“To return to my journey and my adventures.  I now found myself outside of Bengal and in sight of the mountains of Tibet, a month having elapsed since my departure from Dacca.  I was only two or three days distant from these mountains, and my intention, as thou hast seen above, was to go there; but I was prevented by the murmurs of my people, especially the boatmen, who already began to desert in small parties.  Accordingly I accepted an offer made me on the part of the Raja of Sahibgunj, to give me a site for a fort, and to aid me with everything I might want.  I descended the river again for a little, and near this site, which was on the river bank, I commenced a fort, but the thickness of the forest forced me to abandon it, and I entered a little river close by, which conducted me to a marsh, on the borders of which I found an elevated site admirably situated and in a very agreeable neighbourhood.[138] This belonged to the same Raja, and with his consent I again set to work, and that with such promptitude that in less than a month my fortress commenced to take form, and visibly progressed owing to the extraordinary efforts I made to complete it.  It was triangular, with a bastion at each angle.  At two of the angles I had found superb trees with very heavy foliage, and on the third I erected the mast of my boat and hoisted our flag.  All three bastions had four embrasures, a fine entrance gate opening on the marsh, and a little open turret above, A small entrance gate led to the open country.  The curtains were carefully pierced for musketry, and strengthened outside with a trellis work of bamboo, and finished off with banquettes on the ramparts.  An excellent powder magazine was built in the same way, and, being situated in the interior of the fort, was quite safe from any accident.

“As I had brought workmen of all kinds with me, the work went on well, especially as the care of our health made us all industrious.  I was not without cannon, and I mounted on our ramparts two Swedish guns, which afterwards proved our safety and preservation.[139] Also being provided with the requisites for making gunpowder, I very soon had nearly 3000 lbs. weight of very good quality.

“Hardly anything remained to complete my fortress, which I had named ‘Bourgogne,’ except to provide it with a glacis.  It was already furnished with a market which was sufficiently flourishing, when to my misfortune I received the false information that our forces, which were said to be considerable, were ready to enter the Ganges, and that there was certain news of the arrival of a very strong squadron at Pondicherry.[140] On the 8th September there broke out at Purneah, and in the province of that name, a Evolution headed by a person named Hazir Ali Khan,[141] who, having seized the capital, at once wrote to me to join him, and assist him against the English and Jafar Ali Khan.[142]

“These two events made me stop everything