When Trimuk departed to the Payan Ghaut, the Nawaub prepared to follow him, and had actually planted his colours, and pitched his tents, near the hill* which has been before mentioned. The commandant, Muhammad Alí, however, represented to him, on this determination, that his quitting his capital at that time was not advisable, lest any treachery or sedition should arise; for, that the enemies of his power were innumerable, while, on the contrary, those friends and servants who were ready to sacrifice their lives for him were few; that he had better take the matter into his deepest consideration; that he, (the commandant), would exert himself to the extent of his ability, and not fail in devoting his life to his service; but that it was necessary Hydur’s son, Tippoo, should be left in the Barh Mahl district, with the whole of the cavalry and Kuzzaks or Pindarehs. The Nawaub adopted this advice, and accordingly des­patched his son with six or seven thousand horse, all he could collect, to the Barh Mahl; while the commandant, with four thousand regular infantry, two thousand Karnatic foot, and six guns, followed him. The two divisions joined on the Ghaut of Rai Kote, and the Prince (Tippoo), with all his horse encamped in the plain of Kauveri Puttun, while the commandant, Muhammad Alí, with his troops, remained at Kishengiri.

At that time intelligence arrived, that four or five thousand Mahratta horse, with stores in great quantity, and cattle innumerable, being plunder which they had taken from the army of the Nawaub, and in the country of the Balaghaut and Payanghaut, and accompanied by the bankers of the Mahratta camp, with great store of gold and jewels, had come in obedience to the orders of Trimuk, from the Ghaut of Tuppoor, and passing above the towns of Wanambari and Tripatoor, and across the pass or mountains* of Kurunpaut, were marching direct to Poona. As soon as he had heard these tidings, the brave commandant marched, at night, with five hundred regular infantry, two hundred Chittikars,* and a thousand irregular foot, by the road of Gungindi Pala, (the Poligar of which was still obedient to the Nawaub); and, descending by the Ghaut of Tubul Pulli, took up a position on the side of a hill, on the road to Kurunpaut, and there halted, despatching the Chittikars to the top of the Ghaut, which belonged to the dependencies of the Názim of Arkat. It is to be observed here, that the Arkat chief was then acting in concert, or secret collusion, with the Nawaub, and that, con­sequently, the guards at the gates of the Ghauts offered no impediment to their march. The Chit­tikars, therefore, took possession of the gates of the Ghauts, which were fortified by walls and towers, and, after that, they remained there. It happened, the next day, that the Pindarehs of the Mahrattas, with an immense quantity of baggage, and herds and droves of cattle and horses, came on without any suspicion or apprehension, in truth, like game coming of its own accord to the kitchen to be roasted. The vigilant commandant soon knew of their coming, and immediately sent information to his concealed parties in the Ghaut, while he him­self remained in readiness where he was. In the meanwhile, when the Mahrattas advanced nigh the gate of the Ghaut, and their rear guard arrived opposite the hill, where the commandant had sta­tioned himself, he attacked their rear like a furious lion, pouring volley upon volley on them. On hearing this fire, the parties in ambush in the Ghaut, rushing forward, charged them in front, beating their drums, and with the sword and bayonet, made as many holes in the breasts of their antagonists as there is in a bird cage; while those who attacked in the rear, broke the backs and sides of their enemies with their spears and muskets. When the officers and soldiers of the Mahrattas saw that the road of their safety was as small as the eye of an elephant, they, in a cowardly manner, without making that resistance which they might have done, and leaving all their baggage, hid themselves in the caves and ravines of the mountain. The commandant now made his two detachments form a junction, and, collecting the baggage and stores of the fugitives, with their horses, and bullocks, and the bags of silver and gold, placed the plunder in loads on the heads of the prisoners, and sent them, by the route of the Ghaut of Tubul Pulli, to Kishengiri, under the escort of the Karnatic infantry. As for himself, he halted where he was, near a pool of water, at the foot of the Ghaut. No sooner, however, had he done so, than a detachment of Mahratta cavalry, which had come up in the rear of the escort and baggage, arrived, and, seeing the small number of his party, instantly surrounded them, and commenced sniping at them from a distance. The commandant had sustained their attack for near two hours, when, taking advantage of the cover given by the hedges and bushes, he got close to the Mahrattas, and gave them such a warm discharge from his mus­ketry, that at once two or three hundred horsemen, horse and man, fell killed or disabled. The rest, pushing their horses, fled as fast as they could, and the commandant, quitting the ground victorious, crossed the Ghaut to Kishengiri.