142 Memoirs of the late Licutenunt-colonel John M ordaunt. { March !, 
bemg sent off from his highmesses fore- 
court, the barber was carried more dead 
than alive, at a prodivious rate to Polier- 
gurge, distant about five miles from the 
eity of Lucknow. 
Mordaunt was httle acquainted with 
the sinall sword, but was an excellent 
marksman, either with ball or small shot. 
With the latter he searcely ever was seen 
te miss, and E have known him to come 
eff winner when he has wagered to kill 
twenty snipes in as many shots, although 
he missed one bird, he made up for #t by 
kilhng two that were sprung at the same 
moment, and which, flying across each 
ether’s directions, were shot at the point 
of intersection. He was one of three 
who, during one day, in the year 1786, 
shot such a quantity of game, chiefly 
snipes and teal, as loaded a small boat 
which conveyed the birds from Gow- 
gautchy to Calcutta. His favourite 
sport was tyger shooting, m which he was 
often very successful ; being vigorous, 
spirited, and expert ; all which qualifica- 
tions are indispensabty requisite m that 
noble branch of the chace. 
With respect to his use of a pistol, it 
was wonderful! I have often competed 
with him, but without the smallest chance 
of winning; he has frequently laid five to 
one, though he confessed I sometimes 
trod close on his heels. I have, more 
than once, seen him hit a common brass 
headed najj at fifteen yards; and I 
would always have wagered on_his side, 
when the’ object was an inch in dia- 
meter! 
A curious circumstance happened to 
him while at Lucknow. An officer had 
taken cfence at something he had said, 
and talked much of calling him to an 
account. He went to Nordhants with 
a triend, and there detailed the cause of 
his visit, in termas not cloathed in all the 
politeness the dictionary could have 
helped him to. - He was heard very pa- 
ent! y, and after a very skort expla- 
nation, found himself to be in the wrong. 
Mordaunt convinecd him of his error, 
and reprimanded him for his manner of 
delivering himself on the occasion. After 
the matter was coneluded, and they 
were perfeetly reconciled, [happened to 
drop m-to take a few shots, when the 
‘ebiity displayed by Mordaunt made his 
visitor look pale; he afterwards coniessed 
to me, that 1t was well all was settled. 
Yet, strange to say, when a few years 
after, Mordaunt and another gentleman 
engaged in a quarrel of a very serious 
nature, with a third, whom they had ac< 
cused of some improper conduct at cards, 
he ‘missed his adversary, who,. on the 
other hand, wounded both Mordaunt 
and his friend desperately. This was 
not owing to agitation, but as Mordaunt 
expressed, in very curious terms, at the 
moment of missing, te the pistol being 
too highly charged. 
While ‘speaking of cards, E must again 
state, that he was acquainted with ali the 
ordivary tricks m the shuffling, cutting, 
aud dealing way. Of this an instance 
is well known. Mordaunt observed, 
that one of his adversaries, at whist, was 
remarkably fortunate im his own deals ; 
and, as he was rath¢r a suspicious cha- 
racter, thought it-needful to watch him. 
When Mordaunt came to.deal, he gave 
himself thirteen trumps! This excited. 
the curiosity of all, but particularly of 
the gentleman in question, who was 
very ported in his observations on the 
sin solarity of the case ; Mordaunt briefly 
said, “Sir, this was to show that you 
should not "Have all the fun to yourself,” 
aud, rising from his seat, left the black- 
lez to raminate on the obvious neces- 
sity of quitting India! Here, however, 
Mordaunt’s goodness of heart was pre- ~ 
valent; for he obtained a promise from 
the whole party to keep the seeret, pro- 
vided the offender instantly left. the 
country; which he accordingly did by 
the first conveyance. 
With respect to the ordinary rules of 
avithmetic, no man could be more igno- 
rant than ‘Mordaunt ; at least he never 
shewed the least knowledge of any thing 
relating thereto. He kept no books, but 
all his money concerns were on scraps, 
and under terms and figures intelligible 
only to himself. We had many extensive 
claras on the Nabob, and he had m- 
mense losses and gains to register in the 
T,0,U, way. Yet, even the most intr 
cate cases never puzzled him; and, at 
settling tunes, he was rarely, if ever, 
found to be in error. This was one of 
the points iv which he was apt to be 
peremptory; for no sooner did he hear 
a claim stated, which did not tally with 
his own peculiar mode of aceounting, 
than he condemned it, in round terms, 
and would scarcely hear the attempt te 
substantiate, what he so oa de- 
ied, 
ft was well known that fhe evil ar= 
range the carés decording to his pleasure, 
yet such was the gerieral, T may say une 
versal opinion of bjs honour, that ne 
