SEARCH AFTER THE SULTAN. 123 



Moiza-Deen, whom on a former occasion I had seen delivered 

 up, with his brother, hostages to .Marquis Cornwallis, — the 

 sad reverse of their fortunes, — their fear, which, notwith- 

 standing their struggles to conceal it, was but too evident, 

 — excired the strongest emotions of compassion in my mind. 

 I took Moiza-Deen by the hand, and endeavoured bv every 

 mode in my power to remove his fears." This prince con- 

 curred with the others in giving assurance that the padsha 

 was not in the palace, — and, on the urgent representation 

 of the British officers, he agreed, with strong reluctance, 

 that the gate should be thrown open.- General Baird had 

 already approached with a large body of troops, and instantly 

 sent back the major with Colonel Close to bring out the 

 princes. After much alarm, and many objections, these 

 young persons allowed themselves to be conducted into the 

 presence of the British commander. The general was 

 greatly irritated from having just heard that thirteen pris- 

 oners had been murdered during the siege ; and his feelings 

 were probably heightened by the recollection of his own 

 sufferings in the same place ; but when he saw these un- 

 fortunate youths led out as captives, every harsher senti- 

 ment yielded to that of pity, and he gave them the most solemn 

 assurances that they had nothing to fear. They were es- 

 corted to the camp with arms presented, and all the hon- 

 ours due to their rank. 



General Baird's object being now to obtain possession of 

 the person of the sultan, he proceeded, with a body of troops, 

 to make the most diligent search in every corner of the pal- 

 ace. He forbore, indeed, to enter" the zenana, but strictly 

 guarded every passage by which any one could leave it. 

 No trace of the individual he sought could anywhere be 

 found ; till at length, by severe threats, a confession was 

 extorted from the killedar, that his master was lying wounded, 

 as he supposed, in a gateway, to which he offered to con- 

 duct the British commander. The latter immediately ac- 

 companied him to the spot, where he beheld a mournful 

 spectacle : it was here that the fiercest combat had raged ; 

 the wounded and dead were lying piled in heaps over each 

 other; while the darkness which had just fallen rendered 

 the scene still more dismal. It was indispensable, however, 

 immediately to ascertain the fact ; torches were brought, 

 and the bodies successively removed, till they discovered the 



