TIPPOO DEFEATS THE MAHRATTAS. 79 



period of the monsoon. They were even reduced to the 

 necessity of abandoning Adonie, after hastily withdrawing 

 its distinguished inmates; and the victor on entering found 

 numerous apartments still fitted up with all the splendour 

 of royal palaces. 



The sultan had now just ground to boast of his success ; 

 yet he aimed at extending it still farther. He caused a great 

 quantity of timber to be felled in the forests of Bednore, 

 and floated down the Toombuddra, where it was converted 

 into rafts and basket-boats for conveying his forces across. 

 All his officers dissuaded him from the daring scheme of 

 carrying beyond this barrier offensive operations against 

 such powerful armies. He rejected every argument, and in 

 the course of a week had actually transported the whole of 

 his troops to the other side. The enemy, who could not be 

 made to believe in any such attempt, had neglected all pre- 

 cautions against it ; and their indecisive movements soon 

 showed how completely they were taken by surprise. After 

 repeated marches and countermarches, Tippoo, with his 

 whole force in four divisions, made a midnight attack upon 

 their camp. Through a want of co-operation between 

 these detachments, the undertaking did not completely suc- 

 ceed ; yet the enemy were thereby compelled to quit their 

 position, and when they afterward attempted to regain it, 

 were repulsed with considerable loss. The general issue of 

 the day was such as induced them to retreat, abandoning to 

 Tippoo the important city and district of Savanoor. Soon 

 after overtures were made for a treaty, which was concluded 

 on the condition that the sultan should acknowledge the 

 tribute stipulated by Hyder ; amounting still, after some 

 liberal deductions, to forty-rive lacks of rupees, thirty of 

 which were actually paid. He restored also Adonie and 

 the other towns taken during the war, and was in return 

 recognised as sovereign of nearlv all India, south of the 

 river Toombuddra. 



By this successful contest against such a powerful confed- 

 eracy Tippoo had earned perhaps the greatest military 

 name in India. He had displayed even prudence and mod- 

 eration in the terms on which he concluded peace. He now 

 considered himself, accordingly, the undisputed ruler of the 

 south, and at liberty to propagate the Mohammedan faith by 

 violence of every description. His first movement was to 



