princefs had now recourfe to negotiation; and through the mediation of the chief of the Pattialah concluded a treaty with the Seiks, by which fhe agreed to pay the fum of two lacs. of rupees, a part of which was deposited in cash, and the remainder in jewels, horses, and warlike ftores.

The impoftor however, who still had a large force, would agree to no terms but the actual furrender of the whole of the country; and though the young rajah, with a view to mollify the feverity of his demand, waited in perfon upon him, threw himself at his feet, and in terms most fubmiffive implored an abatement of his former refolve, he continued inexorable.

In this state of affairs the impoftor, who had now got poffeffion of the person of the young rajah, refused to let him return to his mother, and declared he should remain a prifoner until he complied with the terms proposed.

But Kurrum Sing, one of the chiefs who had hitherto been in the fervice of the impof

tor, now repented of his credulity, and refolved to protect the perfon of the rajah, and conduct him in fafety to his own refidence. This he refolutely effected, in fpite of every effort to the contrary, he conducted the youth to Malhere, and there left him in quiet poffeffion of his capital

This conduct excited much indignation in the impoftor, who now took upon him to cenfure the behaviour of Kurrum Sing on all occafions, and to threaten him with the vengeance of heaven for thus oppofing the views of an inspired perfon. Kurrum Sing however only waited for an opportunity to detect his hypocrify, and expofe him to the world, which fortunately foon happened.

To preferve the reputation he had thus acquired for fanctity, the impoftor, among other tricks, used frequently, at night and by ftealth, to depofit a veffel filled with sweetmeats under ground. This in the morning was produced to his followers as a prefent from the divinity, declaring at the fame time that

none should partake of the contents but such as vowed, to the utmost of their abilities, to join in the extermination of the Mooffulman, race, as enemies to their own prophet and his religion.

This farce was for a long time continued, and had ferved to imprefs the minds of his followers with the highest respect and veneration for his character, but the time was now arrived for his detection. Kurrum Sing, who was well versed in the arts and deceits practifed by fakeers* upon the vulgar, directed fome of his own people to repair privately to the place where the veffel was depofited; and after having throwu away the contents, to give a more ef fectual air of ridicule to the discovery, to replace them by a quantity of horse dung. In the morning, when as ufual the veffel was brought out, the company affembled fhewed marks of the utmost horror and astonishment.

But the pretended prophet, not difmayed by the accident, replied to their enquiries with a

* Itinerant mendicants.

fedate and unruffled countenance, that the reafon of this extraordinary change was manifeft, as the great founder of their religion had chofen this method to evince his refentment of their late impious conduct, in concluding a treaty with Mooffulmaun chiefs, who were the acknowledged enemies of their own. faith.

This harangue, however impudent, would have been attended with the defired effect, had not Kurrum Sing at that inftant stepped forth from the crowd of chiefs, by which the impoftor was encircled, and in the most public manner, accompanied with farcaftic obfervations and much levity, expofed the whole of the deceit which he had caused to be practised the preceding night.

The charm was now diffolved; the remaining chiefs, afhamed of having fubmitted to an impofition fo grofs, now abandoned him to his fate, and he was left with only about 1000 of his own people; but the peasantry of the country, who from reftleffness of fpirit are

always ready to change their rulers, ftill adhered to his interests, and having joined him in great numbers, brought with them an abundant fupply of provifions and other neceffaries.

The Rannee, without protection, was in no condition to refift; and the Seik chiefs, although they would no longer embrace the impoftor's caufe, were nevertheless unwilling to fight against him; he, therefore, soon got poffeffion of the Rannee's country, and had formed the fiege of Lodhana,* about the fame time that Mr. Thomas, as we have before related, made himself mafter of the fort of Bhaut.

It was in this fituation of her affairs, when reduced almost to extremity, that the Rannee determined to apply to Mr. Thomas for his af fiftance in expelling the impoftor from her territories. With this intention fhe dispatched a confidential fervant to his camp, who, on her part, promised him a remuneration of a lack of rupees, if he would efpoufe her caufe, and re