The forces of the Mahrattas were, in num­bers, like ants or flies, and, surrounding him as he moved on, they made continual attacks on him. On their arrival near the hill of Churkooli, it chanced that a shot from one of the Mahratta guns, fired at a considerable distance, fell among a string of camels carrying rockets, and threw them into disorder; and, in the tumult and crowd of men, the rockets took fire, and flying among the baggage and followers, threw them into utter confusion. To increase their misfortunes, a rocket, which had taken fire, fell on one of the boxes of ammunition, and blew it up; and in the black cloud of smoke, which rose up to heaven, many of Hydur’s brave soldiers were carried up to a great height, and then cast down head foremost on the ground. Fate having thus broken the bonds of discipline and order, which held the army together, the enemy’s Pindarehs, taking advantage of this disaster, like a new bride in the house of a son-in-law,* with the greatest confidence insinuated themselves into the mass; and, notwith­standing the Nawaub’s troops used their arms with effect, and resisted to the utmost, they could avail themselves nothing, but were completely subdued and cut up; and, therefore, like the humblest and most patient, they bore whatever insult or injury the Mahrattas chose to inflict on them. Lala Mean, the favorite* son-in-law of Shahbaz Sáhib, after making a desperate resistance, and giving worthy proof of his courage, drank the cup of martyrdom. Meer Alí Ruza Khan, and Alí Zumán Khan, with many other chief officers, were taken prisoners, and most of the soldiers, both horse and foot, considering flight as a stain upon their honour, fought as long as they could stand, and then resigned their heads, as a religious offer­ing or sacrifice, to the swords and spears of the Mahrattas. Yaseen Khan, Wunti Koodri, a faith­ful friend and servant of the Nawaub’s, who was in some respects like him in person,* entered the ranks of the Mahrattas, and gave himself out for the Nawaub; and, having taken more draughts of the Sherbet of sword wounds than his strength could bear, was lying senseless on the ground, when the stupid Mahrattas thinking he was the lion-hearted Nawaub, and, rejoicing, took him up and carried him away to Trimuk Rao. Thus the whole of the equipment of the army, which had been collected with so much labour, was now plun­dered and trampled beneath the hoofs of the Mah­ratta horse, and the excellent store department, and artillery, small and great, all fell into the hands of the Mahrattas. The Nawaub, however, while he repeated these lines, Verse,— “If thou art fortunate, it is not owing to thy prudence.”— “Or if thy plans be bad, it is not thy fault.”— “Be resigned and con­tented, and live happy.”— “Thou art not qualified to know any thing about fate, good or bad,”— mounted the hill of Churkooli, and, standing on a millstone, viewed on all sides, with furious anger, the victorious career of these wild men, the Mah­rattas, as they charged and pursued his troops. At that moment, Ghazi Khan Bede, (a Pindara), pre­sented himself, and with the greatest difficulty forced him from the field, and, attended by only fourteen good horse, escorted him to Puttun.

The Nawaub, however, in his absence from his brave son Tippoo, who had been separated from his side in the battle, lost all rest and peace of mind; and was overwhelmed with affliction, and having visited the tomb of the saint, Kadur Wuli, a Peer Zadah, which is situated N. E. (Eesani) of the fort, near the bank of the river Kauveri, he made his arrival known to Meer Ismael Khan, who was commandant of the fort. Having made all necessary arrangements in the fort, Meer Ismael waited for his coming and when the time of evening* prayer arrived, Hydur’s son, of auspicious presage, came in without injury, attended only by two or three horsemen, and in the garb of a Mahratta Pindara. The Nawaub’s life was restored to him by the sight of his son, and, immediately entering the fort, he threw open the door of his treasury of gold and jewels, and to every horseman or foot soldier who had escaped from that disastrous battle, he gave his two handsful of gold, and to every man, who returned with his horse and arms, he gave, besides an honorary dress, a present of five handsful of gold. “The fortunate Feridoon was not an angel.”— “He was not formed of musk and amber.”— “He owes his name to his liberality.”— “Give and thou shalt be Feridoon.”*

But, (to return to the combat,) Muhammad Alí, commandant, when he saw his troops in this con­dition, and being at the same time ignorant of the safety of Hydur, determined to devote himself to death, and repeated to himself the following lines.— “I call myself a man as long as I have life in my body,”— “but of what use will my life be if I be without manhood.”— “To be fearful in the day of battle, is for cowards.”— “It is the custom of brave men to leave their heads on the field of battle.” The commandant, therefore, with the utmost coolness and bravery, collected his own men, with others of Hydur’s troops, and mounting the hill, and taking advantage of the cover of the rocks, without water or food, and carrying on his body three sword wounds, and still keeping up his courage, he fought till the evening. During this time, his well sustained fire of musketry slew numbers of the Mahrattas, and every one of the Nawaub’s men, who was able, by every art and means in his power, joined the brave commandant’s company, and fought valiantly. Tri­muk Rao himself was pleased with his courage and devotion, and, by the medium of Muhammad You­suf, a commandant in his own service, sent them a Kowl Nama, or assurance of safety, and by that means at night brought down the gallant com­mandant and his party with their arms, to whom he also sent a dinner. The arms of his men were, however, taken from them, and a guard was placed over them. And now, at the instance of his mas­ter, the officer of Trimuk, however much by fair words and every art, he endeavoured to induce Muhammad Alí to accept service with the Mah­rattas, still, the brave commandant refused; but, to please and deceive them, he said, that, if they would give him leave to return once to Puttun, he, after he was cured of his wounds, would bring his family, and then serve them according to the best of his judgement and ability. The next night, therefore, he was released, and marched towards Puttun, with sixteen hundred men. On his route it happened, accidentally, that two thousand Mah­ratta matchlock men were stationed as an outlying picket, or outpost, about two fursungs from the camp, and were sleeping in great security, with their arms stacked or piled* about them. The com­mandant, on seeing them, thought them a valuable prize, and with his unarmed men having broken with stones the heads of those who were lying about, and having seized all their arms and ammu­nition, he marched, firing at the Mahrattas, until he arrived near the fort of Seringaputtun, where he learned that the Nawaub was safe, and soon after joined him. On the commandant’s arrival, the Nawaub, knowing his fidelity and his bravery, and having heard the fire of the muskets of his party, (when engaged with the enemy), returned thanks to God; and, considering the life of that brave man as one of the best supports of his government he embraced him warmly, and made him presents of honorary dresses, money and a new musket, or rifle, fabricated in his own arsenal.

The fort was now strengthened on all sides, by new works, and guns were mounted on them; and being quite prepared, the Nawaub waited for his enemy, he, however, was daily engaged in enlisting recruits, and collecting warlike stores.