CAPTURE OF CHITTLEDKOOG. 59 



chiefs who possessed fortresses on the borders, or even 

 within the limits, of his territory. Among the most re- 

 markable of these was Gooty, the castle of Morari Rao, a 

 fierce Mahratta freebooter, who had long acted a conspicuous 

 part on the theatre of India. This stronghold consisted of 

 numerous works, occupying the summit of several rocky hills. 

 After the lower stations had been reduced, the upper made 

 so obstinate a defence that a treaty was agreed on, granting 

 peace on the payment of a large amount of treasure. A 

 young man sent as a hostage, being well entertained in 

 Hyder's camp, was induced to betray the secret cause of 

 submission, namely, that there was only a supply of water 

 for three days in the fort. Hyder took no notice at the 

 moment ; but he soon after contrived to find a defect in the 

 articles : he then renewed the siege, and Morari Rao was 

 compelled to surrender at discretion. But the most obsti- 

 nate resistance was experienced from the Polygar of Chit- 

 lledroog, who ruled over a warlike and fanatic tribe, called 

 Beder. They had reared in the most elevated part of their 

 citadel a shrine to Cali or Doorga, the Indian goddess of 

 destruction, and they firmly believed that so long as it was 

 duly served the place would never fall. Every Monday 

 morning solemn devotions were performed to the goddess ; 

 then a loud blast with the bugle was blown, upon which 

 the garrison rushed forth in a desperate sally, with the 

 object chiefly of procuring human heads to be ranged in 

 pyramidal rows before the dread temple of the destroying 

 deity. Although, contrary to every military rule, they thus 

 gave to the enemy full warning of the period of attack, 

 it was made with such fury, and at such various points, 

 that the goddess was scarcely ever defrauded of her bloody 

 trophies ; and when the place fell, two thousand heads were 

 found piled in front of her portal. Hyder was obliged by 

 Mahratta invasion to abandon the siege, which, however, 

 he afterward renewed ; but it was only through treason that 

 the governor was obliged to own the mighty spell of Cali 

 broken, and to admit an enemy within the impregnable bul- 

 warks of Chittledroog. 



Deep discontent against the English was now rankling 

 in the mind of Hyder. He had, as formerly mentioned, 

 earnestly courted their alliance ; for his own purposes doubt- 

 less, but on the fair and honourable principle that the par- 



