,76 WESTERN HINDOOSTAN. 



*^ years, till they formed an impenetrable belt of great depth, 

 " This, cut into labyrinths, afforded eafy egrefs to his people> 

 " and rendered all attacks from without impradticable. Im- 

 *' mured within this natural fortification, he encouraged the 

 ** cultivation of the arts and fciences : he invited the approach 

 '* of men of genius and knowlege ; he cultivated the friend- 

 " fliip of the Brahmim, and was himfelf admitted into their 

 *« fociety, by the ceremony of pafling, (as Raynelidijz) through 

 " a golden cow, which became the property of the BrahtninSy 

 " the cow being facred in Indiaj as formerly in Egypt ; and by 

 ^^ preparing his own military flores, calling cannon, making 

 " gunpowder, &c. he rendered himfelf independent of foreign 

 " aid. The fubjecfls of his remoter provinces, who, to avoid 

 " the ravages of war, had taken refuge within the woody circle, 

 " now returned with their families and effedts to their former 

 " habitations/' This mode of fortification he evidently copied 

 from his wild neighbors, the Polygars ; but they live in almofl 

 a favage flate, while he adopted their plan to fecure the cultiva- 

 tion of the mild arts of peace ! 

 Lines OF Tr A- EvEN the approach to this difficult retreat was impeded by 



the famous lines of I'ravancore, which extend from the fouth- 

 ern banks of the river of Cranganore, clofe to fea, to the foot 

 of the Ghauts, flrongly fortified in their whole extent : Thele 

 proved the firfl check to the ambition of Tippoo Sultan. 

 He wilhed to provoke the Rajah to begin hoflilities, in order 

 that he might not be charged with being aggreflor. For 

 feveral days, from the 23d to the 28th of Hecember 1789, the 

 Sultan'^ horfemen rode up to the Rajatf^ lines, and made ufe of 



every 



VANCORE. 



