G A N G E T I G H I N D O O S T A N. ^93 



iion. The old lady was in as high fame for her Ik ill in the art- 

 magic, as her fifter Hecate in Macbeth ; her inchanted pot was 

 the fcull of an enemy, in which her bell-broth^ compofed of 

 owls, bats, fnakes, lizards, and human flefli, were boiled and 

 diftributed to her followers. Twenty thoufand of this fanati- 

 cal band, led by Bl/lemia^ were oppofed by a general of the em- 

 peror's, who refiftcd her incantations by written fpells which 

 he put into the hands of his commander. His proved the more 

 powerful ; a battle, or rather carnage enfued, in which the old 

 woman and her whole army were annihilated. Aurengzebe 

 met his general, and laughed with him at the fuccefs of his 

 fpells *. 



The band which attacked Goddard did not exceed four or 

 five hundred. They drove away two elephants and a few 

 camels, which we foon recovered, and killed or wounded 

 twenty of the robbers. Two thoufand more of thefe religious 

 hovered in our rear, but they fled on the firil appearance of an 

 attack. 



The march was continued toHeerapour. A Faquee/ or agent Hebrapoub, 

 came in from Ballagee, one of the two brothers before men- 

 tioned, to propofe to Colonel Goddard to avoid in his march 

 Sagur, under the pretence that it would be of great injury to 

 the country, and would frighten all the inhabitants out of the 

 city, and that there was another road as good, but only a little 

 way about. Ballagee was the moft artful of men, and propofed 

 this merely to engage the armies in difficulties, and according" 



* Dow's Fcriflita, iii. 384- 



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