that would of itself yield them that annual sum at the moderate
interest of 6 per cent. The grounds alleged by him were not
considered valid, and the pargana was made over to Shams-ud-din. The
pargana now yields 40,000 rupees a year, and under good management
may yield 70,000.

At Mr. Fraser's recommendation, Amin-ud-din went himself to Calcutta,
and is said to have prevailed upon the Government to take his case
again into their consideration. Shams-ud-din had become a debauched
and licentious character; and having criminal jurisdiction within his
own estate, no one's wife or daughter was considered safe; for, when
other means failed him, he did not scruple to employ assassins to
effect his hated purposes, by removing the husband or father.[9] Mr.
Fraser became so disgusted with his conduct that he would not admit
him into his house when he came to Delhi, though he had, it may be
said, brought him up as a child of his own; indeed he had been as
fond of him as he could be of a child of his own; and the boy used to
spend the greater part of his time with him. One day after Mr. Fraser
had refused to admit the Nawab to his house. Colonel Skinner, having
some apprehensions that by such slights he might be driven to seek
revenge by assassination, is said to have remonstrated with Mr.
Fraser as his oldest and most valued friend.[10] Mr. Fraser told him
that he considered the Nawab to be still but a boy, and the only way
to improve him was to treat him as such. It was, however, more by
these slights than by any supposed injuries that Shams-ud-din was
exasperated; and from that day he determined to have Mr. Fraser
assassinated.[11]

Having prevailed upon a man, Karim Khan, who was at once his servant
and boon companion, he sent him to Delhi with one of his carriages,
which he was to have sold through Mr. McPherson, a European merchant
of the city. He was ordered to stay there ostensibly for the purpose
of learning the process of extracting copper from the fossil
containing the ore, and purchasing dogs for the Nawab. He was to
watch his opportunity and shoot Mr. Fraser whenever he might find him
out at night, attended by only one or two orderlies; to be in no
haste, but to wait till he found a favourable opportunity, though it
should be for several months. He had with him a groom named Rupla,
and a Mewati attendant named Ania, and they lodged in apartments of
the Nawab's at Daryaoganj. He rode out morning and evening, attende