2o8 GANGETIC HINDOOSTAN. 



Currahy from a town once of much confideration, as I ima- 

 gine now decayed. 

 CmTNAR GtJR. For the greater part of the way above Allahabad the Ganges 



runs with a dire6t courfe, below that city it begins to meander 

 frequently, and increafe in width : the narroweft part of the bed 

 is half a mile broad, and the wideft three miles. About feventy 

 miles diftant from Allahabad is Merzapour ; below that is Chiniar 

 Gur, a fort of great ftrength, feated on a lofty rock, flat at top, pre- 

 cipitous on every fide but one, and impending over the Ganges ; 

 the furamit is entirely fkirted with ftrong walls and towers. 

 -At the foot of the rocks is another fort with angular towers ; 

 the firit is of great antiquity. It was well defended in 1764, 

 when it belonged to the Nabob Sujah ul Dowlah. It was in that 

 year befieged by Major HeBor Munro. He found it in vain to 

 attempt the place by a regular fiege, but flattered himfelf with 

 the hopes of taking it by furprife ; he rnade his aflault in the 

 dead of night ; the vigilant governor was prepared for his re- 

 ception ; our troops fcaled the rock, but were overwhelmed 

 with torrents of ftones, the natural ammunition of the place, 

 rolled down by the garrifon (by hands and feet) and our brave 

 foldiers buried under the loofened ruins, made by their own 

 artillery. An Abejjynian was the governor, who preferved his 

 fidelity to his mailer till the year 1765, when affliirs growing 

 defperate, he furrendered the place to Major Stibbert. It was 

 foon after given up to the Nabob, who, in 1772, exchanged it 

 for his fort at Allahabad. We immediately made it a magazine 

 of ammunition and provifion for the brigade of Cawnpore, de- 

 figned for the defence of the frontiers of the reigning prince ; 



we 



