Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/164

156 Nazir-jing, who had the day before ratified his treaty with Mr. Dupleix, and sent it to Pondicherry, gave no credit to those who first reported to him that his camp was attacked by the French troops: when convinced of it, the majestic ideas in which he had been educated, together with some degree of natural courage, did not suffer him to apprehend any danger from such a handful of men, and calling their attack "the mad attempt of a parcel of drunken Europeans," he ordered the officers who were near him to go and cut them to pieces, and at the same time ordered the head of Murzafa-jing to be struck off and brought to him. Messengers arrived every minute to inform him of the progress which the French troops were making; and on enquiring what dispositions were made by the different Nabobs and chiefs who followed his standard, he was told, that the troops of Cudapah, Canoul, Candanore, of Mysore, together with 20,000 of the Morattoes, were drawn up in order of battle, but had not yet advanced to repulse the French. Enraged at this inaction of so large a part of his army, he mounted his elephant, and accompanied by his body-guard, advanced toward these troops; and the first he came to were these of Cudapah, whose Nabob was at their head. Nazir-jing rode up to him, and told him, that he was a dastardly coward, who dared not to defend the Mogul's standard against the most contemptible of enemies. The traitor replied, that he knew no enemy but Nazir-jing, and at the same time gave the signal to a fusileer, who rode with him on the same elephant, to fire. The shot missed, on which Cudapah himself discharged a carabine, which lodged two balls in the heart of the unfortunate Nazir-jing, who fell dead on the plain. His guards were struck with so much dismay at this sudden assassination, that few of them attempted to revenge it, and these few were soon dispersed, or cut down. The Nabob of Cudapah then ordered the head to be severed from the body, and hasted away with it to the tent of Murzafa-jing, concerning whose safety he had no anxiety; having engaged in the conspiracy the officer to whose care the confinement of this prince had been entrusted: he found him freed from the fetters which he had now worn seven months, and hailing him Soubah of the Decan. presented to him, as a confirmation of the