Although from the battle of that day, it appeared evident how the war would end, still, the faithful troops of the Sultán performed many worthy and gallant actions, and fought with the artillery of the enemy hand to hand, and shoulder to shoulder, and raised the tumult of the last day among them, and some of the bravest men closing with them with their muskets and pitiless swords sent many of them to eternity— the brave men of the enemy’s army also, planting their feet firmly on the ground, like men devoting themselves, threw themselves bravely on the Mussulman troops. Certain also of the brave and faithful officers of the Sultán, with their regiments came forward, and manfully with­stood the fearful charge and shock* of the English, and like lions attacking a herd of deer, or wild asses, fell upon their assailants, and broke their ranks, and scattered them like the daughters of the Bier.* The false Kumruddín Khán, however, when he received orders to charge the enemy with his cavalry, alas, most shamefully neglected his duty; for having put his body of horse to a canter, he like a blind man (instead of charging the enemy), fell upon a division of the Sultán’s brave troops, and put them all into disorder, and as good for­tune, and prosperity, had turned their backs on the Sultán’s army, and as the signs of mischance and bad fortune every day manifested themselves more and more, many of the unfortunate soldiers gave up their lives gratuitously, and the rest regularly and with slow steps retired from the field. This undoubtedly was all predestined and under the power and control of no one. The English army, there­fore, gained the victory and were much elated.

At this time news arrived that a body of English troops from Bombay commanded by General Stuart, bringing a very large convoy of stores and provisions was advancing by the route of Koorg, straight towards Seringaputtun. The Sultán, there­fore, immediately with the whole of his troops and artillery, leaving some of his chief officers to make head against the enemy (General Harris) marched off to attack that body,* and in one day and two nights arrived in front of them, and gave orders for the attack. The faithful Syud Ghuffar, who in bravery and loyalty had no equal, grappled* with the enemy on one flank, while Hussein Alí Khán, the son of Nawáb Kotubuddín Khán carried death and destruction among them on the other, raising the flames of war to the skies— the other Mír Mírán, (General officers) also, in charging and defeating the enemy used their most strenuous endeavours, and with their swords, musketry, and artillery, put the infidels to flight;— and they giving way to the necessities of the time, and having no power to withstand the shock of the Sultán’s blood-drink­ing lions, leaving part of their baggage behind them, slank into the Jungle, and occupying its outlets remained there. The troops of the Sultán, however, still followed them, and vigorously attacking them again, strained every nerve to rout and destroy them;— at this critical period Muhammad Ruza, Mír Mírán, having by much entreaty obtained from the presence leave to charge, proceeded with his division like a raging lion towards the enemy, and stretching forth the arm of valour, it went near that the whole of the enemy’s army was cut up and destroyed. The ambush of fate, however, having girded their loins to accom­plish the defeat of the Mussulmans, a musket shot from the enemy accidentally struck the head of Muhammad Ruza, and he fell mortally wounded. His victorious soldiers took up his corpse and carried it to the Sultán, who directed it to be forwarded to the capital, while he occupied himself in the defeat and dispersion of this force;— when spies brought intelligence that the Bombay army had retired from further opposition, and had marched by the route of the Jungul to Kalicote. The Sultan, therefore, returned to Seringaputtun, where he had scarcely arrived, when General Harris having crossed the river by the Ford of Hosilly, and pass­ing Sultán Peenth, encamped to the westward of the fort, and the next day the English regiments made an attack on several strong outworks which covered the fort, and were occupied by the Sultán’s troops, and after a sharp contest and the slaughter of most of their defenders took them. On the same day, Hussein Alí Khán, the son of Nawáb Kotubuddín Khán, a very brave man, with the greatest gallantry threw himself into the ranks of the enemy, and there drank of the Shurbet of martyrdom. The English troops now according to the orders of their commander, collected the materials for their batteries from the gardens of that vicinity, and one battery was thrown up to the westward of the fort, and another to the north west,* and these having been completed, they began to batter and breach the walls, and to set fire to the city by throwing shells into it.

The illustrious Sultán when he saw his fortunes in this melancholy position, and that the storm at length had burst around the walls of his capital, with the native firmness and hardihood of his character still determined neither to quit the fort and retire to some other place, nor offer conditions of peace. He resigned himself, therefore, to the will of God, and having committed the defence of the fortification of his capital to the Zumra (or his choice troops) he determined to fight to the last. Kumruddín Khán who was an excellent partisan was detached with a large body of troops to cut off the supplies and reinforcements of the English and their confederates, and Futteh Hydur, with the whole of the cavalry and Sillahdár horse with Poornia the Mír Mírán and others were detached from the Sultán, and encamped in the plain of the Karighat;— still at times the Sultán’s horse paraded round about the English army, but as their officers gave them no orders to engage the enemy, mortified and distressed they rubbed the hands of sorrow on each other. In short the army of Bom­bay, also arrived, and encamped in the vicinity of Bahadúr Poora. When the Ghazies of the Faith saw they had no choice but to light up the flames of war, they every day well armed and appointed threw themselves on the troops of the enemy, as the moth flies at the lamp, and is destroyed by it, and to repel and put to flight the authors of this tumult and disorder, they most manfully exerted themselves. Fortune, however, was adverse to giving aid or success to the Sultán’s troops, and they lost or neglected the proper modes of prosecuting the war successfully:— as for instance, the case of the Meh­tab Bagh; where the faithful Syud Ghuffar was stationed, and which he long defended against the assaults of the enemy, and after the loss of thou­sands of lives did not allow it to fall into their hands. At length, however, the enemies of the Sultán by their advice procured him to be recalled and stationed in the fort, and another person was sent to replace him. The English troops, there­fore, immediately attacked the Mehtab Bagh, and at one assault took it, and filled it with artillery and musketeers, and thence ran on their approaches towards the fort. About that time the mild and humane Sultán, sent for Monsieur Seeboo (Cha­puis), the French officer, and asked him what plans or measures he could recommend? The French­man replied, “that his faithful servant’s advice was this, that the Sultán with his cavalry, infantry, treasure, women, &c. should quit the fort and retire to Sura, or Chituldroog, and detach a body of his troops to oppose the infidels, or if he thought best he might deliver him (Monsieur Chapuis) and the rest of the French up to the English, and then an accommodation might be made between the contending parties, or if he chose he could give up the breached walls of the fort to the charge of Monsieur Lalli, for defence, without, however, allowing Lalli to be subject to the interference or controul of the Sultán’s native officers.” The Sultán in reply respecting the sur­render of the Frenchmen, said, “if on your account, you being strangers from a distant land, the whole of our kingdom should be plundered and laid waste, well and good; but you shall not be delivered up:” but for an answer to the remainder of Monsieur Chapuis’s excellent advice, the Sultán sought counsel from the Dewán, and he in furtherance of his own views and projects said,— “It must be well known to your highness that this people (the French) never kept faith with any one, and your highness may be well assured, that if you give up the fort to their care and defence, that at that very moment it will fall into the possession of the English, for both these people (the English and French) con­sider themselves originally of the same tribe, and they are one in heart and language.”