The next day the Sultán ordered the passage of the Ghaut; and his troops with the greatest gallantry quitting the roads of the mountain, where detachments of the English with guns and mus­ketry were posted, ascended by a route on the opposite side in the rear of the enemy, and com­menced firing on them.

The parties of the English before mentioned now to save themselves from being cut off, assembled in one place, and bravely fought their way into the fort.*— The brave and faithful troops of the Sul­tán now immediately surrounded the fort, raised batteries against it, and used their best endeavours to batter down its walls. It happened however one day during this period, that a stone which was thrown from a mortar into the fort, fell on a part of the wall, under which was a well full of water; and breaking down the wall filled up the well with its rubbish. From this cause a scarcity of water arose in the fort, and the want of water carried away the strength and constancy of the hearts of the garrison.

One night, therefore, near one thousand muske­teers with two or three thousand pioneers and inhabitants of the place with brass and earthen vessels came forth from the fort, and taking as much water as they could bear away from a tank near the walls, carried it into the fort. The Sul­tán being informed of this, the next night sta­tioned guns, musketry and rifle men on the mounds, or banks of the tank, and when on that night they came as before, rolling on like a dark cloud full of rain, the lightning and thunder of the guns and musketry, drowned some in the sea of their own blood, and some washing the hands of their presumption with the water of despair, and breaking the vessels of their good fortune with the stone of flight, sought the protection of the fort; but notwithstanding this extraordinary state of things, the thirsty garrison held out for two days; but at length the officer commanding in the fort, through the medium of the brave Muhammad Alí, proposed conditions of surrender, and gave up the fort to the servants of the Sultán, and was placed under the protection of his government,— thus by the aid of the Sultán’s good fortune, this fort was taken in eighteen days, and some person present on the occasion gave the date impromptu in the following words, <Arabic>* or 1197 Hijri.*

From this place the Sultán proceeded without delay towards Gorial Bunder (Mangalore), and on the road fell in with and surrounded a body of English troops, which under the command of Colonel Campbell, was advancing to the relief of Nuggur; with supplies of all kinds.

The horse of the Paigah being encouraged by the promise of free plunder, and the Kuzzaks and Silahdárs stimulated by the promise of one hun­dred rupees for every horse killed in action, were ordered to attack this force and destroy it. It happened that in the field, where this action was fought, there were two tanks, or ponds of water, at a distance of about a mile and a half from each other.

According to orders, therefore, the Risalas of musketeers and irregular foot (brave as lions), the rocketeers and artillery were posted on the road to these tanks, and they kept up a continual fire on their enemies.

The Kakur and Chapao horse* were sent to throw the enemy’s baggage and followers into con­fusion, while the Sultán with a select few and his body-guard, made desultory charges and attacks on the main body. The Colonel above mentioned, however, kept the ground with great constancy and valour until mid-day, when at length his ammunition failing, by degrees the order and courage of his force, which consisted of four thousand (native) infantry, twelve hundred Europeans and seven guns was broken, and a terrible shock and great disgrace fell on them and they were destroyed.

Hussein Alí Khán the Bukshi of the Paigah (or body guard), the brother of Assad Alí Khán, the chief of Bhikanpilly, at the commencement of the action had given up two guns to the English, and after losing most of his best men was obliged to retreat.

The Sultán being much grieved at this loss, told him, if he had any of the honour or courage of a gentleman left in him, to recover the guns. To retrieve his honour and character, therefore, he with seven hundred men lightly equipped, advanced and fought so energetically against the English, that he was the chief cause of their defeat and destruction:— at length having received eleven musket and bayonet wounds he left the field grievously wounded, but victorious.

But to return,— The Sultán having taken pos­session of all the warlike stores and equipment of the defeated army, presented to his own brave sol­diers; armlets, gorgets and strings of pearls, and then without the least delay, marched on and at one assault took the Pettah, or suburb of the fort before mentioned (Mangalore), and directed the commencement of the siege and conquest of the fort: in a very short time, therefore, notwith­standing it was the depth of the monsoon, and that the rain fell in torrents, so that a man could not put his head out of his tent, or his feet on the ground: and that casts or models of animals might have been taken from the impressions of those dead lying in the mud; heavy batteries were thrown up, approaches pushed on, and a con­tinual fire of guns, musketry and rockets main­tained, and some vessels being seized, the pas­sage to supplies by sea was blocked up. The besieged also, who were well known for their hardihood and constancy in braving the labours and hardships of war, crowded the walls and bas­tions of the fort and for three months defended themselves valiantly.* At last, however, from the length of the siege and the want of provisions, they were reduced to great distress, and they then sent a messenger to the presence to ask for quarter, and they were received under the protection of the Sultán.

Every one, therefore, according to his merits received a respectable command in his service, and the foreheads of their attachment were made resplendent by the symbols of faithful service. (From this it appears, that those who joined the Sultán were Hindoos.)— Mangalore, Hoonawar, &c., having been taken by the victorious Sultán, he determined to return to Mysore by the route of Koorg and Bul. It happened by a melancholy fatality, that in the course of this journey, the brave Muhammad Alí, commandant, for a trifling fault, and for shewing too much obstinacy and presumption threw away his life. The detail of this event is as follows, that a certain Kásim Alí,* governor of the fort of Nuggur, a servant of the late Nawáb, and who, during the government of Iyaz Khán, had charge of that fort, had colleagued with that traitor, and followed the path of perfidy and rebellion; and when the English troops arrived from Bombay, gave up the fort to them without resistance; he accepting the post of Lieutenant-governor:— When the fort however was recaptured, he, seeing the road of safety shut against him, sought the pro­tection of the brave commandant before men­tioned, and having taken from him assurances for the security of his life and property, took up his residence in his tent. The Sultán, therefore, one day inflamed with anger, sent for this Governor of the fort to the presence, and when he arrived addressed him to the following effect;— that the fort of Nuggur being full of provisions, the means of defence and a good garrison, how was it pos­sible it should fall into the hands of the enemy? That allowing a mean, ungrateful slave had traitor­ously rebelled, he (Kásim) who was a man of good family and appointed to the charge of this strong fort, what did he do, that for only one day he did not perform his duty as governor, and try to resist and repel his enemies.