PATNA. 93 
the picturesque scenes on its banks, and its pebbles, which consist of 
a variety of agates, onyxes, and imperfect corneHans. 
March 6. — Morning overtook me on a flat but highly cultivated 
country. In addition to the usual produce, I observed the Gossy- 
pium,or cotton plant, and the Ricinus communis, whose berry yields 
the castor oil, of which, singular as it may appear, till lately the 
India Company were so uninformed, as to send that medicine from 
Europe. The former is small and stunted ; the latter grows in the 
greatest possible luxuriance. The wheat harvest was now commen- 
ced, and the whole population of the villages was poured out into 
the fields. The men and boys were reaping, and the women and 
children were, as in Europe, leasing after them. The sickle nearly 
resembles the English ; the grain is not bound into sheaves, but 
laid flat, and immediately piled. I now arrived at the nullah, * 
where the celebrated battle was fought, October 1764, between the 
British, and the united forces of Suja ul Dowlah and Cossim Ali 
Khan, which ended in the complete defeat of the latter, although 
they had 50,000 men, and a large train of artillery, and the British 
but 7000 men, of whom only 1200 were Europeans. Their flight 
was so rapid, that they did not stop at Buxar, but hastened to 
a nullah beyond, which, being then very full, thousands were 
drowned in attempting to pass it. This glorious victory not only 
secured the quiet possession of Bengal and Bahar, but gave us the 
first connection with Oude, which now forms so valuable a part of 
our possessions. The plunder was very great, as they left their tents 
standing; and a hundred and thirty pieces of cannon were taken. 
* A river; many of these, which in the rainy season run into the Ganges, are at 
other times perfectly dry. 
