been raised, on the private credit of Mr. Johnson and myself, from
the shroffs of this place, to whom we are at this moment pledged
for many lacs of rupees; and without such aid, which I freely and
at all hazards yielded, because I conceived it was your anxious
desire to relieve the Nabob as soon as possible of this heavy
burden, the establishment must have been at his charge to this
time, and probably for months to come, while his resources were
strained to the utmost to furnish jaidads for its maintenance to
this period. I therefore hesitate not to declare it utterly
impossible for him, under any circumstances whatever, to provide
funds for the payment of the troops you now propose to send him.

"The wresting Furruckabad, Kyraghur, and Fyzoola Khân's country
from his government, (for in that light, my dear Sir, I can
faithfully assure you, he views the measures adopted in respect to
those countries,) together with the resumption of all the jaghires,
so much against his inclination, have already brought the Nabob to
a persuasion that nothing less than his destruction, or the
annihilation of every shadow of his power, is meant; and all my
labors to convince him to the contrary have proved abortive. A
settled melancholy has seized him, and his health is reduced beyond
conception; and I do most humbly believe that the march of four
regiments of sepoys towards Lucknow, under whatever circumstances
it might be represented, would be considered by him as a force
ultimately to be used in securing his person. In short, my dear
Sir, it is a matter of such immediate moment, and involving,
apparently, such very serious and important consequences, that I
have not only taken upon me to suspend the communication of it to
the Nabob until I should be honored with your further commands, but
have also ventured to write the inclosed letter to Colonel Morgan: