in his refufal to answer any of his letters; but took care to let him know, that they were written with too much prefumption, in a ftile of equality; and that they contained inapplicable profeffions of no value.

The paffion for the prefervation of his wealth operated fo ftrongly upon the Rajah, that he feemed blind to all other confiderations, and equally incapable of confulting his reafon, or of liftening to his fears.

It was intended to commence the military operations with the attack of Ramnagur, partly from its having been the late scene of difgrace, partly with a view to the refracto rinefs of the inhabitants, who had been the first authors of mischief, and above all, as its capture would be the means of gaining poffeffion of the capital without blood or difficulty, whereby the credit and character of the company being restored in the public opinion, and the Rajah cut off from the feat and fources of government, his forces would foon dwindle, and his fortreffes fall of course. Battering cannon and mortars were accordingly ordered to Major Popham's camp, and the neceffary preparations made for a fiege.

But it was defined that a native of the country fhould point out a fhorter and easier way to conqueft, than had yet, or could otherwife have been thought of. A man, named Bundoo Cawn, a native and inhabitant of Chunar, where he had a wife and large family, had, fince the troubles commenced, given fome inftances of an extraordinary attachment to the English. For he had voluntarily and graVOL. XXVI.

tuitously accompanied Captain Blair, in the two expeditions which he had undertaken with the Chunar battalion, first to the attack of Ramnagur, and afterwards to furprize the enemy's camp at Pateetah; and on both occafions, his accurate knowledge of the ground and country, and his advice in the application of that knowledge, were of great use to that officer.

This man gave information to the commanders, that as the Ra. jah's forces were principally collected at Lutteefpore and Pateetah, and were daily accumulating, it would become exceedingly difficult, if not impracticable, to diflodge him, if he were allowed much longer time to ftrengthen himself, in grounds and pofts al. ready fo ftrong, and fo exceedingly difficult of accefs. He obferved, that though the walls of Pateetah, and the defences of its fort, might appear of little moment, confidered merely as fortifications, yet from the peculiar fituation of that large town, the nearness of Lutteefpore, at its back, and the freth forces with which the Rajah could conftantly fupply the defence, it would be found a matter of no fmall diffi. culty or lofs, to carry it even at prefent; and if that point was gained, it could answer no purpofe, as it could not poffibly be retained, while Lutteefpore continued in the hands of the enemy. The next object then must be the reduction of that fortress; but it was unaffailable on that fide; and it could not be invefted or at tacked on the other, while the enemy were in poffeffion of the impracticable pafs of Suckroot, [C]

which

which lay at its back in the gorge of the mountains; and which befides kept the communications open for reinforcements and fupplies of every kind, as well as a free and direct intercourfe with the ftrong fortrefs of Bidjeygur, where the means of fupporting the war, the Rajah's treafures, were depofited.

When he had thus flated the almoft infuperable difficulties which barred the way against all obvious attempts upon the Rajah, in his prefent fituation, this fingular guide who feemed to unite in himself the qualities and intelligence of a topographer, engineer, and general, proceeded to fhow the means by which they might be evaded or overcome. He pro pofed that the main part of the army fhould carry on its approaches in front, and in the ufual forms, againft Pateetah ; and that while it was thus en. gaged, and the whole attention of the enemy naturally directed to the attack and defence on that fide, a divifion of the most active troops, which was previously and fecretly to take its departure by night, fhould, under his guidance, and freed from all incumbrances, by a long circuitous march of feveral days through the woods and mountains, come round in fuch a manner to the back of the país at Suckroot, that the defences of the enemy being foiled, or turned against themselves, it would fall without difficulty into their hands; the confequences of which must be, either that they should immediately abandon their falinefles at Lutteefpore and Pa. teetah, or be fhut up in them to certain deftruction. Bundoo Cawn

fhewed fo much knowledge of the fubject, and fuch an ailured confidence in the facility and fuccefs of the enterprize, upon the iffue of which he flaked his perfon ahd family, that Major Popham, equally convinced of his fincerity and of the propriety of his advice, at once adopted the fcheme.

The only motive affigned by Bundoo Cawn, befides general attachment, whether for the prof. fered or the patt fervices, was the intereft and fecurity of his large family, whofe fituation, from that circumtiance, feems to have been in fome manner connected with the garrifon of Chunar. To af fure his fidelity, and to give him the greater intereft in the enterprize, a jaghire, or eftate, in perpetuity to himself and his family, was promifed, as the prize and reward of fuccefs.

In pursuance of this fcheme, the cannon and mortars intended for the fiege of Ramnagur were now directed to that of Pateetah; and Major Crabbe, with his own regiment of fepoys, being the 7th, the firft battalion of the 6th, and the fix companies of the Vi zier's guards, under Pollhill, with four fix-pounders, and a five andhalf-inch howitz, were deftined to the new enterprize. These troops being told off, took their depar. ture from the camp, with all the fecrecy fuch a circumftance could admit of, about II o'clock at night, on the 15th of September; and at three in the morning, Major Popham advanced with the main body to the attack of Pa. tectab.

He found the works of this place much fronger, and the approaches more hazardous, than

they

they had been reprefented; the extenfive earthen walls of the town, were of fuch a thickness as to be proof to his artillery, and the fmall ftone fort was covered by fituation from their effect. After four days ineffectual effort, he grew apprehenfive, that this unexpected failure on his fide, would tend to the overthrow of the enterprize under Major Crabbe, on the other. Major Popham accordingly determined to attempt the place by ftorm on the fifth morning. A mode of proceeding which feldom fails of fuccefs against raw and undifciplined Sept. zoth. troops. The ftorming party was led by Major Roberts, who, after a flight refiftance at the outer entrenchment, threw the enemy into fuch irretrievable diforder that they fled on all fides, and the town and fort were almoft inftantly abandoned. A body of the enemy had made a weak and ineffective attack on the camp during this time; but were eafily repulfed, and not without lofs 0 themfelves.

Nothing could have been more timely, and more ruinous to the enemy, than this attack and fuccefs. For it happened that Major Crabbe, after leading his divifion fo long through ways which feemed impracticable, and which would have been found fo, if it had not been for the affiftance of Bundoo Cawn, arrived on that very morning at a village in the mountains called I ora, which lies within about two miles of the pafs of Suckroot. Here he found a body of the enemy, who, without any intelligence, or even fufpicion of the march of his detach

ment, were entrenched, with three guns, for the fecurity of the pas on that fide. Major Crabbe attacked the enemy with fuch vigour, that notwithstanding a firm refiftance, they were defeated, purfued, and driven through the pafs, of which he took immediate poffeffion.

ex

The runaways from Lora and from Pateetah, arrived at Lutteefpore at the fame infant, and the general ditinay and confufion which they fpread, fully equalled whatever could have been pected from fuch troops and fuch commanders. The Rajah himfelt, aftonished, confounded, and overwhelmed with terror, at the perfonal danger, in which he was fo fuddenly, and to him unaccountally involved giving every thing elfe up for loft, thought of nothing but the means of efcaping from the toils with which be feemed to be furrounded. The pafs of Suckroot was fhut up on his back, and Major Popham's army, with Pateetah in their poffeffion, were clofing him in front. Flight was the only refuge; but what road or paffage could be fuppofed free from who had already penetrated the innermoft receives of the mountains?

an enemy,

There was, however. no time for hefitation; the attempt muft be made at all events The país was his direct way to Bidjeygur, which was the only place of refuge now left. As that was shut up, the Rajah on the fame day, ith a few of the best mounted or moft attached of bis followers, departed from Lutteefpore, and taking a circuit through the mountains, recovered the road a

[C] 2

few

the company have gained a ftanding revenue of about 200,000l. a year, by the conteft with Cheit Sing, independent of their claim on the ready-money fpoil, which was feized by the army. It is. obferveable, if not remarkable, that no notice whatever was taken of Outlaun Sing, in this final arrangement.

In two days after the flight of the Rajah from Lutteefpore, the 28th regiment of fepoys from Dinapore, under the conduct of Major Crawford, accompanied by a body of cavalry, joined the army. The tide of fortune being now turned, fuccefs crowned the company's arms on every fide. In the Vizier's country, Major Naylor, having marched with the 23d regiment of fepbys to the relief of Colonel Hannay, who had been long enclosed, and reduced to great ftraights by a tumultuous armed force on the northern banks of the Dewa, he totally defeated and difperfed that multitude, and quelled the revolt in that country. On the fide of Bahar, another Regiment under Major Lucas, no less effectually defeated Futty Shaw, and drove him entirely out of the Sarun Sircar. And during this tide of fuccefs, as if it had been to give the greater eclat to the governor general, and to fhew the fuperiority of his fortune, a feparate peace, and treaty of alliance and friendship, was 1781. concluded by Colonel Muir with Madajee Scindia. An event, in the precarious and doubtful ftate of the company's affairs at that time, which may be confidered among the most for

O&. 13th,

tunate that could poffibly have happened.

In the mean time, as foon as the neceffary preparations for a difficult fiege could be compaffed, Major Popham advanced with the army in purfuit of the Rajah to Bidjeygur. This place, the en. vied depofitary of his father's treasures and of his own, lies not far from the frontiers, and about fifty miles to the fouth-eaft of Chunar. The fort is erected on the folid rock of a hill, which rifes to the perpendicular height of 745 feet above the level of the adjoining country; and was reckoned, next to Gualier, among the ftrongest in India; being confidered, like that, as impregnable. The Rajah, however, did not think the ftrength of the one any fecurity against the conqueror of the other.

That unfortunate prince accordingly, without venturing to wait for Major Popham's near approach, abandoned the fort, and his country, probably for ever; leaving behind him a great part of thofe treasures which coft hing fo dearly, and that honour, in the perfons of his women, which he had fo highly eftimated; him. felf flying a wretched fugitive for protection to ftrangers, who were in no condition to afford it with out imminent danger to themfelves. He did not neglect to take with him all the treasure which the elephants and camels in his immediate poffeffion were capable of carrying; being, it was faid, one lack of mohrs or gold rupees, and fixteen lacks in, filver, amounting to about 375,000l. befides jewels, to a [G] 3