1879.] or a History of Hamir, prince of BantAamoor. 233 



The elephants were ranged foremost, then followed the horses with 

 flying colours. There was a peal of trumpets, drums, cow-mouthed pipes, 

 chang and sdndyi. The minstrels went on singing praises of the glorious 

 exploits of the Chohans and accounts of the Rajput chivalry, thereby in- 

 flaming the minds of all the warriors with an eagerness of displaying their 

 military talents and becoming illustrious for ever, both here and hereafter. 

 Very swift camels followed the troops of Hamir for the speedy despatch of 

 messages. 



Many cannons were taken to the front of the army. They were painted 

 with vermilion. Their muzzles, with red colours streaming on them, seemed 

 as if many terrible monarchs of death had opened their mouths and were 

 showing their tongues. Sometimes the cannons would stop in the way, when 

 wine and mutton were offered to them, and immediately they moved on. 

 Matchlocks, small guns and several mitrailleuses,* followed in their 

 wake. 



At the singing of the martial air of sindhu all the troops set out, and 

 celestial nymphs ran forward with garlands of flowers in their hands. 



On the Muhammadan side all the Khans and Umraos made good pre- 

 parations for the capture of the fort of Eanthambor. 



The two parties met. Brave and warlike heroes rushed forward from 

 both sides and came face to face. Each of them was a terrible messenger of 

 death. The battle raged with such fury that it seemed as if two mighty 

 oceans, bursting over their confines, had come on striking against each other, 

 bringing destruction and devastation in their train. The llajput heroes 

 ran forward. The brave and powerful Muhammadan Mirs met them. 

 Columns of dust rose high up in the air and hid the sun. The martial 

 music was sounded. The cannons boomed ; the earth shook as well as the 

 heavens. Flames burst forth on all sides. Dark smoke filled the air. 

 There was a continuous shower of fiery shots which poured with violence 

 like so many balls of gold. Heaps upon heaps of horses and elephants roll- 

 ed on the ground, writhing in the agony of death. The ravage of fire-arms 

 was so terrible that it seemed as if the cloud of death hung on the sky, 

 pouring destruction everywhere. Blood began to flow from wounds in tor- 

 rents. Large balls went through the bodies of elephants, making the wounds 

 so open that vultures sat in them tearing and pulling out the flesh from 

 within. They seemed as if numbers of devotees were engaged in contempla- 

 tion, sitting in the caves of mountains. Many a horse was blown up. The 

 cannons roared, and the volleys of fire emitted from their muzzles came on 

 like flashes of lightning that attend thunder. Many mitrailleuses were fired at 



* These were called ehaddars, and were made by so fixing several gun barrels on 

 an iron frame, as to admit of their being fired at once. 



