The General now, after enjoying a month of leisure and ease, having put his troops in good con­dition, advanced by the route of Chunbar Gurh straight towards Dhoby* Gurh. The Nawaub, also, got his troops in readiness, and gave the command of the right and left wings, and the main body of his army, to the most honorable and faithful of his servants; and, separating his baggage and followers from his army, with a select* body of men, strong and brave as Roostum,* and his artillery burning his enemies, remained formed for action.*

It happened, at this time, that the Nawaub was seated on his Koorsi, or chair, in a garden beneath a banyan tree, and was viewing the various evolutions of the troops, when the disgraced Commandant, who was standing among the Nawaub’s body guard, immediately climbed up the tree like a rope dancer,* and hid himself among the branches and leaves, in such a way that the Nawaub should know nothing of the matter. It chanced, at that very moment, that the fortune of the battle turned,* or was reversed, for the breeze of victory began to blow on the standards of the General; so much, indeed, that at one charge he drove all the advanced parties before him, and, rushed on straight to the garden, like a whirlwind, or hurricane, pouring forth the storm of his fury. The Nawaub, on seeing this attack, ordered his officers and the Bukhshees to draw the artillery from under the cover of the garden, and bring the guns to bear on the rear* of the General’s army; and the musketeers and archers to keep up a well directed fire and discharge from both flanks; and these orders were imme­diately put in execution. At this time the Nawaub sent for his horse, (a bit of lightning), to stand near him, when the Commandant called out aloud, from the top of the tree, “this is the moment for a man to show his manhood.”* The Nawaub, looking up to the top of the tree, smiled, and put off his mounting on horseback. The cavalry of the body guard and the cuirassiers* were now put in requisition, to arrest the progress of the enemy. The mighty elephants, also, armed in all ways, were drawn up along the front as a wall, while, like lions, the conquering troops plying their swords, bows, and spears, despatched a great mul­titude to eternity. But, in spite of this, the English troops, perfectly steady and unshaken, withstood all attacks, and with their muskets, bayonets, gal­loper guns, and howitzers,* raining fire, kept open the gates of death before the faces of their oppo­nents, and made the battle-field like a rose-garden with the blood of the faithful. In this state of the contest, the Prince Tippoo, and other officers, how­ever forcibly they represented, that this was not a place in which the Nawaub could remain; that, the English with matchless bravery, had arrived near, and that the Nawaub’s troops, after fighting hard to stop their progress were mostly killed and wounded; that, the plain was soaked with the blood of the slain on both sides; and that they now hoped the fire of Hydur’s anger, would be extinguished by the pure water of mercy; still the Nawaub, notwithstand­ing their entreaties and arguments, would not stir from the place, but ordered another line of mus­keteers, archers, and rocket* or riflemen to cover the front of his position, and there he remained. The faithful servants of the Nawaub, being now with­out resource, thronged under the tree, and having, by signs and threats, disturbed and alarmed the brave Commandant, they induced him to come down from the tree, and with his hands tied, to fall at the feet of the Nawaub, whom he thus addressed. “Huzrut, mount your horse, this is a dangerous place, and not proper for you to remain in. Leave this deserted garden to the crows and owls,* and to-day plant your victorious standards, exalted as the sun and moon, in the plain of Arnee. Please God, to-morrow we will give our enemies such a defeat, that no one shall be able to find out what has become of them till the day of Judgment. The Nawaub after this mounted his horse and rode towards Arnee.

The truth is, that to bear the infirmities of temper of the brave man, and to allow him every encouragement, is indispensable to all kings and princes. In short, the commandant alone, from that place putting his horse to speed, charged like lightning straight into the ranks of the English troops; and, in spite of the showers of balls falling around him, he with his sharp sword having cut down a drummer and a standard bearer, notwith­standing he himself was wounded by a ball in the forehead, and had received a bayonet wound in his side, brought off the English flag, and returned to the presence, where he presented it to the servants of the Nawaub, and, in his honest plain spoken manner said, “this is a proof of what cowards can do.” As a reward for his bravery he received a thousand praises and acknowledgments, with the honours of a valuable gorget, a dress with an embroidered vest, pearl necklace, the Nawaub’s own shawls, &c.; and he also raised the head of dignity, by being restored to his rank* and command in the army.