INSURRECTION AT BENARES. 
163 
tance from that vast and populous city, whose gra- 
dually encreasing strength gave him just cause for 
apprehension, was only seventeen miles. His situa- 
tion, moreover, was in every way critical ; as not only 
did the Nabob Yizeer, in spite of his professions of 
attachment and good faith, exhibit strong symptoms 
of a disposition to favour the rebellious Zemeendar, but 
the whole of his family were evidently enlisted in the 
same cause. Besides this, a large portion of the neigh- 
bouring province of Oude was in a state of positive 
insurrection ; Behar, too, was invaded by Futteh 
Shah, this prince being supplied with the means 
of carrying on his hostile operations by Cheit Singh, 
who was the secret but main spring of the extensive 
commotion which at this moment prevailed throughout 
all the provinces immediately contiguous to Benares. 
Many of the Zemeendars of Bahar had manifested a 
disposition to raise the standard of rebellion, and even 
the Company’s subjects were reported to have thrown 
off their allegiance, and to have enlisted under the 
banners of the enemy. Mr. Hastings was almost en- 
tirely without money or supplies, and, to add to the 
political perplexities of his position, all the troops 
within the fortress of Chunar were four months in 
arrear ; so that he thus found himself at once sur- 
rounded by ferocious enemies, treacherous allies, and 
discontented friends. 
In truth, nothing could exceed the perplexity of the 
Governor-General at this trying moment without 
money to pay the troops, who were everywhere mur- 
muring and evincing symptoms of mutiny, for they 
were really suffering the greatest privations in conse- 
