Manazil al-futuh 1.3.1

1.3.1

When the author had thus received permission, he put his horse to the gallop in company with a cousin of his own, and one attendant; and on reaching their camp, found about 30,000 infantry matchlockmen, or even more, going along with matchlocks at their backs, and naked swords in their hands. We three individuals passed through the midst of them, however, and after seizing two strings (katar) of laden camels, by which is meant fourteen of these beasts of burden, we returned again through the midst of that multitude numbering upwards of 30,000 souls, and so greatly were they inspired with terror and consternation, that they had not the power to use their weapons. Stranger still, whilst returning to our own camp, a Mahratta chief, who had been stationed in the hindmost ranks of their army, and was fleeing towards the Dakhin with six or seven thousand horse, happened to meet us three individuals. With a view to save ourselves from harm, we fired off our three matchlocks ; whereupon that force turned away from us, and proceeded in a different direction. The author, together with his two companions, took from them a couple more camels, one of which carried a kettle-drum, and the other forage ; and we re-entered our camp in safety and security just as five gharis of the night were past, at which time the glad sounds of the kettle-drums were reverberating through the ethereal sky from the army of Ahmad Sultan and the chieftains of Hindustan.