GENERAL HISTORY 



[181 



CHAPTER XVn. 



East India AJfairs. 



THE first of thesie communi- 

 cations for the latter part of 

 the year 1817, is a despach from 

 the Hon. Mountstuart Elphin- 

 stone, the resident at the court 

 of the Peishwa, to the Governor- 

 Greneral, dated camp at Kirk3^ 

 Nov. 6, 1817. It contained an 

 account of the great military pre- 

 parations made by the Peishwa, 

 and his refusal to send any part 

 of his force from Poonah. In con- 

 clusion, it mentioned the purpose 

 of his Highness to push on his 

 troops towards those of the 

 English ; and in fine, asserted 

 that the Residency had been im- 

 mediately plundered and burned. 



The next report is from Lieut.- 

 Colonel Burr, to the Deputy 

 Adjutant -General of the fourth 

 division of the Army of the 

 Decan, dated Camp at Kirky, 

 Nov. 6, 1817, in which the relator 

 gives an account of a successful 

 action fousiht with Goklah's in- 

 fantry and tlie Mahratta horse. 

 , Mr. Elpliinstone, in the suc- 

 ceeding account, dated from 

 Kirky, Nov. 1 1th, relates the con- 

 fusion apparent in the Peishwa's 

 army, but speaks of his conduct 

 as in some instances bearing more 

 of the character of civilized war. 



A report follows from Briga- 

 dier-General Lionel Smith, to 

 Lieut. Gen. Sir Thomas Hislop, 

 dated Camp before Poonah, on 

 Nov. 20. It gives a particular 



relation of his march through a 

 body of the enemy's horse, against 

 the Peishwa's army, whom he at 

 length forced to retreat in the 

 morning of the 17th, after carry- 

 ing with him all his guns but 

 one. The city of Poonah was 

 taken possession of by the victors 

 on the same day. 



A despatch from the Governor 

 in Council of Bombay acquaints 

 the Honourable Committee, that 

 the disti-ict of Ooipar has been 

 taken possession of v/ithout op- 

 position, and that the fort of 

 Severn-droog has surrendered 

 without a single casualty on their 

 part. 



A despatch from Mr. Elphin- 

 stone to the Governor-General, 

 dated Camp, Rajwarree, Nov. 

 23, contains many , particulars 

 relative to the Peishwa and Gok- 

 lah, with other persons. The 

 army is reported to be in full 

 march after the Peishwa. 



Brigadier-General Smith next 

 informs Lieut.- General Nightin- 

 gall, Commander - in - Chief, at 

 Bombay, of a troublesome march 

 which lie took in leaving Poonah 

 In pursuit of the enemy, and of 

 the difficulty he found in bring- 

 ing them to action. 



On the 5th of May 1818 des- 

 patches were received at the 

 India-house, containing the fol- 

 lowing communications : 



Lieut. -Gen. Hislop, addressed 



the 



