1 lot
2 partisans of the deceased prince invited the ranee, his mother,
3 Chund Kour, to come as soon as possible Noth arrived on the
4 'lord day, only that Sheer Sing was rather later than the ranee,
5 who had taken her position in the interior part of the fortress:
6 and he was therefore obliged to camp in the garden (hazwree
7 hagii) outside the fortress. When both were at their respective
8 posts, the death of the royal prince was made public, and the
9 burning ceremony was ordered, which took place close to that ot
10 his grandfather. Two beautiful young ladies became victims
11 of the flames with him. One female of the age ot twelve years
12 Sheer Sing detained, owing to her not being ye' ripe tor the
13 ceremony of the suttee.
14 It would have been proper at that time to have made inquiries
15 whether the falling of the wall by which No-Nehal Sing and
16 Ootl iun Sing had been crushed, w as accidental, or a premeditated
17 machination of wicker! conspirators; hut none though; it worth
18 their while to make the inquiry, and the event was regarded a# a
19 punishment of God—the royal prince having neglected bis royal
20 father, and if he had not caused his death, had at least accelerated
21 it by his negligence.
22 The absence of investigation induced the English to believe
23 the death of No-Nehal Sing to have been n premeditated plot of
24 Dhyan Sing, who, according to their opinion, ambitious as he
25 Was, saw in the prince the only impediment and obstacle to
26 the sinister purposes which ho had in view. As ior me, having
27 lived for <>. long, time in tlmt country, an ocular witness of the
28 events, and having had the opportunity of closely observing
29 the conduct and motives of the minister, I cannot agree with
30 this assertion. Firstly, he would certainly have spared the life-of
31 his nephew Oottum Sing, whom he loved, ant 1 would have ap~
32 . pointed another Companion to the prince, and also have kept him¬
33 self somewhat farther from the place at which the accident hap¬
34 pened. He could not foresee the moment of the downfall of the
35 wall, nor calculate the distance where he might escape the ruin :
36 as a proof of which, his arm was severely contused and injured,
37 for which T myself attended him. Secondly, he would certainly