Secret Corresjmndence of the Court of the Peshwa. 127 



" come to no terms. I shall continue my march on Kolar and Oscotta, 

 " We are fast recovering the districts taken from Morari Rao. Gorybinda 

 " has also fallen ; and the Raja and Rani of Bednore are in our hands, 

 " which is an object of some importance." 



" 8th of March I767. Sera. 



" We found Mir Hyder, the brother-in-law of Hyder Naic, encamped 

 " under the walls of this place, with about two thousand men. We in- 

 " stantly attacked and defeated them, taking five or six guns. There were 

 " two others that the enemy threw into the ditch, which we shall soon 

 " have also. Of the guns captured on this occasion two are beautiful 

 " field pieces, better by far than any we have in our arsenal. We have 

 " established ourselves on the same spot the enemy occupied, and also on 

 " the crest of the glacis, where our trenches are now being formed ; and, 

 " the batteries once opened, we shall, by the blessing of God, soon have 

 " the place. 



" Let me hear from you, what you are all about." 



Again : 



" The fort of Sera has fallen. I wrote that we first defeated Mir 

 " Hyder, who was encamped on the outside, and took his guns. In 

 " short, by the favour of God, much has been accomplished in a short 

 " space of time. The Mir (Mir Hyder) has engaged to enter the 

 " Mahratta service. He is to have a jagir (an estate), yielding five lacs 

 " annually. He has been negociating some days for the surrender of the 

 " place ; and having given it up, has now consented also to take the jagir. 

 " The districts lately placed under his control are to be occupied by our 

 " own people ; and he is to serve with our head-quarters. He has consented 

 " to send for his family, which is to reside at Poona. His jagir is to 

 " consist of districts, half in this part of the country and half near 

 " Poona." 



" 16th April I767. 



" The fort of Oscotta has fallen. It is a strong place. This, with other 

 " districts occupied, yield an annual revenue of twenty-five lacs of rupees. 



" The MiR has recovered also the districts which our government 

 " formerly held in tlie vicinity of Gurumconda. The territory yielding 

 " five lacs, held originally by Morari Rao, with all his forts, has also 

 " fallen to our troops again ; so that Jugdiu is now the only Mahratta 

 " district which we have not got back again. 



