At this time, the mad* Shah or Devotee above mentioned, sitting upon a naked or uncaparisoned elephant, and accompanied by two or three hundred Afghans, careless of life, advanced towards the Nawaub’s army. On seeing this, a number of the Nawaub’s companions, and Khans, addressed him several times intimating that he ought to relinquish the attempt to conquer this place, in respect that it was under the protection of one of God’s most per­fect Walis, or saints; that the Aktab,* Outad,* and Oulia,* whenever they cast an eye of favour on any one, placed him in security from all evil and danger; that the manifestation of this intention might be the cause of loss and injury to the Khodadad government, and God forbid that in the result his mind should be disturbed or person injured; that it was best, therefore, that the Nawaub should encamp his army in some place, (near), and halt there, until the Afghan of Kurnole should, of his own accord, present himself with his hands tied, ready to obey the Nawaub’s com­mands; and that, in this matter, haste was not becoming the servants of the Nawaub.* The Nawaub, on hearing these opinions, and suggestions, so dis­honourable to a man of courage and determination, was much irritated, and, looking angrily in the faces of these weak* men, demanded of them if his troops also were not under the protection of some Wali, Kotub, or saint, that he and his troops should be supposed to be without support or aid? Nearly the whole of those who were present, now wisely held their tongues, and were silent; but, some took the liberty to reply, “Yes, certainly they were.” The Nawaub then said, “in that case, the saint who protects our army, will dispute with and oppose him who protects this place;* and, in the mean time, we ourselves will remove the clouded brain from the vain head of Munuwwur Khan; for, added he, “I will stretch the neck of his presumption with the halter of degradation, and not allow him to remain alive.” After saying this he drove on his elephant, and had advanced about the distance of a musket shot, when the fanatic Shah above mentioned, who had determined to charge and overthrow the Nawaub’s troops sud­denly turned about and retreated into the fort, and retiring to the women’s apartments of his house, crept into a dark room, where he said to the Khan, “Oh, Munuwwur! whatever thou hast, give up to this brave man, and make peace; only thy fort will we not give up to him.” On hearing these words from his priest, the Khan gave up all heart, and the strength of his loins was broken by the staff of fear. He, therefore, sent his Dewaun, or minister, to the Nawaub, with presents and provi­sions for a feast; and intreated he would encamp, and promised the payment next day of as large a sum of money as he was able to collect.

Casting the eye of favour, and the compassionate regard of a master, on the condition of that repre­sentative of an ancient house, the Nawaub agreed to accept his propositions, and pitched his tents and standards to the westward of the fort, on the bank of the river Tungbhuddra, and entered his tents, until the money was paid, until that however, he would not allow the Dewaun to return to the fort. The next day, in lieu of five lakhs of rupees, which sum he had engaged to pay, the Khan sent out a quantity of money, and ornaments of gold, and silver, and, in sweet flattering language, professed great regard and friendship for the Nawaub, and thus escaped his ire and vengeance.

The Nawaub, desiring much to conquer and put in order other places, took the amount above men­tioned, and on the next day marched by the road of Tripeti Goondeh, and Pundeh Goondeh, to Kupthal, in the environs of Bullari, where he encamped his victorious army, with the intention of reducing the Poligar of that place, and of leaving a garrison of his own in his forts; to cast the dread of his victorious army into the heart of Busálut Jung, the Chief of Adhoni, who was secretly intriguing with Morar Rao, and inciting him to the plunder of the Mysore territory. Under the shew, therefore, of lighting a fire among the villages of Rai Droog, the Nawaub ordered the Risaldárs of the regular and irregular infantry to employ the bravest among their number to run on approaches* against the fort of Rai Droog, to breach the lower and endeavour to take the upper or Mountain fort. Accordingly, by the exertions of thirty days, the tower or bastion at the north east angle of the lower fort was battered down, by the continual fire of the guns, and at night they made an assault. The besieged Náík, however, defended himself bravely, and did not suffer fear to influence his exertions; but successfully beat off the storming party. The resolution displayed by the Náík, excited the violent anger of the Nawaub, who brought his large guns under the sweep of the hill to the north, where he ordered his artillery to batter the walls of the Mountain fort. The sureties of conquest, that is, the artillery-men, now threw some large stones from mortars* into the women’s apartments of the Náík, on seeing which, the women, in great distress and confusion, filled the air with their cries, and obstinately insisted, that the Náík should imme­diately enter into communication with the Nawaub to make peace, and pay him whatever sum of money he demanded; and, they declared, that, if he had not money enough, they would give up all their most valuable ornaments, “for,” said they, “should the Nawaub, which God forbid, take the fort, our honour would certainly not remain inviolate.” The Náík being by this means agitated and perplexed, sent a messenger of peace to the Nawaub, agreeing to pay two lakhs of rupees, and thus he entered the list of those who were spared by Hydur.