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bernier’s voyage to the east indies.
his affedtion, to declare to him his trouble for his misfortune, and to remonftrate to him,that the cafe was not yet defperate, confidering that there was a good army with SolimanChekouh, his fon, that he lhould go to Dehli , where he fhould find a thoufand horfein the royal {tables; and that the governor of the fbrtrefs had order to furnilh himwith money and elephants ; for the reft, that he fhould not go farther than he needsmuft ; that he would often write to him; and laftly, that he very well knew how tofind out and chaftife Aureng-Zebe.
I have been informed, that Dara was then in fuch a confufion, and funk fo low, thathe had not the power to anfwer a word to the eunuch, nor the courage to fend any oneto Chah-Jehan; but that, after having fent feveral times to Begum-Saheb, his filler,he went away at midnight, taking with him his wife, his daughters, and his grand-child Sepe-Chekouh ; and that (which is almoft incredible) he was attended with notabove three or four hundred perfons. Let us leave him in his voyage to Dehli , andftay at Agra , to confider the dexterity and craft wherewith Aureng-Zebe proceeded tomanage affairs.
He well knew that Dara, and thofe of his party, could yet place forne hopes in thevictorious army of Soliman Chekouh, and therefore he refolved to take it from him,or to make it ufelefs to him. To this end, he wrote letters upon letters to the RajaJeffeigne and to Delil-Kan, who were the chief heads of the army of Soliman Che-kouh, telling them, that there was no hope left for Dara and his party; that he hadloft the battle; that his whole army had fubmitted to him; that all had abandonedhim ; that he was fled alone towards Dehli ; that he could never efcape him, and thatorders were diftributed every where to feize on him. And as for Chah-Jehan, thathe was in a condition hopelefs of recovery ; that they lhould take good care of whatthey had to do ; and if they were men of underftanding, and would follow hisfortune, and be hi,s friends, they fhould feize on Soliman Chekouh, and bring him tohim.
Jeffeigne found himfelf perplexed enough what he fhould do, ftill much apprehend-ing Chah-Jehan and Dara, and more to lay hands upon a royal perfon, well knowingthat fome mifchief might therefore fall on him, fooner or later, even from Aureng-Zebe himfelf. Befides, he knew that Soliman Chekouh had too much courage tolet himfelf be taken after that manner, and that he would rather die in defendinghimfelf. Behold, therefore, what he at laft refolved. After having taken coun-cil with Delil-Kan, his great friend, and after they had renewed to one another theoath of mutual fidelity, he went dire&ly to the tent of Soliman Chekouh, who withgreat impatience expelled him (for he alfo had heard the news of the defeat of Dara hisfather), and had already divers times fent for him. To him he frankly difcovered allthings, fhewed him the letter of Aureng-Zebe, told him what courfe was for him totake, reprefented to him the danger he was in; that there was no reafon he fhouldtruft in Delil-Kan, or in Daoud-Kan, or in the reft of his army; but that as foon ashe could, he fhould gain the mountains of Serenaguer ; that that was the belt expedienthe could take ; that the Raja of that country, being in unacceffible places, and not ap-prehending Aureng-Zebe, would doubtlefs receive him gladly; and for the reft, hewould foon fee how things would go, and be always in a condition to come down fromthe mountains, when he fhould think good.
The young Prince underftood well enough by this kind of difcourfe, that there wasno ground to truft henceforth in this Raja, and that there was no more fafety for hisperfon ; and that the rather, becaufe he knew that DelibKhan was altogether devotedto him; and he faw well enough, that there was a aebeffity to take this courfe fuggefted.
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