INSURRECTION AT BENARES. 
147 
on the part of government as soon as the cause of it 
should be removed. It is somewhat surprising that 
a statesman at once so profound and so acute as Mr. 
Hastings should have been imposed upon by the 
mere animal cunning and profligate duplicity of the 
unprincipled Hindoo,, when the obligation of an oath 
is known to be so little regarded by those narrow- 
minded and self-interested idolaters. On the so- 
lemnity of the Rajah’s promise the government so 
implicitly relied, that they immediately acted upon 
it, prospectively appropriating the money, which their 
feudatory covenanted to pay within a given time, 
to the support of a detachment of sepoys then sta- 
tioned in the province of Malwa, under the command 
of Lieutenant-Colonel Camac. These troops were on 
field-service, and consequently entitled to a certain 
addition of pay, which was calculated upon as about 
to be advanced from the Rajah’s treasury, on the 
faith of his most solemn promise. In consequence, 
however, of his failure in fulfilling his engagement, 
this detachment, whose necessities had not otherwise 
been provided for, was reduced to the utmost extre- 
mity of distress for want of the necessary supplies in 
provisions and money ; many of the men deserted, 
while the complaints of such as remained began to 
be loud and bitter. Thus the perfidious Zemeendar 
was guilty of inflicting a double injury upon the 
government, to whom he was indebted both for his 
political security and personal prosperity ; since, by 
withholding what was so equitably due from him, 
as well in fulfilment of his promise as upon the sti- 
pulations of his tenure, he at once obliged them to 
