9* HINDOOS T A N,’ 
to prevent a furprife, he fuddenly returned with a rein¬ 
forcement from the country, retook the city, and either 
cut in pieces or drove into their fort all the Englilh, who 
had been only four hours in pofieffion of the place. The 
Englifh, dilheartened by this difafter, did not now think 
themfelves able to defend their fort againlt the Indians ; 
for which reafon they left it, with a defign to retreat into 
the territories of a neighbouring nabob ; but, being pur- 
fued by a fuperior force, they were all either killed or 
taken. 
This aft of perfidy, for fuch it certainly was, the na¬ 
bob repaid by another, viz. llaughtering the deputies 
who had been fent him by the council of Calcutta, to 
treat about a new agreement with regard to commercial 
affairs. They fet out from Mongheer on the 24th of 
June, having been unable to bring Meer Coffim to any 
terms; and, though he furnifhed them with the ufual 
paflports, yet, as they were palling the city of Muxada- 
bad, they found themlelves attacked by a number of troops 
affembled for that purpofe on both Tides of the river,'whofe 
fire killed feveral gentlemen in the boats. Mr. Amyatt, 
the chief of the embaffy, landed with a few fepoys, 
whom he forbade to fire, and endeavoured to make the 
enemy’s troops underftand that he was furnifhed with 
the nabob’s paflports, and had no defign of committing 
any hoftilities ; but, the enemy’s horfe advancing, home 
of the fepoys fired, notyvitliftanding Mr. Amyatt’s orders 
to the contrary. On this a general confufion enfued, and 
Mr. Amyatt, with moft of the fmall party who attended 
him, were cut in pieces. 
Thele afts of treacherous hoffcility were foon followed 
by a declaration of war; and Meer Jaffier, notwithftand- 
ing the numerous crimes formerly alleged againfl him, 
was now again proclaimed, by his perfecutors, nabob of 
Bengal. On this occafion, the fervants of the company 
■were likened to the two brothers at the court of Delhi, 
who, “when they had fet up one fovereign, and found 
he did not fuit their purpofe, pulled him down, and fet 
up another, like puppets in a fliow.” It was thefe ano¬ 
malies that Afterwards gave birth to a folemn inveftiga- 
tion of the company’s tranfaftions abroad, while they ex- 
sited the utmofl prejudices in the public mind at home. 
The old nabob, thus newly reinftated, was made to take 
the field in conjunftion with major Adams. The whole 
force, however, at firlt confifted only of one regular re¬ 
giment, a few of the company’s troops, two battalions 
of European cavalry, ten companies of fepoys, and twelve 
pieces of cannon. Thefe came to aftion with the enemy ; 
and, having got the better in two Ikirmillies, cleared the 
country of them as far as Caflimbuzar river, a branch of 
the Ganges, which lay between Calcutta and Muxada- 
bad, or Moorffiedabad, the old capital of Bengal. The 
war continued to be carried on with uninterrupted fuc- 
cefs pn the part of the Englilh ; nor does it appear that 
all the pains taken by Meer Coflhn to difeipline his troops, 
had made them in the lealt more able to cope with the 
Europeans. The Englifh were buffered to pafs the river 
without opposition; but an army of ten thoufand Hin¬ 
doos were advantageofly polled between the river and the 
city. Thefe were entirely defeated, and major Adams 
pulhed on direftly for the capital. In his way he found 
the enemy ftrongly polled with entrenchments fifteen feet 
high, and defended by a numerous artillery. This ftrong 
poll was taken by ftratagem; a feint being made with a 
final! body of troops againll that part where the enemy 
had collefted their greatell llrength. Thus the attention 
of the enemy was drawn entirely to that place, without 
regarding others, where no attack was apprehended. The 
greatell part of the Englilh army, however, had in the 
night-time marched round the Indian fortification, and 
by day-break made a furious aflault on a place where 
there was only a flight guard. Thefe inllantly fled ; the 
entrenchments were abandoned 5 and Moorffiedabad, which 
was protefted only by them, fell of courfe into the hands 
off the conquerors, 
The defeated army fled without halting till they reached- 
the brook of Oodwah, on the banks of which they again 
threw up ftrong entrenchments. Meer Coffim now fent; 
his women and treafures for fecurity to the fort of Rho- 
tas, and prepared to march in perlon to Oodwah from 
Mongheer. As he was naturally prone to Ihed blood, he 
refolved on the daughter of feveral perfons, whom he had 
imprifoned on fufpicion of their fidelity. The principal 
of thefe were the rajahs Ramnarain, Raujeboolub, Ameed 
Ram, Futteh Sing, and feveral principal zemindars. AH 
thefe he put to death ; and it is laid, the firft was drowned 
with a bag of fand. tied round his neck. The Englilh. 
captives taken at Patna, and feized in different places, 
were now confined more ftriftly. At this time, Meerza 
Nujeef Khan, who had fled from the perfecution of his 
relation Sujah ul Dowiah, the Mogul vizier, came to offer 
his fervices, with liis followers j which Meer Coffim 
gladly accepted, and lent him to join the army at Oodwah. 
Thefe, confiding in the llrength of their works, were im- 
merfed in lloth and pleafure, felf-fecure from the attack 
of an enemy, but too cowardly to oiler battle. Meerza. 
Nujeef Khan ffiortly after his arrival at the camp, willing, 
to deferve the favour of Meer Coffim, having felefted a, 
band of troops in whom he could, confide, ilfued in the 
night from the entrenchments, and fording a piece of water 
in the rear of the Englilh camp, where Meer Jaffier’s tents 
were pitched, attacked him about'day-break. Meer Jaffier 
fled to his boats ; but his allies, coming fpeedily to his af- 
fiftance, repulfed Nujeef Khan ; who, however,-frequently 
alarmed them by fimilar attacks. Thefe occafioned the 
Englifh to endeavour to explore the way by which he 
came upon them, but for fome time in vain. At length, 
a deferter from their camp, having obferved the route of 
Nujeef Khan, purfued it; and, fording the lake, placed 
Hakes to mark the paflage. Reaching the camp of Jaffier 
and the Englilh, he communicated the difeovery he had 
made, and offered himfelf as the guide to furprife the ene¬ 
my. Scaling-ladders being prepared on the night fixed 
for the attack, the grenadiers of the army, putting their 
cartouch-boxes on their heads, began to ford the lake. 
It was agreed, that, on their afeending the entrenchments, 
a port-fire fhould be lighted, as a fignal to the camp, when 
an attack was alio to be made on a bridge over the brook 
of Oodwah. The grenadiers, after a difficult march of 
near a mile up to the wailt in water, gained the Ihore un¬ 
der the entrenchments. The .guards, depending on the 
improbability of an enemy’s eroding the lake, were afleep j 
and the Englilh, mounting the walls by their ladders, en¬ 
tered the camp. At this moment, a trumpeter, awaking* 
difcovered them ; but was difpatched by a bayonet be-: 
fore he could found an alarm. They lighted their port¬ 
fire, and rulhed upon the lleeping guards. At the fame; 
inftant, the Englilh from the camp attacked the bridge, and 
made a heavy difeharge of cannon and howitzers. The 
grenadiers commenced a rapid firing within, with prodi- ' 
gious daughter. The enemy were too much confufed to- 
refill them, and every one tried only to effeft his efcape 
from between two fires, the Englilh troops having now? 
forced the bridge, and entered on that fide. Malkaur 
and Sumroo had fied with their battalions on the firft 
alarm, and differed little lofs; but numbers of the other 
troops were killed by the lire of the Englilh, and many 
drowned in eroding the brook in their flight. Affud 
Oollah Khan, and Meerza Nujeef Khan, fled to the hills,. 
All the plunder of the camp fell into the hands of the- 
victors, with little lofs on their fide. 
The intelligence of this defeat plunged Meer Coffim 
into defpair. He privately hallened to Mongheer, and 
was followed by his army the next day in great diforder. 
At Mongheer, he remained a few days to lecure his ef- 
fefts, and revive the exhaulled fpirits of his troops.. At 
this time Ali Ibrahim Khan advifed him to rfteafe the 
Englilh prifoners, and permit them to join their friends, 
as a means of foftening their refentment ; and which per¬ 
haps might lead to a conference for peace j but Meer Cof- 
