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124 “The day on which one single Englishman will flee before the Indian,” said Amyatt, “that very day the hope of establishing British Empire in India will be gone.”

“If we should move our boats from here the Mussalmans would think we took fright and ﬂed. Better face death standing here, but never ﬂee in fear. But Foster is ill, he cannot die ﬁghting, therefore, let him shift to the Residency. Let the Begum and her companion be transferred to his boat with two sepoys to escort them. It is not right for them to remain in the place of action.”

When the sepoys were ready, everyone took his post according to Amyatt’s order under cover of the boat. Holes are easily found in the wicker covering of a boat. Each sepoy sat with a musket at his hole. Dalani and Kulsam got into Foster’s boat according to Amyatt’s orders. Under the escort of the two sepoys Foster set sail to his boat. Mahammad Taqui’s sentries saw it and forthwith went to inform him.

On hearing this and the time for the Englishmen’s arrival having expired, Mohammad Taqui sent a footman to accompany them to his place. Amyatt sent back word to say that for certain reasons he was not willing to leave his boat.

After having gone a little way from the boat, the footman ﬁred a blank cartridge. Along with that ﬁring ten or twelve muskets roared from the bank. Amyatt found that bullets were pouring on his boat and in some places they had penetrated it. Then the English sepoys replied. The guns of the combatants discharged at one another, produced a terriﬁc detonation. Both parties were ﬁghting under cover. The Mussalmans lay concealed behind the houses and other protections on the bank; the Englishmen and their sepoys were hidden in their boats. In such