rounded by houfes and trees, which intercepted every other prospect. The whole force which I had left amounted to about four hundred and had left amounted to fifty men. The reports of an intended affault, which was fixed for that night, grew stronger as the day advanced. The boats on the other fide of the river were feen to be in motion, and befides the moral certainty of the real exiftence of fuch a defign, the obvious advantages which it prefented to the enemy, who had nothing left to fear and nothing else to do, precluded all hefitation, but on the choice of expedients for defeating it. There were but two; which were, to wait the danger and try the chances of repelling it, or to retreat to a place of greater fecurity, or of equal advantage for the encounter. The confined state of the place, of which any defcription will be infufficient to convey an adequate idea, rendered the first plan impracticable. We had not a force fufficient to guard all the defences of the place, nor a ftore for the provisions of a day, even for that fmall number. The only arguments for it were, the difgrace of a flight, and the confideration of our wounded fepoys, whom it might leave at the difcretion of a merciless enemy. The former confideration yielded to the fuperior weight of neceffity; the latter to the impoffibility of protecting the wounded men in either cafe, as they were quartered at the diftance

of

of near a mile from Mahoodafs's Garden; nor would it have been poffible in their condition, and in the multiplicity of preffing exigencies which the resolution to remain would have created, to remove them. Yet these confiderations held me fufpended during the whole course of the day. In the evening it became neceffary to come to a final determination, as the delay of a few hours might now preclude every option. I confulted Major Popham. He declared the defence of the place impoffible, and advised a retreat to Chunar. There were other field officers with me. I asked for their opinions feparately. They clearly and unhesitatingly agreed in the fame advice. My opinion had been determined from the inftant I received the certain information of Captain Mayaffre's defeat. I had not yet received the news of Capt, M'Dougal's march, nor any answer to the letters which I had written to Lieutenant-colonel Blair for a reinforcement, nor could I know whether thefe had reached him. I yielded to the reluctance of a few minutes. My refolution was taken and declared, and orders given to form our little corps, that we might have time to gain the open country before the enemy, having notice of the defign, could crofs and attack us at the difadvantage of the ftreets, lanes, and broken ground which we had to pass before we could reach it. These orders were 79d; b.

R

iffu

1

iffued between feven and eight o'clock, and by
eight the line was in motion, having been much
retarded and impeded by an incredible tumult of
fervants, palankeens, and baggage of every de-
nomination, which, for a time, threatened a total
obstruction to our march.
our march. Fortunately this

enormous mass took the wrong road, which left
the right with a free and undisturbed paffage for
the fepoys. On the way we paffed Captain
McDougal's battalion about nine o'clock. We
fent him timely notice of our movement; he
turned and joined us. Early the next morning
we arrived at Chunar.

It is proper to mention, that as foon as I had formed my refolution to leave Benares, I fent my Moonshy to the Nabob Saadut Ally Cawn to re commend the wounded fepoys to his care, be-. lieving that the Rajah, from a confideration of policy, would not chufe to moleft them, efpecially as he could have no motive or object to it but revenge, if he would fhew a determined refolution to protect them. The fame request I made to him in writing, after my arrival at Chunar. I owe him the justice to atteft, that he faithfully and liberally complied with my request. He visited them himself, and furnished them with provifions and with money, and appointed native furgeons to attend them; and, as they

were

were able to bear it, he caused them all to be removed to his own quarters.

Many reports and fufpicions have prevailed of his being concerned in fome of the defigns which were formed against us. I can neither credit nor refute them. The evil imputed to him is at beft doubtful. The good which he did is certain; and he is entitled to the entire merit of it.

I avail myself of this repofe in my narrative to relate another inftance of private merit in Beneram Pundit, the Vakeel or Minister of the Rajah of Berar, and his brother Biffumber Pundit. These perfons had come to pay their cuftomary attendance at my quarters about the time that the line was already on the march. They immediately joined it. Some time after I faw and spoke to them, expreffing some concern to find them in that fituation. They were on foot without a fingle fervant or attendant. I fuffered them to accompany me till we came to the plain and halted. I then thanked them for the proof which they had fhewn of their attachment, with which I was fatisfied, and defired them to return, as they had a large family in Benares, which would be expofed by their continuance with me to the refentment of Cheit Sing, and perhaps to the worst effects of it; nor

could

J

aldo STAW could they by their prefence afford me any fers vice which could repay what I myself fhould feel of compunction for fuffering them to be exposed to fuch hazards. They refused me in a peremptory manner, without compliment, or the oftentation of performing meritorious fervice, and persisted, although I as peremtorily infifted on their return. I then defired that the elder brother, who was corpulent and of a conftitu tion lefs equal to fatigue, would return, and the youngest only remain; but could not prevail. A few days after my arrival at Chunar, I cafually mentioned to them my diftrefs for provifions, which was occafioned principally by the want of money; for fuch was our total lofs of credit, that we could not raise a fufficiency even for the ordinary wants of our fmall detachment; and it was with great difficulty, and a degree of violence, that Lieutenant-colonel Blair extorted from the Shroffs of Chunar, who had lived and grown opulent under the protection of the garrifon, the fmall fum of two thousand five hundred rupees, which was diftributed among all the fepoys,, and afforded a fatisfactory relief. Beneram Pundit immediately, and with an eagerness which belonged to his character, told me, that he had a lack of rupees, in ready money, lying in his houfe at Benares, which I might titake, if I could find any means to receive and

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