50 WAR WITH MYSORE. 



their progress, determined at any price to detach them from 

 the confederacy. Apajee Ram, a Bramin, was sent, and 

 opened a negotiation in a style much differing from Eu- 

 ropean diplomacy. He was received in full durbar by the 

 Mahratta general, who declared his determination not to 

 treat with an opponent, who held his legitimate prince in 

 such unworthy captivity ; and a murmur of approbation ran 

 through the assembly. The envoy humbly confessed the 

 charge, only adding, that his master, whenever an opposite 

 example was set by his betters, would immediately follow it. 

 Every one now recollected that Madoo Rao held the de- 

 scendant of Sevajee in exactly the same thraldom as the 

 Mysorean rajah was kept by Hyder ; the approving sound 

 was changed into suppressed laughter; the .Mahratta chief 

 hung down his head ; and a serious negotiation was imme- 

 diately commenced. He consented, on the payment of 

 thirty-live lacks of rupees, to quit the countrv and with- 

 draw entirely from the grand alliance. He had gained his 

 end ; and when Colonel' Tod was sent to urge him to fulfil 

 his engagements, the whole court laughed in that officer's 

 face. 



Colonel Smith, meantime, supported only by the poor, 

 ill-paid, and undisciplined troops of the nizam, had entered 

 Mysore. He soon began to suspect that this would prove 

 a very futile expedition ; and it was in fact about to assume 

 a character much more disastrous than he anticipated. His 

 Indian ally had taken Umbrage on various grounds at the 

 English presidency. They had procured from the Mogul, 

 now a merely nominal potentate, the grant of the valuable 

 territory of the Northern Circars. Mohammed Ali, their 

 ally, whom they had raised to |„. nabob of the ( 'arnatie, had 

 meantime advanced pretensions to the dominions and rank 

 of the nizam, which the latter suspected the British of se- 

 cretly favouring. Hyder therefore employed Maphuz Khan, 

 brother to that chief, who, actuated by the fraternal jealous- 

 ies usually prevalent, in India, had come met to the My- 

 sorean interest, to open a secret correspondence with the 

 nizam. This last was easily persuaded that he should 

 most successfully realize his views of aggrandizement by 

 entering into a league with Hyder against Mohammed and 

 that foreign power, of which he was rendering himself the 

 instrument ; and accordingly these two parties, who were 



