The Mahrattas, with their troops, now marched towards Binkapore, where they halted; and, as the rainy season had arrived, they placed themselves in cantonments there. The Nawaub halted on the same ground, (that of the battle.)— Madhoo Rao, however, notwithstanding the rainy season, despatched Gopal Rao, the chief of Mirch, with his force, to plunder and destroy the country on the other side the river Tung Bhudr. Gopal Rao, therefore, crossing that river at the ford of Horul, advanced, plundering the people, and firing the villages, all the way he went. From the Poligars of Hurpun Hully, Rai Droog, &c., he col­lected the Paishkush by force, and plundered the dependencies of Chitul Droog, and filled the four quarters of the Karnatic with the noise and tumult of calamity and oppression. Gopal Rao, having made the teeth of rapacity sharper than the claws* of a dog, with perfect confidence, and a loose rein, encamped near Hussdroog, a dependency of Chituldroog.

When this intelligence reached the Nawaub, he, leaving the whole of his troops and baggage in the same place, with only six thousand stable horse, nine thousand Sillahdárs,* four thousand regular infantry, and six guns, lightly equipped, marched secretly and rapidly towards them, and, on the third night, he fell bravely on the Mahrattas, who were seized by the hand of death, and ignorant of the change brought about by the revolution of the heavens, pouring such a fire upon them, that all at once their union as a body, and the firmness of their minds, were broken by fear, and they were scattered as the falling leaves before the desolating winds of autumn. Those men only of the Mahrattas who, throwing down their arms, abandoned their horses, and, shewing their teeth, held up the hand of supplication for mercy to Hydur’s brave soldiers, were spared. The officer in command of the Mahratta troops, whose name is above mentioned, (Gopal Rao), withdrawing the hand of courage and honour from all things denoting his rank and authority, took what was present of his property, and some plunder obtained by his rapacity and oppression; and, in astonish­ment, repeating these lines,— “Every one carries away some worldly goods,”— “we, for our parts, have withdrawn our hearts from the things of this world,” accompanied by a few men, escaped on one side, and took the road to Sura. The camp fol­lowers, and women of the soldiers, all that had escaped the sword, and were seeking their safety by flight, never stopped until they arrived at the pro­tection of the ditch of the fort at Sura. Some, by a thousand stratagems and labours, fled with all speed, and falling and rising again, and thinking every moment the last, arrived at the head quarters of the Poona army. The victorious Nawaub remained the whole of that day on the Mahratta ground of encampment, and collected all the bag­gage; as tents, standards, and arms, and having laden with them all the elephants, horses, and camels, taken from the enemy, and setting fire to the remainder, which lay about in heaps, he returned to his camp.

When the Mahratta, (Madhoo Rao), heard of this exploit of the Mujahidan, or Mussulmans, he became convinced he would scarcely be able to preserve his own life in the present campaign, and was fearful that, by some sudden change, his power and authority might be scattered to the winds. About this time, also, the Kuzzaks of the Nawaub’s army, who, in the arts of deceiving and plundering their enemies might be considered perfect, by changing their dress and altering the cut of their beards, &c., joined the foraging parties of the Mahrattas without sus­picion; and, after associating with them for some time without discovery, when they found an oppor­tunity, raised a tumult, which might be likened to that of the day of judgment, among their quondam friends, relieving them from the charge of five thousand horses, nineteen elephants, and ninety head of camels, besides slaying them with­out compunction.

When Madhoo Rao saw his troops in these difficulties, and that, notwithstanding their great number, they could take no rest at night for fear of attack; that, during the day, for fear of their lives, they did not dare to quit their encampments; that, above all, from the violence of the rains of that year, the earth was more over-flowed with water, than the eyes of an unfortunate lover; and that both men and beasts had lost the use of their limbs from extreme heat and cold, and that, like as if frozen, many of them slept in the arms of death; when, therefore, Madhoo Rao found himself surrounded by such difficulties, his heart gave way, and, with­out the accomplishment of his projects, and after the lapse of one year and some months, by the mediation of able Vakeels or Ambassadors, the war was concluded, on the payment of two Lakhs of rupees, (by Hydur), although, in its prosecution, Madhoo Rao had incurred the expense of a great many Lakhs. After this settlement, Madhoo Rao returned to his capital, Poona.

The Nawaub, victorious, after making some necessary arrangements in that quarter, returned by the route of Nuggur, happy and rejoicing. When he arrived at Seringaputtun, Delawur Khan, pretending to be sick, obtained leave of absence and retired to Kolar; from which place, secretly and at night, he, with his baggage, valuables, women, and his whole household, without any evident cause, took the road to the Payanghaut; and, on his arrival there, selected Arkat as his residence The Nawaub, when he heard of his flight, was much surprized; but lost no time in sending a detachment of troops to garrison the fort of Kolar, and took possession of the district for himself.