Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/361

Book V. what the Bramin had declared, on which Poniapah was seized and imprisoned.

The Bramin repeated to the court of enquiry, without addition or deviation all he had declared to Mahomed Issoof: being asked, what induced him to accuse Gopinrauze, he said, that when major Lawrence had determined to put him to death, unless he discovered his accomplices, Poniapah, who was ordered to acquaint him of this resolution, advised him to accuse somebody, and asked him whether he had lately had any conversation with Gopinrauze; he replied that he had met him at the house of Peramrauze, on the evening after his return from Seringham, and that they had conversed together in prvate near a quarter of an hour, whilst a number of Sepoy officers and other persons were assembled in the house, in order to see the experiments of a conjurer, who had been sent for by his master, to discover in what manner the money was lost, for which he, the Bramin, had been confined on his return from Tanjore: upon this, Poniapah advised him to accuse Gopinrauze, and to stick to that, that would do. Peramrauze was likewise examined, and his evidence coinciding with the declaration of the Bramin, in all the points of which the Bramin had declared him to have any knowledge, Poniapah was condemned, and some time after blown off from the muzzle of a cannon. He confessed nothing; his antipathy to Mahomed Issoof arose from his jealousy of the influence which this officer had obtained in the camp, by which his own importance was much diminished. This complicated treachery shews to what dangers the affairs of Europeans in Indostan may be exposed, by not having persons of their own nation sufficiently versed in the languages of India, to serve instead, of the natives as interpreters.

The regent, in telling Poniapah that the maintenance of bis army at Seringham had not distressed his finances, dissembled the truth; for his expences had been so great, that he could hardly find money to pay his own troops, and had none to satisfy the demands of the Morattoes. This Morari-row perceiving, began to tire of the war, and desirous of some plausible pretext to break with him, demanded to be paid his arrears, which by the account he made out, amounted to a