1879.] or a History of Hamir, prince of Ranthambor. 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 séndyi. 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 Ranthambor. 
The two parties met. Brave and warlike heroes rushed forward from 
both sides and came face to face. Hach of them wasa 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 Rajput heroes 
yan 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 seemedas 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 chaddars, and were made by so fixing several gun barrels on 
an iron frame, as to admit of their being fired at once, 
