132
Arabs in an insolent tone told them that they had not paid for some articles got from the villagers. This exasperated the officers, but they did not give outward expression to it in any way, and like the good and reasonable men that they were they explained away the unfounded charge, when one of the Arabs drew a sword and the other produced a pistol and assaulted them and would have caused them more grievons bodily injury than they did sustain, but for their strength and the help rendered by their servants, one of them had the remarkable courage to flee away at the sight of the sword. So runs the complainants version—a version which one cannot help accepting with a big grain of salt considering that some men, Arabs though they he, do not draw swords and level pistols at one without the least provocation. Out of these "incidents" arose the case, the Arab assault case, in which judgment has recently been delivered. General Campbell found the accused guilty of causing grievous hurt to Lieutenants Sexton and Brewster and sentenced them each to five years' rigorous imprisonment on Saturday last.
The ceremony of betrothal or the mangani as it is called here, between the eldest sister of the Nizam and the Nawab Imaum Jung Bahadur, the elder son of the Nawab Sir Kurshedjah Bahadur, began the day before yesterday and comes to a close this evening. On the 1st instant, Sir Kurshedjah Bahadur accompanied by the Nawabs Zaffer Jung and Vicar-ul Umra went on foot with all his retinue to the Chan Mahala Palace and presented the Nizam the usual nazur of about 120 gold mohurs, if I am rightly informed, and it was accepted—the acceptance signifying His Highness's willingness to give his sister in marriage to the person for whom her hand had been solicited. Yesterday the bridegroom's party paid a visit to the Palace; this evening the bride's party return the visit; and this closes the ceremony. The marriage itself is expected to come off in November, and that it will be characterised by great pomp and magnificence, goes without saying.
