He has nine guns, and a squadron of horse. Of the guns, five are on
the ground, utterly useless; four will bear firing a few rounds. For
these four he has bullocks, but they are not yet in condition. Of the
seer and half of corn, drawn for each bullock per diem, only half a
seer is given. Of the corps, more than one-half of the men are at
Lucknow, in attendance upon Court favourites; and of the half present
not one-third are fit for the work of soldiers.
The Amil rode by my side, and I asked him about the case of the
marriage-procession. "Sir," said he, "what you heard from Seoraj-od
Deen is all true. Imam Buksh had a strong fort in his estate of
Ouseyree, five miles to our right, where he had a formidable gang,
that committed numerous dacoitees and highway robberies in the
country around. I was ordered to attack him with all my force. He got
intimation, and assembled his friends to the number of five thousand.
I had not half the number. We fought till he lost seventy men, and I
had thirty killed and fifteen wounded. He then fled to the jungles,
and I levelled his fort with the ground. He continued, however, to
plunder, and at last seized the bridegroom and all the marriage
party, and took them to his bivouac in the jungles. The family was
very respectable, and made application to me, and I was obliged to
restore him to his estate, where he has lived ever since in peace.
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