H I N D O O S T A N. 95 
ilra thought his affairs not fo defperate as to compel him 
to an alternative To humiliating to the character of his fe¬ 
rocious mind. He therefore refolved to march with all 
his forces to Patna, and leave their fate to the refult of 
what thould happen. On his way, he put to death the 
two rich bankers, Juggutt Seet, and rajah Serroop Chund, 
and feized all their property. On his arrival near the 
city, he was overtaken by an exprefs, with intelligence 
that the enemy had marched by a different route, and 
taken Mongheer. His favage foul was not to be confined 
within him ; he burft into a paroxyfm of rage, and com¬ 
manded Sumroo inftantly to put the Englifh prisoners to 
death. This unparalleled mifcreant, who profeffed him¬ 
felf to be a Chriftian, was of obfcure parentage in the elec¬ 
torate of Treves. He entered early as a common foldier 
into the fervice of the French, taking for his nom de guerre 
Summer, which his comrades, from his faturnine com¬ 
plexion, turned into Sombre, and the Indians, by corrup¬ 
tion, into Sumroo. At length he repaired to Bengal, and en- 
lifted into one of the Swifs companies then employed at 
Calcutta ; but at the end of eighteen days deferred to 
the French at Chandernagore, where he became a ferjeant. 
Deferring this poll, he fled into the upper provinces, and 
was for fome time a private trooper in the cavalry of Suff- 
der Jung, father to Sujah ul Dowlah. This fervice he 
quitted, and led a vagabond life in different provinces; 
till, in 1760, he joined the rebel fogedarof Purnea. Upon 
his being expelled from Bengal, Sumroo left him, and en~- 
tered into the fervice of Gregory, an Armenian, diftin- 
guifned by the title of Goorgeen Khan. From him he 
had the command of a battalion of fepoys ; and after¬ 
wards obtained a fimilar poft in the army of Meer Cof- 
flm ; who now felecled him, on account of his being a 
Chrijlian, as a fit inftrument for this bloody deed. The 
execrable afiaflin, having invited the Englilli gentlemen 
to fup with him, took the opportunity of borrowing their 
knives and forks, on pretence of entertaining them after 
thfe Englifh manner. At night, when they arrived, he 
fcood at fome diftance to give his orders; and, as loon 
as the two firft gentlemen, Mr. Ellis and Mr. Lufh- 
ington, entered the room, the former was feized by the 
hair, his head pulled backward, and his throat cut by 
another. On this Mr .Lufhington knocked down the mur¬ 
derer with his lift, feized his fword, wounded one, and 
killed two, before he himfelf was cut down. The other gen¬ 
tlemen, being next attacked, defended themfelves, and even 
repulfed the fepoys, with plates and bottles. Sumroo then 
ordered thofe on the top of the houfe to fire down on 
the prifoners ; which they obeyed with reluctance, alleg¬ 
ing that they could not think of murdering them in that 
manner, but, if he would give the prifoners arms, they 
would fight them; on which he knocked feveral of them 
down with bamboos. The confequence was,7 that all the 
prifoners, amounting to about two hundred, were either 
lhot or had their throats cut. Dr. Fullerton was the only 
perfon who efcaped, having in his medical capacity at¬ 
tended upon the tyrant when indifpofed. 
The morning after this inhuman maflacre, doftor Ful¬ 
lerton was brought to the durbar in an Indian drefs ; 
when Meer Coflim, addrefling him, faid, “ How can you 
juftify treachery to friends ? You received the Englifh 
troops into your houfe, on pretence of indifpofition, to 
furprife my people.” The doftor, with much fortitude, 
replied, “ I fear not death; you have murdered my com¬ 
panions, and may kill me; but, I am innocent of the 
charge of treachery.” Meer Coflkn then fpoke kindly, 
and told him he might go to Calcutta, and apply to Mr. 
Yanfittart to grant a peace. Doftor Fullerton anfwered, 
“that after the maflacre of Mr. Amyatt, and fo many 
Englifhmen, a reconciliation was impoflible.” Upon 
which, Meer Coflim replied, that, “ fince he would not 
go to Calcutta, he might flay where he pleafed.” Dr. 
Fullerton made his escape to the Dutch faftory, crofted 
She river in a fmall boat, and joined, the Englifh troops 
Sriio were on the oppofiie fide. 
This inhumanity was far from being of any fervice to 
the caufe of Meer Coflim. Major Adams marched without 
delay from Mongheer to Patna; and, as the place was but 
indifferently fortified, it could make only a feeble refiftance. 
The cannon of the Englifh foon made a practicable breach, 
and in no longer time than eight days this great city 
was taken by ftorm. Thus the nabob was deprived of 
all his fortified places, his army reduced to a fmall body, 
and himfelf obliged to fly to Sujah ul Dowlah, nabob of 
Oude. Here he was kindly received, and an afylum 
promifed for his perfon, but admittance was refuted to 
liis army; nor would this prince confent at any rate to 
make his country a feat of war. The Englifh were now 
entire matters of Bengal; for, though Meer Jaffier was 
proclaimed nabob, it is not to be fuppofed that he had 
any authority farther than wliat they pleafed to allow him. 
Major Adams did not long furvive the con-queft of Patna, 
which was taken on the 6th of November 1763 ; he died 
in the month of March 1764. 
Meer Coflim being thus driven cut, an agent was fent 
from Calcutta to Sujah ad Dowlah, propoling an alliance 
with him, and the Mogul emperor Shah Aulum, who ftill 
remained with his vizier, not being able to recover his 
capital. It foon appeared, however, that the friendfliip 
of the Englifh was not what Sujah ad Dowlah and the 
Mogul emperor defired. The vizier confidered them as 
rapacious ufurpers, who, having got a footing in the 
country under pretence of commerce, could be fatisfied 
with nothing lefs than the entire poffeflion of it, to the 
ruin of the natural inhabitants. In, the beginning of 
February 1764, therefore, it was known that Sujah ul 
Dowlah had determined toaflift Meer Coflim in attempting 
to recover Bengal. The prendent and council on this 
wrote him, “ that, though they heard fuch a report, they 
could not believe it, confidering the former conneftions 
which had fubfifted between him and the chiefs of the 
company, and were perfuaded he would not aft in fuch 
an unjuft manner t but if it really was his intention to 
efpoufe the caufe of Meer Coflim, they were refolved to 
keep Bengal free from troubles, and carry the war into 
the dominions of Sujah ul Dowlah himfelf.” To this the; 
nabob replied, by enumerating the many favours con¬ 
ferred on the Englifh by the "Mogul emperors: “ Not- 
withlianding thefe, (fays he,) you have interfered in the 
king’s country, poffelfed yourfelf of diftrifts belonging to 
the government, and turned out and eftabliflied nabobs 
at pleafure, without the confent of the imperial court. 
Since you have imprifoned dependants on the court, and 
expofed the government of the king of kings to contempt 
and difhonour; fince you have ruined the trade of the 
merchants of the country, granted proteftion to tSte king’s 
rebellious fubjefts, injured the revenues of the imperial 
court, and crufhed the inhabitants by afts of violence; 
and fince you are continually fending frefh people from 
Calcutta, and invading different parts of the royal domi¬ 
nions ; to what can all thefe wrong proceedings be attri¬ 
buted, but to an abfolute difregard to the court, and a 
wicked defign of feizing the country to yourfelves ? If 
thefe difturbances have arifen from your own improper 
defires, defift from fuch behaviour in future ; interfere not 
in the affairs of the government; withdraw your people 
from every part, and fend them to their own country; 
carry on the company’s trade as formerly, and confine 
yourfelves to commercial affairs.” 
The Englifh council, feeing that neither the vizier nor 
the emperor would lillen to terms of accommodation,, 
iffued orders to major Heftor Munro, who fucceeded to 
the command of major Carnac, to march againll the ene¬ 
my’s troops cantoned at Buxar, The vizier, informed of 
his march, detached a body of Mogul horfe to harafs his 
line; but the main army remained in cantonments, ftrongly 
defended by intrenchments, which the vizier hoped would 
fecure him from the enemy till they fhould be obliged to 
retire for frefh fupplies. At length major Munro arrived,, 
and encamped on the border of a niorafs, which now 
a. divic||t& 
