mortal enemy likewise, from that moment.” The Navvab made no reply; but, at the end of the public audience, he wrote circular letters throughout his dominions, by which he informed his officers of this event, and gave them notice of the rupture between him and the English, as well as of the proofs they had furnished of their hatred and enmity to him; commanding them at the same time to put those perfides to the sword wherever they should find them. It is uncertain whether he may have comprised in this order, Mr. Amyatt himself, with all those of his retinue; or whether those that killed that ill-fated man, availed themselves of the general order, arrived at M8rsh8d-abad.* This much is certain, that he was surrounded by Mahmed-taky-qhan’s people, and by those of Sheh-savar-beg, who hacked him to pieces, with all the other English on board, although he made entreaties for his being sent alive to their master. But those impudent wretches proved deaf to his prayers, and cutting his head off, they sent it to the Navvab. This event happened on a Thursday, the 18th of Zilhidj, in the Year 1176, of the Hegira, the very day when, according to a general report, the English factory at Cassim-bazar had been plundered by the Navvab’s people.