This town was garrifoned by the troops of Tarah Sing, to the amount of three thousand

men.

Mr. Thomas nevertheless refolved to storm it. The walls of the fort were twelve feet thick and thirty in height; four strong bastións, well fortified with cannon, commanding the town below, as well as the plain adjoining, it was in all respects a place difficult of access. Mr. Thomas himself, at the head of a felect body of his troops, entered nearly opposite the centre of the town; whilft Mr. Hopkins, the fon of a field officer in the Eaft India Company's fervice, now in Mr. Thomas's employ, led on his party to ftorm the castern angle. The affair was defperate; and though the town was foon fet on fire, the enemy made a brave and determined refiftance. Mr. Hopkins gallantly advancing to the attack, stormed in the quarter affigned him, though at the moment of fuccefs he was unfortunately shot through the body, and feveral other officers were killed or difabled, the enemy ftill keeping up a tremendous fire from the fort. The affair prefented a doubtful afpe&. A large

body of cavalry making their appearance without the town, Mr. Thomas's troops, though in poffeffion of the place, whether from the exceffive heat occafioned by the furrounding. flames, or the fevere fire they sustained from the enemy in the fort, were inclined to retreat. At that critical inftant Mr. Thomas, having with the greatest presence of mind brought up a fix-pounder close to the gate of the fort, by repeated difcharges almost demolished it; the enemy then gave up the conteft, and by fubmiffion faved a further effufion of blood on both fides.

The lives of the people within the fort were granted, but Mr. Thomas compelled them to pay him fifty thousand rupees.

The chief of Malhere Kotelah now thought proper to change fides; and being like other Patans, adopted the practice of his countrymen by connecting himself with the party from whom he expected to derive most advantage.

He agreed to pay Mr. Thomas a fum of

money, and moreover fent a body of troops under the command of his nephew to join him.

Kurrum Sing a Seik chief, and ruler of the diftrict of Shahabad, had for fome time been hoftile towards Mr. Thomas; and though at his first settlement he had made profeffions of friendship, very foon altered his conduct. To encourage his enmity towards Mr. Thomas, the rajah of Pattialah offered his daughter in marriage to the fon of Kurrum Sing, and their union was followed by an open declaration of

war.

The troops of Pattialah were reinforced with five thoufand Seiks. On the junction of these troops, a grand council of war was held; and it was there refolved that a general combination of the Seik chiefs fhould be formed, to expel Mr. Thomas from the country. They confidered him as a dangerous perfon, and well knew that if he was fuccefsful on the prefent occafion, they might hereafter expect the most ferious ill confequences to their tribe from his future incurfions.

Mr. Thomas, by his fpies in the enemies'

camp, received correct information of all their deliberations, but had no apprehension for the event; being well convinced, that a body of men, though ever fo numerous, being under the command of so many different leaders, each of them influenced by their own feparate intereft, were incapable of executing any plan with that degree of promptnefs which in military transactions can alone enfure fuccefs.

A circumftance now arofe that turned the fcale much in the enemy's favour.

Roy Kellaun, an independant chief on the north-western frontier of the Punjab,* and whofe revenue amounted to five lacks of rupees, had lately died, and was fucceeded by his eldest fon Roy Elias, then a youth.

The Rannee, his mother, in confequence of the tender age of her fon, thought proper to affume the reins of government; and though defirous of doing all the juftice in her power, was, from inexperience, wholly unfit to tranfact

* Consult the map.

the affairs of her country. The neighbouring Seiks, who, during the life-time of the late rajah, had, through his policy and good management, continued on friendly terms, now perceiving the unprotected state of his infant fon, joined in invading his territories; which having plundered and overrun, they foon, with the exception of a few forts (from their natural strength deemed inacceffible) brought under fubjction the greater part of the country. About this time Zemaun Shah, king of Cabul, arrived at Lahore, a city fifty cofs diftant from the young rajah's capital. This proximity induced the princefs regent to implore the affiftance of that monarch, in reinftating her fon in his authority; and for that purpose the accordingly difpatched a vakeel to Lahore.

The Sieks, whether it rofe from a dread of being attacked by Zemaun Shah, or they were apprehenfive that affiftance would be brought from another quarter, fhortly after this event. thought proper fuddenly to evacuate the country, when the peafantry returned to their alle