130 THIRTY- FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 



the ranee was implicated. Their intention was to carry 

 away Dulleep Sing, and to bring him into the camp 

 of the insurgents. An earnest and bloody struggle arose : 

 Dost Mahomed Khan, of Cabul, whom the English released 

 a few years ago from prison, took the conduct of the 

 Sikhs, and they defeated the English in two battles, at 

 Ramnuggur and Chillianwallah ; and it was not before the 

 return of Sir H. Lawrence that the English recovered 

 their position, by those two deciding battles of Mooltan 

 and Gujerat, on the Chenaub river ; after which — viz., on 

 the 1st of May, 1849 — the country was annexed to the 

 English possessions ; the Sikh durbar was abolished ; and 

 my official capacity depending only on the existence of 

 that body, was consequently at its end. I solicited a 

 pension, which I obtained. Dulleep Sing was sent to the 

 interior of India, where he lived upon a pension, derived 

 from the revenue of the same country from which I receive 

 my own ; the only difference between the two pensions 

 being, that I am allowed to expend mine wherever I please. 

 The receipt, however, must be at Lahore ; my agent there 

 presenting a life certificate, signed by an English authority. 



It was in the year 1839 that I had returned to Lahore, 

 after having visited the European continent and my native 

 country. I enjoyed the pleasure, on my return, of being 

 the companion of General Ventura, who was also hasten- 

 ing to India to resume his duties. On our voyage we had 

 many conversations, among which, the events which had 

 happened during my absence from Lahore underwent 

 discussion. On that occasion, the general related to me an 

 occurrence which at first I could scarcely believe, thinking 

 it a pure invention or a mere joke ; but I soon became 

 persuaded that he was in earnest. I give it here with tlie 

 remark only, that after having arrived at Lahore, I heard 

 it confirmed by other persons, in whose statements I could 

 also place confidence. 



Runjeet Sing — thus runs the narative — was told that a 

 saat, or faqueer, living in the mountains, was able to keep 

 himself in a state resembling death, and would allow himself 



