Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/167

Book II. and ran to the palace, where he was the first who announced it to Mr. Dupleix. They embraced with the agitations of two friends escaped from a shipwreck: the news was proclaimed to the town by a general discharge of the artillery; and in the evening Mr. Dupleix held a court, and received the compliments of all the inhabitants. The next day a Te Deum was sung in full ceremony, and three deputies were sent to compliment Murzafa-jing: and two days afterwards another deputation carried six costly Seerpaws; these are garments which are presented sometimes by superiors in token of protection, and sometimes by inferiors in token of homage; and with the Seerpaws was carried a white flag on an elephant, which were likewise presented. Murzafa-jing pretended to be so much pleased with the compliment of the flag, that he ordered it should in future be always displayed in the midst of the ensigns of his sovereignty. On the 15th of December at night he came to the gates with a numerous and splendid attendance, in which were most of the principal lords of his court: he was received by Mr. Dupleix and Chunda-saheb in a tent without the city; and discovered great emotions of joy in this interview. It was intended, in deference to his rank, that he should have entered the town on his elephant; but the animal was too large to pass under the beam to which the draw-bridge was suspended; whereupon he politely desired to go in the same palankin with Mr. Dupleix to the palace: here they had a private conference, in which he explained the difficulties he lay under from the pretensions of the Pitan Nabobs, and afterwards retired to the house appointed for his reception, where he was expected with impatience by his mother, his wife, and his son. The next day the three Pitan Nabobs came into the town, and desired Mr. Dupleix to determine what rewards they should receive for the services they had rendered: they demanded, that the arrears of tribute, which they had not paid for three years, should be remitted; that the countries which they governed, together with several augmentations of territory they now demanded, should in future be exempted from tribute to the Mogul government; and that one half