A 
1799.7 
naras. Having halted a fhort time and 
collected a body of troops, they moved 
on to Suanpore, a town belonging to the 
company, on the nabob’s frontier, and 
within fix days. journey of Lucknow: 
here Vizier Ali was expected to come and 
meet them ; he did not come however ; 
negociations went on, more troops were 
afflembled, and a long delay took place ; 
at length the Britifh chiefs proceeded, 
and were met about three days march from 
Lucknow by Vizier Ali. The interview 
appeared of the moft cordial nature, full 
of proteffions of mutual friendfhip and 
efteem. The whole party entered the 
metropolis on the 22d of December, and 
had houfes afligned them by Vizier Ali: 
the army encamped in the vicinity of the 
town, and amounted .to about fix thou- 
fand men, his majeity’s 78th reriment, wear 
> x 277 § 
twelve hundred (trong, forming part of it. 
Onthe 2zoth December, the whole of 
the troops at this place marched, and on 
the 27th arrived at the grand military 
ftation of Cawnpore, where we formed 
one army with the troops there under the 
command of major general Sir James 
€raig. The whole was ordered to be in 
readinefs to move on the firing of two 
fional guns ; in the mean time every thing 
wore a peaceful afpect at Lucknow ;, 
nothing obvioully at leaft going forward 
but reciprocal vilits agd entertainments. 
Notwithitanding this, at twelve o’clock. 
at noon ofthe oth January, 7798, tie two 
fional guns were fired, and Si: James 
Craig, having before thrown an admira- 
ble bridge of boats acrois the Ganges, 
marched direftly to Lucknow,  diitant 
fifty miles, with one regiment of Euro- 
pean infantry, a thoufand fiiong: one 
regiment of native infantry, two thoufand 
ftrong ; one regiment and two troops of 
cavalry, and two complete companies of 
European artillery, with the full propor- 
sion af ordnance. Other troops had alfo 
been ordered in from other quarters,fo that 
with thofe that followed from Cavenpore, 
onthe rgth, there was affembled at Luck- 
now a Britifh army of not lefs than four- 
teen thoufand men, by tar the largeft and 
beft appointed that had ever been {een on 
ehis fide of India. 
News were foon after brought to 
Cawnpore, where I remained with ge- 
neral Stuart, that Sir John Shore having 
had intimation that Vizier Ali Khan 
had laid a plan jor affaffinating him and 
all the Britifh gentlemen in the city, he 
and: every nan, woman, and child, of 
that nation, fled from it on the night of 
the 8th January, with the utmolt preck 
Revolution at Lucknow. 
kd 
pitation and joined tne army of Sir Alu— 
red in its neighbourhood. Nothing 
could exceed the confternation of Vizier 
Ali Khan when this event was reported. 
tohim next morning. He immediately 
repaired to the governor, almoft unat~ 
‘tended, profeffed the greateft concern and 
furprize, protefted his innocence and igs 
norance, and°declared the whole to be an 
infamous contrivance of his enemies cal- 
culated to ruin him. | 
He intreated, or rather implored, Sis 
John to banith his apprehenfions, and 
to remove the intolerable anguith of his: 
mind, by returning to his habitation. 
The governor was inflexible; he then, 
went back to the city, ordered his camp 
equipage ; and with his grandmother, 
the wife of the illuftrious Sujah Dowlah, 
and mother of thelate nabob, a woman of 
high family and boundlefs ambition, a few 
confidentia! friends and fervants, in all a 
retinue of abouttwo hundred perfons, he 
returned and pitched his tents. within three 
hundred yards of the camp of the com- 
mander in chief, thusevincing that at least 
he was unfufpicious of treachery.. He ne- 
ver had any army at Lucknow, that could 
be difcovered by ordinary obtervers : 
many battalions he had, “tis true, fcat- 
tered throughout his dominions, -butit 
dces: not appear there was ever one of then: 
ordered to approach the capital. Mean- 
waile, we who remained at Cawnpore,, 
were continued under the orders of thofe 
fignal guns, andthe duties of the camp 
at Lucknow were conduéted with as 
much vigilance-and punctuality as may 
be fuppoted.to have been that of his royak 
highnefs the Duke of York, when he 
every inftant expected to be affaulted by 
the Sans-Culottes. 
I may jut here by the-way obferve, 
fer your information, that the compa- 
ny’s troops at the two fations of Cawna 
pore and Futty-ghurr are {ubfidiary, in 
the pay and in the fervice of the nabob, 
of Oude, to any part of whofe dominions 
they are obliged to move on his requifi- 
tion. J did not hear he had made any 
requifition fer their marching to Luck- 
now at this time. Vizier Afi paid daily 
vilits to Sir John, and no alteration was 
perceived in the courtefy of the manner 
with which he was received and treated, 
from what had been cuftomary. Negoci- 
ations were faid to be going on, all dif- 
ficulties removed, and. confidence reftor- 
ed, and every fucceeding day we expeét- 
ed to hear that Sir John was going to re- 
turn to Calcutta, and that the camp would 
be broken up.. « 
We 
