BIOGRAPHY. 



575 



and vvei'e introduced into a grand 

 saloon, adorned with girandoles 

 and pendant lustres of English 

 manufacture, lighted M-ith wax 

 candles. Here we had an elegant, 

 and sumptuous collation of Eu- 

 ropean and Indian dishes, with 

 wines, fruits, and sweetmeats ; 

 at the same time about a hundred 

 dancing girls sung their sprightly 

 airs, and performed their native 

 dances. 



" Thus passed the time until 

 dawn, when we all returned to 

 our respective hoiiies, delighted 

 and wonder-struck witli this en- 

 chanting scene, which surpassed 

 in splendor every entertainment 

 of the kind beheld in this country. 

 Tlie aflPable nabob rightly observ- 

 ed, with a little Asiatic vanity, 

 that such a spectacle was never 

 before seen in India, and never 

 would be seen again. The whole 

 expense of this marriage-feast, 

 which was repeated for three 

 successive nights in the same 

 manner, cost upwards of 300,000/. 

 sterling." 



As soon as Vizier Ally was 

 recognized by Asuf as his suc- 

 cessor to the throne, considerable 

 opposition was manifested by the 

 old nabob's family. But on the 

 death of the latter, the young 

 favourite was upheld b}' our go- 

 vernment, which enabled him at 

 once to ascend the musnud of a 

 powerful and extensive territory. 

 An adopted child by the Mo- 

 hamedan law, is entitled to all 

 the privileges of legitimate birth. 

 Tlie young nabob, however, had 

 scarcely ascended the throne, 

 when he evinced his treachery 

 and ingratitude towards that 

 government by which alone it 

 had been secured to him ; and 



having afiForded many palpable 

 reasons to suspect his designs, 

 the Governor- General deemed it 

 expedient to depose him, and to 

 raise Sadut Ally, the brother of 

 the late nabob to the throne. 

 A pension was allowed to Vizier 

 Ally of two lacks of rupees per 

 annum, but it was thought neces- 

 sary that he should reside at 

 Calcutta that his movements 

 might be more strictly watched 

 by the government. He was 

 therefore ordered to repair from 

 Lucknow to Benares, where Mr. 

 Cherry, the Company's resident, 

 was to make arrangements for 

 his proceeding on his ultimate 

 destination. Shortly after his 

 arrival at Benares Mr. Cherry 

 invited him to breakfast. He 

 came attended by a large swarry 

 or armed retinue. It had been 

 previously intimated to Mr. 

 Cherry that his appearance was 

 hostile, and that he ought to be 

 on his guard ; but he unfor- 

 tunately disregarded the caution. 

 Vizier Ally made many com- 

 plaints of the Company's treat- 

 ment of him, and having continued 

 his strain of reproach against 

 them for some time, he finally 

 gave the dreadful signal to his 

 attendants -who rushed in at the 

 moment and literally cut Mr. 

 Cherry to pieces. The next 

 place to which the sanguinary 

 ruffians directed their course, 

 was the residence of Mr. Davis 

 (now holding a seat in the Direc- 

 tion) who then filled an impor- 

 tant situation under the govern- 

 ment ; but here they met with a 

 most gallant and successful re- 

 sistance. Mr. Davis having been 

 kind enough to favour us with a 

 copy of his official letter to Sir 



Alured 



