of rupees in filver, at a time when the former wanted credit and money for the mere support of his family and table, did not feem neceffary to finith the picture, or to give the higheft colouring to the former tranfaction. Such circumftances 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 celivery; 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 " required none." Notwithfanding 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 meifenger 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 these 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 not increase our opinion of the Rajah's political fagacity nor knowledge of mankind. The former, however, acquiefced in another propofal made on the fame day, that Contoo Bauboo, his dewan or treasurer, thould receive a metage from the Rajah, and confer upon its fubject, with Mirza Abdoola Beg, his vakeel or envoy. This meeting and conference, 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 profeflions of his obedience and fubmiffion to the governor general's will, in whatever way he thould himself choose to dictate. This While the governor general had already enough on his hands to occupy all his attention, he found himself involved in a new embarraffinent, which in the prefent crisis was not a little diftreffing. was the reproach of the Nabob vizier, who having originally intended, as a mark of refpect, if not of homage, to meet him at Benares, had fet out from his capital for that purpose: and instead of being deterred by the prefent ftate of affairs, he had actually ufed 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 fuf pecting pecting him to be an enemy. His ftantaneous effects, that not only weak and diffipated character, and the city of Fyzabad, and the ad- As we have mentioned the Begums of Onde, 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 customary 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 moft pleafing and popular parts of its exercife, they generally acquire great weight and confidence with the people, and are much beloved by them. For no forner had the rebellion manifefted itfelf 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 respect 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 diftinguifhed 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 ef outed the caufe of Cheit Sing; and not only publicly encouraged and invited mn 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, the farther profecution of his jourcautioning him to guard against ney, requefting that he would private treachery; and he was return to Lucknow, and there wait particularly warned not to vit his own arrival, which would be him, without fo ftrong a guard as as fon as the prefent difturwould be fully competent to the bances would afford leifure for fecurity of his perfon. It will ever that purpofe. The Nabob, howbe found, that thofe countries ever, notwithstanding the diffiwhich are in the unhappy circum. culties and dangers in which the itances attending a precarious go- governor general was involved, vernment, and holding out, like determine to feize that opportunity India, vaft temptations of power of giving a proof of hi zeal and and wealth, to arife from pro- attachment by proceeding on his feriptions, forfeitures, and the ruin way with the greater expedition; of great individuals, will likewife while the former, willing to reabound with fecret criminal charge, move any ideas of diftruft which and with dark, malignant infinu- 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. ation. At the fame time that fo many concurring caufes could not fail of producing their effe&t 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 fiate of affairs, the prefence and authority of the Nabob might communicate, if he were really a friend; nor that his troops (rable 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 obligation, would invert the nature of their alliance and mutual relation, and give the Nabob a fuperiority at their meeting, which would defeat its purpofes; nor did he think it confiftent with the dignity of the English government, to employ a foreign aid for the fuppreffion of a rebellion of its own fubjects. He therefore endeavoured by letter to diffuade the Nabob from In the mean time, the commotion in Benares operated as a signal to all the adjouing countries, and the flame femed spreading on every fide. Independent of the dominions of Oude, one half of which were in a state of actual rebellion or refiftance to the company, a great part of their own province of Bahar was convulfed in fcarcely a leis degre. Many of the landholders, not only fhewed 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. Putteh Shaw, a chief on that fide, being fupported by Cheit Sing with money, had tually 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 queftioned fince the accef acceffion of the company to the whole. But their ruin now was confidered as being fo inevitable, that the most petty chiefs and infignificant towns, eager to grasp at fome share of the fpoil, either Jaid claims which never before were heard of, or feized upon fuch villages and fmall difiricts as were within their reach without any claim at all. And while the company's affairs were in this ftate of confufion and danger, the communications were fo entirely cut off, that the governor general was kept in a flate of almoft total ignorance at Chunar, both with refpe&t to what was pafling in the adjoining countries, and the fuccefs or failure of the various expreffes which he had dispatched to different parts for alliance. It was probably during this feafon of inaction that Cheit Sing publifhed his manifefto, which was addrefied to the Rajahs and native chiefs or princes of India. In this piece he gives a narrative of his father's conduct and of his own, of the treatment which he had himself experienced, cf the caufes and motives which led to the prefent troubles, and he calls upon them, as in a common cause against a common enemy, to join in chacing away thofe rapacious frangers, who were the authors of fuch numberlefs calamities to their country. This manifefto, is a plain fimple piece of writing, entirely free from thofe gorgeous ornaments which to frequently load and disfigure the eaftern file, but at the fame time fo exceedingly pathetic, that it could not fail of going home to the feelings of thofe to whom it was addreffed. After fiating his attachment and fidelity, he complains that, notwith landing, envious of the profperity and riches of his country, he had been continually harrafled by pretended crimes, and forged calumnies, mearly forged, in order to extort money in atonement of them, and to compel him to purchafe patronage and protection.On this fubje&t he fays, " every "complaint has been heard againft, "and every wretch encouraged to "mifreprefent me." It is remarkable, that the charge of mifgovernment, which had ben laid against him, and of violence, robberies, and murthers being authorized or tolerated in his dominions, feems to have particularly touc' ed and affected the Rajah; and his intenfibility upon this occafion leads him away from his immediate fubject, and affords the means for his laying before us a moft curious picture of the fate of his own country before the troubles, contrated with that, which he likewife prefents, of thofe extenfive dominions which were under the immediate g vernment of the company. We are little qualified to judge of the truth of thefe reprefentations, or of the degree of colouring with which they may be charged, but the one prefents fo new and interefting a picture of human felici y, and the other fo many obr jeas of reflection and obfervation, that if they had been purely ideal, we could fcarcely refrain from endeavouring to preferve them. The Rajah, in vindication of his government, fays, "Look to my diftricts, look to theirs! Do not "the different pictures they pre"fent to you mark the limits of "them more than the bounda "res which nature itself has "drawn out? My fields are cul"tivated, my villages are full of "inhabitants, my country is a 66 66 garden, and my fubje&ts are happy. My capital is the re"fort of the principal merchants "of India, from the fecurity I "have given to property. The "treasures from the Marattas, "the Jaits, and the Saiks, aud "the most diftant nations of India, are depofited here. Here the "orphans and the widows convey "their property, and refide here "without fear of rapacity and " avarice. The traveller, from one end of my country to the "other, lays down his burthen, " and fleeps in fecurity. Look to "the provinces of the company! "there famine and mifery talk "hand in hand through unculti"vated fields and deferted villages. There you meet with nothing but aged men, who are not able to tranfport them"felves away, or robbers watch"ing to way-lay their helpleff"nefs. When any of the fervants "of the English have paffed thro' 66 66 my country, every kindness "has been thewn them, and all "their wants fupplied; even their "ment in the countries under the company's management? Were they not almoft continually rob"bed, and in danger of their "lives?" Such was the feducing reprefentation of his country, and of the ftate of his people, which was at this time given by the Rajah Cheit Sing. The fortrefs of Chunar, which now afforded a fecure afylum to the governor general, is fituated on the fouth thore of the Ganges. The principal force of the enemy was affembled at a town called Pateetah, lying about feven miles to the fouthward of Chunar, and in the direct way to the noted pafs of Suckroot, and the ftrong fort of Lutteefpore. Major Popham's regiment, with what force could be fpared from the garrifon of Chunar, were formed into a detachment under his command, and encamped about a mile from the town on the way to the enemy. Towards the end of the month, Lieutenant Aug. 27th. Polhill arrived from Illahabad, with fix companies of fepoys belonging to the Nabob Vizier's body life-guard; and was ordered to encamp on the oppofite shore of the river, in order to keep the communication on that fide open. In two days after the arrival of this officer, he unexpectedly attacked, and eafily defeated a confiderable body of the enemy, who were ftationed, under the command of a principal chief of the country, at a fmall fort and town called Seeker, which lay within fight of Chunar. A confiderable booty in grain, an article which was then exceedingly wanted, was the |