Page:Lord Amherst and the British Advance Eastwards to Burma.djvu/197

Rh wives have declared their intention of burning themselves with him on his funeral pile. Nobody believes this as regards Baiza Bái.'

On February 6, 1827, they encamp near Firozpur. 'The Nawáb and his four sons came out to meet us with a troop of irregular horse, and a few native infantry, a venerable fine-looking old man. In the evening Lord Amherst held a Darbár.' On the next evening they dined with the Nawáb, and were much pleased with his manners and extreme civility.

This is the nobleman who, about two years before, was nearly murdered in his house at Delhi by men suborned by the Rájá of Alwar. We have told the whole story elsewhere.

Lady Amherst gives a striking account of the death of Sindhia which Major Stewart, the Resident at his Court, had sent to Lord Amherst. Major Stewart, answering a summons to the palace, found it surrounded by a great crowd of the townspeople. Inside the apartments were filled by all the principal persons about the Court:—

'Sindhia was terribly changed; he held out his hand and whispered, for his voice was almost gone. He had not named a successor, but said there were two or three boys he would like to adopt that one might set fire to the funeral pile. Major Stewart, seeing him faint, asked if he had anything else to say: he answered, "A great deal," but had not strength to speak. Then Major Stewart retired for a little. Suddenly he heard screams, the lamentations of women, and cries without, indicating that Sindhia had breathed his last. When Major Stewart returned he found