e therefore
informed the Nabob of this proposal, and, if the matter is to be reduced
to a search, he will go himself, with such people as he may possess for
information, together with the prisoners; and when in possession of the
ground, by _punishing the prisoners_, or by such _other means as he may
find most effectual_ to forward a successful search upon the spot, he
will avail himself of the proposal made by the Bhow Begum."

XLVI. That, probably from the Nabob's known and avowed reluctance to
lend himself to the perpetration of the oppressive and iniquitous
proceedings of the representative of the British government, the
scandalous plan aforesaid was not carried into execution; and all the
rigors practised upon the chief ministers of the ladies aforesaid at
Lucknow being found ineffectual, and the princess mother having declared
herself ready to deliver up everything valuable in her possession, which
Behar Ali Khan, one of her confidential ministers aforesaid, only could
come at, the said change of prison was agreed to,--but not until the
Nabob's mother aforesaid had engaged to pay for the said change of
prison a sum of ten thousand pounds, (one half of which was paid on the
return of the eunuchs,) and that "she would ransack the _zenanah_
[women's apartments] for kincobs, muslins, clothes, &c., &c., &c., and
that she would even allow a deduction from the annual allowance made to
her for her subsistence in lieu of her jaghire."[71]

XLVII. That, soon after the return of the aforesaid ministers to the
place of their imprisonment at Fyzabad, bonds for the five thousand
pounds aforesaid, and goods, estimated, according to the valuation of a
merchant appointed to value the same, at the sum of forty thousand
pounds, even allowing them to sell greatly under their value, were
delivered to the commanding officer at Fyzabad; and the said commanding
officer did promise to the Begum to visit Lucknow with such proposals as
he hoped would secure the _small balance_ of fifteen thousand pounds
remaining of the unjust exaction aforesaid.[72] But the said Resident,
Middleton, did, in his letter of the 17th of the said month, positively
refuse to listen to any terms before the final discharge of the whole of
the demand, and did positively forbid the commanding officer to come to
Lucknow to make the proposal aforesaid in the terms following. "As it is
not possible to listen to _any_ terms from the Begums before the final
discharge of