OPERATIONS AGAINST HYDER. 53 



occupy the fertile Country extending along the foot of the 

 Ghauts, and make it the basis of future operations. The 

 council adopted the very questionable policy of combining 

 these two plans ; directing Smith to march upon Bangalore, 

 while Colonel Wood with a separate detachment should 

 conduct operations in the district adjoining the mountains. 

 "With this scheme they coupled the very injudicious measure 

 of sending two commissioners to direct and assist, but 

 more properly to obstruct, the operations of the commander, 

 while they engaged Mohammed Ali, the most unfit of all 

 persons, to collect the revenue of the conquered territory. 

 Operations were meantime favoured by a movement of 

 British troops from Bombay, which had reduced Mangalore, 

 Onore, and other important places on the western coast. 

 Colonel Wood was thus enabled to overrun all the territory 

 against which his arms were directed, subduing every place 

 of consequence, while Smith arrived in the vicinity of 

 Bangalore, and made preparations to besiege that important 

 key of the kingdom. Thus in a few months Hyder had 

 lost one-half of his dominions, and saw the centre of his 

 power menaced. Having directed, however, in the first 

 instance, his whole force against the western districts, he 

 succeeded in completely retrieving affairs there, and driving 

 the English out of all the places which they had occupied. 

 He then returned to the eastward to make head against 

 the Madras army, which, though it had overrun an exten- 

 sive tract of country, held it by a very precarious tenure. 

 His numerical force was indeed much diminished by the de- 

 fection of the nizam, but the remaining troops, being entirely 

 under his own guidance, proved nearly as effective. The 

 presidency incessantly urged Smith to besiege Bangalore, 

 as the operation by which the war was to be brought to a 

 crisis ; but he replied that it was impossible to do so 

 without previously defeating Hyder's army ; and though 

 that chief continually hovered round and harassed the 

 English, he diligently and skilfully shunned a general 

 action. Sensible, however, of the present superiority 

 of his opponents, he made overtures, and showed a wil- 

 lingness to submit to very considerable sacrifices ; offer- 

 ing to cede the frontier district of Baramahl, and to pay 

 ten lacks of rupees for the expenses of the war ; but 

 the presidency, still buoyed up with hopes of conquest, 



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