Page:History of India Vol 6.djvu/346

 280 APPENDIX chequer lands at Makhsusabad, but really to join Allah Yar Khan at the proper time. For fear that the infidels would put their families on board ship as soon as they heard of the movements of the troops, and would thus escape from destruction to the disappointment of the warriors of Islam, it was given out that the forces were marching to attack Hijli. It was accordingly arranged that Allah Yar Khan should halt at Bardwan, which lies in the direction of Hijli, until he should receive intelligence of Khwaja Sher and others, who had been ordered to proceed in boats from Sripur (Serampur) to cut off the retreat of the Europeans. It was planned that when the flo- tilla should arrive at Mohana, Allah Yar Khan was to march with all speed from Bardwan to Hugli and fall upon the infidels. Upon being informed that Khwaja Sher and his companions had arrived, Allah Yar Khan made a forced march from Bardwan, and in a night and day reached the village of Haldipur between Satganw and Hugli. At the same time he was joined by Bahadur Kambu, who arrived from Makhsusabad with five hun- dred horse and a large force of infantry. He then ha- stened to the place where Khwaja Sher had brought the boats, and he formed a bridge of boats in a narrow part of the river, between Hugli and the sea, so that ships could not get down to the sea, thus preventing the enemy from escaping. On the second of Zu-1-hijja, 1041 A. H. (1631 A. D.), an attack was made on the Europeans by the boatmen on the river and by the forces on land. An inhabited