censured by the Bengal Government, who intended to make no more use of him politically. Too late, the discovery had at last been made that it was impolitic to attempt to thrust upon the warlike Mahrattas, a person whom the whole nation, instead of flocking to his banner, as expected during the recent expedition, viewed with general indifference and aversion. But now, therefore, that the declaration and double demands of Nana Furnavese made war inevitable, it was resolved that it should be carried on, not in the name of Ragobah, but in that of the East India Company alone; so General Goddard, on receiving his final answer from the Nana, set out for Bombay, where he arrived on the 1st of November, 1779. The object of the general's visit was two-foldto arrange the plan of future warlike operations, to urge the preparation and march of a reinforcement, and also to adjust the proposed allowance with Futteh Sing, the Guicowar of Baroda. The Council would have preferred delay, but they could not resist the urgency of the energetic Goddard. CHAPTER XXXIX. WAR WITH THE MAHRATTAS.-GODDARD TAKES THE FIELD. -DUBHOY AND AHMEDABAD CAPTURED.FIRST COMMUNICATION OVERLAND ESTABLISHED BY WARREN HASTINGS. ACCORDINGLY, a detachment of the Bombay troops, consisting of 100 European artillery, 200 European infantry, and two battalions of sepoys, under Colonel Hartley, were immediately embarked for Goojerat. From Madras, 100 artillery, 500 Europeans, and one battalion of sepoys were expected, under Colonel Brown; from Bengal, 2,000 sepoys were expected by the route overland, but failed to appear; and on returning to Surat, where the main body of his army was cantoned, General Goddard dismissed the envoys of Nana Funavese, and opened a negociation with Futteh Sing, of Baroda; but finding that prince loth to entangle himself by any definite treaty, on the New Year's Day of 1780 he put his army in motion, and crossed the river Tapti. strengthened by fifty-six towers. Between two of these was a kind of Moorish archway of great beauty, named "the Gate of Diamonds." On the 18th of January, 1780, General Goddard was before it, and by the 20th he had thrown up a battery of three eighteen-pounders within 200 yards of the walls; but the garrison was found to have evacuated the place in the night. He garrisoned it by a company of sepoys, and some irregular troops, under James Forbes, author of the "Oriental Memoirs," and pushed on in the direction of Baroda. En route he was met by the Guicowar Futteh Sing, who had been so greatly impressed by the sudden fall of Dubhoy-which was believed by the natives to be a place of great strength-that he entered into an alliance with us, offensive and defensive. By this, in addition to other advantages given to the Company, he agreed to furnish them with a body of 3,000 horse; one of the stipulations in his favour being the possession of Ahmedabad, towards which our troops at once advanced. Progressing slowly northward, till overtaken by his siege-train and stores from Broach, he then moved to attack the fort of Dubhoy, which was held for the peishwa by an officer with a garrison of 2,000 Mahrattas. This place including the remains of an ancient Hindoo city, of which there This strong and stately city, which has been is no history extant, but which was probably already described, had then a population of 100,000 abandoned because of its low and unhealthy situa- persons, and a garrison consisting of 6,000 Arab tion-had once fortifications three miles in extent, and Scindia infantry, with 2,000 Mahratta horse, with the remains of many elegant temples. In the whole being under a Brahmin officer in the 1779, it was little more than a mass of magnificent service of the peishwa. Goddard arrived before ruins, amid which dwelt a squalid population of its lofty and turreted walls on the 10th of 40,000 souls.* February; by the 12th this active officer had his batteries armed and in operation. Thus a practicable breach was effected by the evening of the 13th. Two days after, the city was won by storm: The fort formed a quadrangle of two miles in circuit, the rampart being of large hewn stones, * Forbes. but few details of the event are given. Our total loss was only 105 killed and wounded. Among the latter were twelve European officers; two of them, who were volunteers, died of their wounds. Not the least honourable part of this gallant assault was the subsequent steadiness and good conduct of the troops, as only two men not belonging to the garrison were killed.* The standard of the Guicowar had barely been displayed upon the towers of Ahmedabad, when tidings came of the approach of Mahadajee Scindia and Tookajee Holkar, with 20,000 horse, at the head of which they had forded the Nerbudda, and were now on the march to Baroda. On the 6th of March, General Goddard crossed the Mhye to do battle with them, an offer which they declined by retiring at his approach; and as a proof of his wish to stand well with us, Scindia set at liberty-to their great relief of mind, no doubt-Mr. Farmer and Lieutenant Stewart, who had been given up as hostages at Wurgaon, and who arrived in the British camp; and the reports they gave of Scindia's professions of friendship for the Company, and his hatred of Nana Furnavese, afforded some ground for a belief that he would prefer our alliance. But Goddard, suspicious that Scindia merely meant to amuse himself till the rainy season came on, broke off all negociations, and gave him only three days to consider. On the 16th of March, the envoy returned with certain terms, the substance of which were "that Ragobah should retire to Jhansi, and live on his jaghire of twelve lacs; that the government should continue in the name of Madhoo Rao Narrain as peishwa; and Bajee Rao, Ragobah's son, be appointed the peishwa's dewan." Though mentioned last, this was the most essential part of the proposed terms; Bajee Rao, a child of four years, could not act as dewan, thus Scindia would take him to Poonah and manage for him. So General Goddard replied: "That, as these proposals amounted to nothing less than that the Company should assist Scindia in acquiring the entire power of the state, it was necessary that he should, on his part, consent in the name of the peishwa to certain concessions in favour of British interests." Scindia, finding himself baffled in spinning out the negociations for months, as he had hoped, now entered into secret communication with Govind Rao, the brother of Futteh Sing, and his rival claimant for the office of Guicowar, with a view of putting him in possession of Goojerat; but on discovering this new intrigue, Goddard resolved on * Duff. immediate battle. This was no easy matter to attain, as, by the rapid movements of their cavalry, Scindia and Holkar were for many days enabled to avoid an attack. The former having placed his baggage under the protection of the hill fort of Pamonghur, threw out many patrols of fleet horsemen to alarm him in case of danger, and to obviate a surprise. Nevertheless Goddard, with a small but select portion of his forces, after being encamped quietly for six weeks near Scindia, on the morning of the 3rd of April resolved to give him an alerte. Heading his troops in person, and marching silently ere day dawned, he passed the Mahratta patrols, and even their grand-guard, or in-lying picket of some thousand men, and was pushing on for the camp, which lay a mile beyond, when dawn came in with its usual Indian rapidity; the glitter of steel was seen, and an alarm was given by the Mahratta drums. The main body of the enemy were soon in their saddles and advancing to the attack, when a heavy musketry fire from our people sent them scampering to the right-about; but General Goddard, who had been under the impression that he had won a complete victory, was rather mortified when, after encamping, he perceived the enemy still, as before, in his front. On the 14th of April, he was joined by the welcome Madras contingent, under Colonel Browne. A week subsequently, he made another attempt on the camp of the Mahrattas, who retired under a shower of rockets. Retreating in confusion to the Ghauts, the Mahrattas left Goddard undisputed master of the country between the mountains and the sea; but as the rainy season was at hand, he moved to the Nerbudda, and put.his troops in cantonments. In the meanwhile, many transactions had been taking place which were of interest, and of which but little notice has been taken in history. Among these was the alliance formed by Warren Hastings with the Rana of Gohud, a mountainous territory full of strong military positions, particularly the famous fortress of Gwalior. The rana, then described as "a chief south of Agra," by a treaty signed on the 2nd of December, 1779, was to furnish 10,000 horse for service against the Mahrattas; whenever peace took place between the Company and the latter, the rana was to be included therein, and his present possessions, with the fort of Gwalior, were guaranteed to him. On the other hand, the Company were to furnish a force for the defence of his country, on his paying 20,000 Muchildar rupees for each battalion of sepoys: ninesixteenths of any acquisitions were to go to the Company. 201 in erecting and working a press for the purpose of printing official papers, &c. The Madrissa, or Mohammedan college for the education of the natives, was established by the Government. In order to open a communication by the Red Sea with Europe, the Government built a vessel at Mocha, having been assured that every endeavour would be made to secure the privilege of despatches with the Company's seal being forwarded with facility; the trade with Suez having been prohibited to all British subjects on a complaint to the King's ministers by the Ottoman Porte." * CHAPTER XL. EXPLOITS OF CAPTAIN POPHAM.-CAPTURE OF GWALIOR.-SIEGE OF BASSEIN.-BATTLE OF DOOGAUR.—GODDARD'S DISASTROUS RETREAT, ETC. THE Bombay Government now urged General Goddard to seize Parneira, a hill fort fifteen miles north of Dumaun, which had been built in the time of Sevajee, about 150 years before. But ere this could be attempted their wishes were gratified. Gunnesh Punt, a Mahratta warrior, having set out on a plundering expedition, and ravaged the districts on the south of the Tapti river, carried his devastations to the vicinity of Surat. On this, Lieutenant Walsh, of the Bengal Cavalry, was sent out at the head of the Candahar Horse (as some of the Nabob of Oude's cavalry were designated); and this active young officer succeeded not only in surprising the camp of Gunnesh Punt, and routing his people, but in further capturing three forts in the district of Dumaun, one of them being that of Parneira. About the same time, a party of our troops under Major Forbes routed one of Scindia's detachments near Sinnore, on the Nerbudda, and cut it to pieces. The Bengal contingent which was to have followed Goddard in his rapid march to Surat having been countermanded, was employed in a different direction. In consequence of our alliance with the Rana of Gohud, it was deemed advisable to make a diversion, by operating against the Mahrattas in Malwa, by marching through his territories. Sir Eyre Coote was greatly in favour of this measure; but wished that a larger force should be employed than the detachment originally intended to reinforce Colonel Goddard. This body, under Captain William Popham, was 2,400 strong, formed into three battalions of 800 bayonets each, with a small force of native cavalry, and some European gunners with a howitzer and a few field-guns. In the beginning of February, 1780, Captain Popham crossed the Jumna, and attacked and put to flight the Mahrattas who were ravaging the country about Gohud. At the request of the rana, he then marched against Lahar, a fortress fifty miles west of Calpee, which proved a place of greater strength than he expected, for his guns failed to effect a practicable breach, thus he ordered an escalade without one. With resolute gallantry, his stormers fought their way in, and Lahar was ours, but at the loss of 120 rank and file. Sir Eyre Coote, who did not anticipate this success, in consequence, obtained some battering guns, and held them, with four more battalions under Major John Carnac, in readiness to cross the Jumna. These operations preluded a more brilliant affair, for after leaving Lahar, Captain Popham found himself near the famous fortress of Gwalior, before which he encamped during the rains. Few places in India were more celebrated than this Gwalior, in the province of Agra-"the Gibraltar of the East.” It is situated on a hill a mile and a half in length, but in few places more than 300 yards in breadth. The sides are steep, and 340 feet in height. It is, in fact, an isolated rock of ochreous sandstone, * Auber. ness. which was thirty feet high. But this also was surmounted, by the aid of the rana's spies, who, by ropes, made the ladders fast. As each soldier reached the crest of the wall and got inside, he squatted down. At the head of twenty sepoys Captain Bruce had barely entered thus, when some of the former began in a reckless way to shoot the garrison as they lay asleep within the walls. A useless alarm was thus given; but the sepoys stood firm till their supports came pouring in; and the garrison, thus surprised and intimidated, made scarcely any resistance, for Gwalior was taken with out the loss of a man. With the results of Popham's brilliant little cam partially capped with basalt. The lower portion of the rock is sloping; but immediately above this the sandstone starts up precipitously, and in some places is impending. Along the edge of this precipice rise the ramparts, with Saracenic battlements and towers. The entrance is from the north, and consists of a steep road, succeeded by an enormous staircase, hewn out of the living rock, but so wide and gentle in acclivity that laden elephants can ascend it. A strong and lofty wall protects this staircase, and in it are seven gates of great strength. Should all these difficulties be surmounted, an enemy would find his work but half begun, as within them stands a citadel consisting of six lofty round towers, connected by curtain walls of great height and thick-paign the Bombay Government had every reason to Along the eastern base of the rock lies the be satisfied; but some formidable difficulties had town of Gwalior, which is still greatly benefited by arisen. Their exchequer was empty, and they knew those pilgrims who come to pray at the tomb of not how it was to be replenished. Before the close Ghase-al-Alum, a famous Sufi, who died there in of the preceding year the Carnatic had been seriously 1560; but the fortress had a fame so far back as disturbed, and as a ruinous war had begun to rage 1023, when it was summoned by Mahmoud of there, the money which the Bengal Government Ghizni. During the Mogul government it was had intended to send to Bombay was required to used as a state prison, and within its gloomy walls supply the still more urgent necessities of Madras ; several princes have terminated their existence by and the expedients to which the Bombay Council opium or the dagger. were compelled to resort, evince the extent of their monetary necessity. Loans for their own credit were proposed for negociation in Bengal; a quantity of copper lying in the Company's warehouses, valued at twelve lacs of rupees, was sold to the highest bidder; and a plan was formed to seize the resources of the enemy, by anticipating them in the collection of the revenue. Though the capture of such a rock-built fortress might have seemed hopeless to some men, Captain Popham was not one of them, and he resolved to attempt it. He had a good coadjutor in the rana, and a better still "in Captain Bruce, one of a family insensible to danger," for he was the younger brother of James Bruce, of Kinnaird, the great Abyssinian traveller. Fortunately, the rana was thoroughly acquainted with the interior of this fortress (which Scindia had made a grand depôt for artillery and military stores), and he kept spies within it, who could act as guides. After every preparation had been made with the utmost secrecy, the night of the 3rd of August was chosen for the attempt. The command of the The command of the stormers and escalading party was assigned to Captain Bruce, and it consisted of two companies of chosen sepoys, with four lieutenants. It was an old story in the Indian army that one of these subalterns, named Douglas, was the first to volunteer for the forlorn hope, but gave place to his senior, saying, with reference to their historic names, that "where a Bruce led, a Douglas should be proud to follow." Be that as it may, supported by European bayonets and two battalions of sepoys, the escalade crept close to a point where the scarped rock was only sixteen feet in height, and this was easily surmounted by the scaling ladders. Beyond this, a steep ascent led to the base of the second wall, With a view that the new campaign should be opened with the siege of Bassein, the European troops under General Goddard were conveyed by sea to Salsette. The battering train was prepared at Bombay, from whence the sepoys were to proceed by land; but meanwhile the wretched state of the local finances compelled the occupation of all the disposable troops at Bombay in work of a different nature. Thus, early in October, 1780, five battalions were placed under Colonel Hartley, with orders to cover as much as possible of that extensive maritime district named the Concan, which is 220 miles in length by forty in breadth, and peopled by Brahmins of a peculiar race, not acknowledged by the rest in India. This occupation was to enable the Bombay agents to collect part of the enemy's revenues, and secure the rich rice harvest ere the rains fell. Before the colonel could fully achieve this object, his services were required for the relief of Captain Abington, who had made an attempt to surprise the strong fortress of Bhow Mullan, which stands eastward of the Isle of Bombay. He gained possession |