Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/41

Book VI. the revenues of the countries lying to the west of the river Hughley. He likewise enabled them to form a bridge of boats at Cutwah, and having procured some pieces of artillery, and some European deserters to man them, he built two floating batteries to defend the bridge, stationing one on each side. Thus prepared, as soon as the rainy season was passed, they crossed again into the island, by which time Allaverdy had augmented his army by levies made in Behar to 50,000 men, of whom 20,000 were cavalry, and of these one half were Pitans. The enemy's detachments, nevertheless, trusting to the hardiness and activity of their horses, carried their ravages to the furthermost parts of the island, and eluded the troops sent by Allaverdy to intercept them, who at length took the better resolution of marching with his whole force towards their bridge at Cutwah; on which Baschir Pondit recalled all his parties; and the whole army re-crossed the river, but in such a hurry that they neglected to break the bridge. Their rear had scarcely passed before the van of Allaverdy 's army arrived, but the fire of the floating batteries obliged them to halt until their artillery came up, which soon silenced the enemy's; when the Nabob's troops crouding in greater numbers than the bridge could support, some of the boats sunk, and a thousand men perished: it however was soon repaired, and the whole army crossed; but the Morattoes still continued to avoid every encounter. At length Allaverdy, despairing of striking a decisive blow against such an enemy, offered to treat; but Baschir Pondit, elated with this condescension, repeated the same terms as he had proposed at Burdawan, and added to them that the son of Suffraze Khan should be placed in the Nabobship. Allaverdy, stung by this reproachful proposal, formed a design of circumventing" his enemies, in contempt of all respects divine or human.

Pretending to be very solicitous of peace, he proposed a personal conference with Baschir Pondit; who, suspecting the good faith of his professions, did not consent to the interview without taking several precautions against the treachery he feared, and even obliged Allaverdy to swear by the Koran, that he would use none. It was