(April 3rd) We waited a day for a road to be managed across a smallish, swampy rivulet heard to be ahead.[2554]
(April 4th) On the eve of Monday (25th),[2555] letters were written and sent off in answer to those brought by the Hindūstānī footman of ‘Abdu’l-‘azīz.
The boat I got into at Monday’s dawn, had to be towed because of the wind. On reaching the ground opposite Baksara (Buxar) Fol. 366b.where the army had been seated many days last year,[2556] we went over to look at it. Between 40 and 50 landing-steps had been then made on the bank; of them the upper two only were left, the river having destroyed the rest. Ma‘jūn was eaten after return to the boat. We tied up at an ārāl[2557] above the camp, set the champions to wrestle, and went on at the Bed-time Prayer. A year ago (yīl-tūr), an excursion had been made to look at the ground on which the camp now was, I passing through Gang swimming (? dastak bīla),[2558] some coming mounted on horses, some on camels. That day I had eaten opium.
(vv. Incidents of the military operations.)
(April 5th) At Tuesday’s dawn (26th), we sent out for news not under 200 effective braves led by Karīm-bīrdī and Ḥaidar the stirrup-holder’s son Muḥammad ‘Alī and Bābā Shaikh.
While we were on this ground, the Bengal envoy was commanded to set forth these three articles:—[2559]
(April 6th) On Wednesday (27th) Yūnas-i-‘alī who had been sent to gather Muḥammad-i-zamān Mīrzā’s objections to Bihār, brought back rather a weak answer.
Dutiful letters from the (Farmūlī) Shaikh-zādas of Bihār gave news that the enemy had abandoned the place and gone off.
(April 7th) On Thursday (28th) as many as 2000 men of the Turk and Hind amīrs and quiver-wearers were joined to Muḥammad ‘Alī Jang-jang’s son Tardī-muḥammad, and he wasFol. 367. given leave to go, taking letters of royal encouragement to people in Bihār. He was joined also by Khwāja Murshid ‘Irāqī who had been made Dīwān of Bihār.
(April 8th (?)) Muḥammad-i-zamān M. who had consented to go to Bihār, made representation of several matters through