lars of our converfation I do not exactly remember: I can only relate the fubftance of it. He profeffed much concern to hear that I was dif pleafed with him, and contrition for having given cause for it, affuring me that his Zemidarry and all that he poffeffed were at my devotion: he expreffed his fears of Ooffaun Sing, who had been fome days in my fuite, and of the intrigues of his relations; and he accompanied his words by an action either ftrongly expreffive of the agitation of his mind, or his defire to imprefs on mine a conviction of his fincerity, by laying his turban on my lap. I replied, that I had not seen Ooffaun Sing, nor concerned myself about him, nor fhould I defcend to be a party in his family disagreements; that my business was with him, and with him only: that what he heard, or might have conjectured of my displeasure, was true; and I entered into a full difcuffion of the causes of it; that I had been already once deceived by his oaths and proteftations, and should not fuffer my purpose to be changed, or my duty to be over-ruled, by any verbal conceffions or declarations, which were made with little coft, and for the observance of which I had no pledge nor warrant to credit them. He pleaded his inability to answer my charges against him, admitted that he was in every respect faulty, but defired that I would forget the past, and form

(4)

my opinion of him. on his future behaviour: I declined any further conversation on the subject, and he took his leave.

N

As the preceding conversation was accidental, and made no part of the plan which I had concerted in my own mind for my conduct with the Rajah, I kept no minutes of it, nor fhould have thought it deserving of a place in this naṛrative, but for the weight which he has fince given to it, and that it might not be imputed to me as a defigned fuppreffion, if I made no mention of it, I fhall proceed to relate the subjects to which it alluded, and add the purposes which I had in contemplation concerning them,

On the first intelligence of the war with France, in July, 1778, it was refolved in Council, that Rajah Cheit sing fhould be required to contribute an extraordinary fubfidy for the expence which this new exigency had imposed on our Government; and the fum was limited to five Lacks of Rupees for the current year. After many excuses, and proteftations of inability, he at length confented, with a very ill grace, to the payment, and with a worse discharged it. The next year the fame demand was repeated, and he attempted in like manner to elude it, affecting to borrow money in fmall fums, and to fell his plate

plate and jewels to raise the fum; nor was it paid at laft till he had reduced the board to the extremity of ordering two battalions of Sepoys to the neighbourhood of Ramnagur, and quartering them upon him, with their pay charged to his account, until the whole payment was completed.

Early in the following year, about the month of May, he deputed Lalla Saddanund, who was his buxey and the confidential manager of his affairs, on a private commiffion to me, to folicit my forgiveness for his past conduct, and to give me affurances, confirmed by oath, of his future fubmiffion to the orders of my government, and compliance with my advice. I accepted his excuses, and promised him an oblivion of all that had paffed exceptionable in his conduct, and my future protection and every good office in my power, fo long as he adhered to his profeffions: requiring only as the pledge of their fincerity, that he would immediately notify his ready and unreserved consent to the demand which would be made upon him, this being the period for it, of the fubfidy for the current year, and that he would ufe no delay in difcharging it. I at the fame time explained to Saddanund the nature of the demand, its conformity to the customs of all States in times of extraordinary emergency, and affured him that, though he muft expect a repetition of it every year fo long as the war lafted,

yet

4

T

yet it could not be justly drawn into a precedent for enacting an encrease on his regular and ftipulated rent; and fo far as it could depend upon me, I gave him the strongest affurances, and I believe very folemn affeverations, that it fhould not. Saddanund vowed the fulleft obedience on the part of his master: the demand was accordingly made; and the Rajah answered it with a liberal and unreferved declaration of his acquiefcence. I expected the immediate payment of the whole fum according to his engagement, and I placed a reliance upon it fo far as to define the appropriation of it to the fupport of the detachment, which was then acting in the Province of Malva, under the command of Lieut. Col. Camac, not apprehending any policy which could warp. him from the strong obligation of fuch an engagement, and from the evident intereft which he had in fulfilling it. I was mistaken. The firft payment was made in different periods in the course of a month, amounting to about a lack of rupees; and there, as I recollect, he ftopped, and even defcended to the meanness of writing to folicit the forbearance of the remainder, that it might be included in the regular payment of the ensuing year, which was then approaching. I am not poffeffed at this time of the materials for ascertaining the dates of the demand, and of his letter written in acquiefcence of it, nor the dates and correfpondent fums of the fubfequent payments

ut

but I defire that these may be inferted by the Se-'cretary as a note to this page of the narrative*. It is fufficient to say that the demand was made, and the whole payment confequently due, in July, that it was not until the month of October, nor until the fame constraint was practised to comper his obedience as had been used in the preceding year, by an order for the advance of two battalions of Sepoys for that purpose, that the balance of the fubfidy, which was two lacks and a half of rupees, was discharged. In the mean time the refident received an order from the board to remit the money, as he received it, by bills to the Pay Mafter of Lieut. Col. Camac's detachment; but thefe from the latenefs of the receipts were not fent until the detachment had fuffered the extremity of distress from the want of money, and very great desertions; all which calamities I charge to Rajah Cheit Sing's account, as it is certain that my reliance on his faith, and his breach of it were the principal causes that no other provision had been made for the detachment, and that it fuffere ed fuch want in confequence.

It is with the greatest tenderness that I recur to the past diffentions in our Government; but I am