houfes and trees, as to intercept all outward profpe&t. His whole force, including the remains of that divifion of Major Popham's detachment which were immediately with him, amounted only to about 450 men; and were infufficient to man the defences, fuch as they were, even for one attack. It was therefore abfolutely neceffary to get out of fo wretched and confined a fituation, into forme open and fair ground, where the troops might at least oppofe their enemy upon equal terms. Nor did this point even, if they met with any oppofition, feem eafily to be gained, as well from the perplexed and diflicult pallages, which led through the fuburbs into the country, as from their being incumbered with a vaft quantity of baggage, and with a great train of defenceles people. On the other hand, to thefe ftrong motives for abandoning Bepares, were to be opposed the difgrace of a flight, to a perfon of the rank, authority and character of the governor general, the confidence which it would give to the enemy, and the encouragement and ftrength to rebellion; but above all, the cruel neceffity which it would induce, of abandoning the poor wounded and faithful fepoys to the mercy of an enemy, from whom, in the ufual courfe of things, little was to be expected. The former confideration yielded to the danger and neceflity of the cafe; and with refpect to the wounded fepoys, as they were lodged in a remote part of the town or fuburbs, at near a mile's diftance, and incapable of remo. val, the impoffibility of protecting them, if the troops had even been equal to their own defence, was evident. As a great number of boats were collected, and every preparation at Ramnagur directed to an immediate attack on that very night, no time was to be loft, and the retreat was accordingly commenced foon after duik. By this fudden departure, notwithstanding the crowd of people, and the intolerable baggage with which they were incumbered, the troops had the fortune to get clear of the fuburbs (where any attack upon, them would have been attended with the greatest danger) without moleftation. As foon as they had formed in the open country, they purfued their courfe to Chunar, where they arrived in the morning; having brought back with them the battalion of fepoys which Colonel Blair had dispatched to their affiftance, and which they unexpectedly met by the way, having fcarcely a hope, that the expreffes fent for the purpofe had reached that place. Before the governor general's departure from Benares, he had fent a meflage to the Nabob Saadut Ally Cawn, (of whom we have no other knowledge, than that from his name and titles he must have been a Mahometan, and a perfon of confideration, and that it appears, he had been represented to Mr. Hastings, as having a great fhare in fomenting the prefent troubles) to request he would take the wounded fepoys into his care and protection; a request which he repeated by a letter from Chunar. But Saadut Ally did not wait to be afked a fecond time, [B]4 moft moft faithfully and religiously to difcharge the truft repofed in him; he had immediately vifited the fepoys in perfon, furnified them with provifions and with money, employed native furgeons to attend them and as they became individually, able to bear it, had them inftantly removed to his own quarters. This will appear the more meritorious and generous, when it is confidered, that the company's credit was then fo entirely funk, and its affairs deemed to be fo irretrievably ruined, that it was by an exertion little fhort of force, that Colonel Blair was able to extort from the bankers of Chunar, who had lived and grown rich under the protection of the English gariifon, a fmall loan not much exceeding three hundred pounds fterling, although the money was to fupply the immediate and indifpenfible neceflities of the troops, and that the prefence of the governor general in the town, might be fuppofed to give weight and fanction to fuch an application. The conduct of Benaram Pundit, the Maratta minifter from the Rajah of Berar to the court of Benares, was no lefs diftinguifhable upon this occafion; and whether it may be attributed to national attachment, to a fenfe of public faith and honour, or even to private regard, is not wholly undeferving of notice; and the more particularly as it may tend, along with many other incidents which we have heretofore related of their conduct, in fome degree to illuftrate the character of that extraordinary people. This envoy, and his brother, having come to pay a cuftomary evening vifit at Mahdoodafs's Gar dens, arrived there at the very inftant of the diforder and confufion which prevailed upon the fudden departure of the troops. They proceeded with them out of town, and were continuing the march with them on the way to Chunar, when they were difcovered, without a fingle attendant, and on foot in the crowd, by the governor general, who was aftonithed on difcovering their determination to proceed all the way in that condition. It is to be obferved, that from his time of life, ftate of health, and corpulence of body, Benaram Prodit feemed very unequal to the fatigue of fuch a march. Without regard, however, to the arguments and remonftrances ufed to diffuade him from the defign, particularly the danger to which he might thereby expofe the large family he left behind, he fill perfevered in his refolution; and accordingly proceeded with his brother on the ma ch to Chunar, where they continued, until the troubles were so far fubfided as to en, ble the governor general to, return to Benares. thould be recorded, whether to the honour of the police of that city, or more properly to the civilized manners and excellent difpofition of the inhabitants, that the smallest injury or infult was not offered to the family of the Maratta minifter during his long abfence, though upon an occafion, and in a feafon, fo capable of exciting popular indignation. The generofity of Benaram Pundit afterwards, in offering, without application, to the governor general, all the ready money he was in poffeffion of, amounting to a lack It of of rupees in filver, at a time when not increase our opinion of the Rajah's political fagacity nor knowledge of mankind. the former wanted credit and money for the mere support of his family and table, did not feem neceffary to finish the picture, or to give the highest colouring to the former tranfaction. Such circumtances indeed are no fmall relief to the mind, when they intervene in the midst of fcenes of calamity, blood, and cruelty. Previous to the departure of the governor general from Benares, he received a letter from the Rajah, which, notwithstanding his fitution and danger, procured fo little attention, that he neither recollects its date, nor the time of its delivery; he ftates in general, that it was filled with expreflions "of flight concern for what had paffed, and profeffions, but inde"finite and unapplied, of fidelity. I did not (he fays) think it "becoming to make any reply to it, and I think I ordered the "bearer of the letter to be told "it required none Notwithftanding this repulfe, on the very morning after the defeat of Mayaffre at Ramnagur, application was made by an agent of the Rajah's to one of the English gentlemen, for his interpofition with the governor general, to receive a letter and mellenger in the evening from the Rajah, with propofals for an accommodation. We are not informed of the anfwer made to this propofal; but it would feem, that the governor general was determined to confider thefe applications, both now and at all times after, as the mere artifices of treachery, intended only to deceive and to gain time. How ever this opinion was founded, the continued repetition of them, will The former, however, acquiefced in another propofal made on the fame day, that Contoo Bauboo, his dewan or treasurer, should receive a meffage from the Rajah, and confer upon its fubject, with Mirza Abdoola Beg, his vakeel or envoy. This meeting and couference, which did not take place until after the retreat from Benares, produced no effect. The purport of the Rajah's meffage, was to exculpate himself from all concern in the outrage and maffacre committed in his palace, which he attributed entirely, as he did upon all occafions, to the infolence of Mr. Markham's fervant, which provoked the refentment of his own people, and concluding with profeitions of his obedience and fubmiflion to the governor general's will, in whatever way he should himself choose to dictate. While the governor general had already enough on his hands to occupy all his attention, he found himfelf involved in a new embarraffment, which in the prefent crifis was not a little diftreffing. This was the reproach of the Nabob vizier, who having originally intended, as a mark of respect, if not of homage, to meet him at Benares, had fet out from his capital for that purpofe; and instead of being deterred by the prefent ftate of affairs, he had actually used the greater expedition in his journey upon that account. Nothing could be more perplexing than his arrival at this time, He was to be received and treated as a friend, at the fame time that there were ftrong reasons for sus pecting 1 pecting him to be an enemy. His weak and diffipated character, and his being of courfe in the hands of a fet of profligate favourites, by whom he was entirely governed, left but little room for any confidence in his honour, or truft in the fidelity of his engagements. But along with thefe doubts and fufpicions, which were well to be founded upon his perfonal character, there were actual matters with respect to his immediate conduct, which afforced much room for alarm. His whole dominions were already in a state of commotion and diforder, and the little attention which he paid to the violence and outrage of the people, looked as if thefe acts had, met with his countenance and approbation. ftantaneous effects, that not only the city of Fyzabad, and the adjoining country, but those extenfive territories on the other fide of the Dewa, which under the name of Gooruckpore and Burriage, ftretch to the feet of the northern mountains, were every where in arnis, and in declared hoftility to the company. Lieut. Colonel Hannay, with two battatalions of regular fepoys, which he commanded in the Nabob's fervice, had the charge of Fyzabad,.and the countries in that quarter committed to his care. These troops were repeatedly attacked, furrounded, and many of them cut to pieces; their commander being himself fo hard p:effed and encompaffed, that he narrowly escaped the fame fate. As we have mentioned the Begums of Oude, it may not be entirely unneceffary to obferve, that women of that rank and condition, frequently poffefs great wealth, popularity, and influence in India; for that, through the opportunities afforded by weak reigns and minorities, along with their being freed by fituation from the cuftomary reftraints of the fex, they are not feldom enabled to take a great fhare in the appointment. of minifters, and the direction of public affairs; and their power appearing only in the most pleasing and popular parts of its cife, they generally acquire great weight and confidence with the people, and are much beloved by them. For no forner had the rebellion manifefted itself in Benares, than the contagion fpread through all the neighbouring countries under his government. And it was particularly obfervable, and ferved to increase all the fufpicions with refpect to his own defigns, that it raged in none with fo much violence, as in those which were under the influence of the princeffes, his mother and grandmother, who are ufually diffinguished under the appellation of the Begums of Oude. Thefe ladies, who refided at Fyzabad, on the river Dewa, the fecond capital of his dominions, openly efpoufed the caufe of Cheit Sing; and not only publicly encouraged and invited men to inlift in his fervice, but fuffered their own immediate fervants to join in Along with all thofe circumattacking the English troops. ftances of public notoriety, which Their example and influence, concurred in rendering the Nacorrefponding with the difpofition bob's vifit exceedingly perplexof the people, produced fuch in- ing, repeated intimations were 4 given given to the governor general, cautioning him to guard against private treachery; and he was particularly warned not to vist him, without fo ftrong a guard as would be fully competent to the fecurity of his perfon. It will ever be found, that thofe countries which are in the unhappy circum. ftances attending a precarious government, and holding out, like India, vaft temptations of power and wealth, to arife from profcriptions, forfeitures, and the ruin of great individuals will likewife abound with fecret criminal charge, and with dark, malignant infinu ation. At the fame time that fo many concurring caufes could not fail of producing their effect in operating upon the mind of Mr. Haftings with refpect to this vifit, he was not infenfible to the credit and advantage, which, in the prefent fallen fate of affairs, the prefence and authority of the Nabob might communicate, if he were really a friend; nor that his troops (rabble though they were) would ferve to keep the country in awe, and to divide the attention of the enemy. But even in this view of things, he did not ap prove of the vifit. He confidered, that fuch fervice or obliga ion, would invert the nature of their alliance and mutual relation, and give the Nabob a fuperiority at their meeting, which would defeat its purposes; nor did he think it confiftent with the dignity of the English government, to employ a foreign aid for the fuppretion of a rebellion of its own fubjects. He therefore endeavoured by letter to diffuade the Nabob from the farther profecution of his journey, requefting that he would return to Lucknow, and there wait his own arrival, which would be as fon as the prefent difturbances would afford leifure for that purpofe. The Nabob, however, notwithstanding the difficulties and dangers in which the governor general was involved, determine to feize that opportunity of giving a proof of his zeal and attachment by proceeding on his way with the greater expedition; while the former, willing to remove any ideas of diftraft which might be excited by the preceding letter, fent another, returning his acknowledgments for fo kind an attention. It appears that the greateft harmony fubfifted between them during the whole time they were together. In the mean time, the commotion in Benares operated as a fignal to all the adjoining countries, and the flame fee med fpreading on every fide. Independent of the dominions of Oude. one half of which were in a flate of actual rebellion or refiftance to the company, a great part of their own province of Bahar was convulsed in fcarcely a lefs degree. Many of the landholders, not only thewed the ftrongeft fymptoms of dif affection, but things were carried to fuch an extreme, that levies of men were openly made there for the enemy. utteh Shaw, a chief on that fide, being fupported by Cheit Sing with money, had actually commenced a war, by laying claim to and invading the Sarun Sircar, one of the great divifions of that extenfive province, and the right to which had not before been questioned fince the accef |