80 CONQUEST OF MYSORE. 



descend the Ghauts, into the territory of Calicut, or Mala* 

 bar Proper, which, by a hard-won conquest, Hyder had an- 

 nexed to the dominion of Mysore. Here he found a race 

 inspired with such deadly enmity to his favourite creed, that 

 if a Mussulman touched the outer wall of a house, they 

 thought it necessary to reduce the whole to ashes. Their 

 religious profession, indeed, derived little credit from their 

 moral conduct, since custom among the nayrs, or natives of 

 high rank, sanctioned a mode of living so extremely disso- 

 lute, that Tippoo did not exaggerate when he told them that 

 " they were all born in adultery, and were more shameless 

 in their connexions than the beasts of the field." But 

 notwithstanding these habits, they possessed the utmost 

 bravery, and were prepared to make the most determined 

 resistance to the resolution entertained by the sultan of 

 compelling them to undergo circumcision and eat beef. 

 Even when vanquished they submitted to both conditions 

 with extreme reluctance ; and many sought refuge in the 

 heart of forests, or in the surrounding mountains, till at 

 It- ngth the whole were either circumcised or driven from their 

 fields and homes. The victor then commenced a war 

 against the religious edifices. He publicly boasted that he 

 had razed to the ground eight thousand temples, with their 

 roofs of gold, silver, and copper, after digging up the trea- 

 sures buried at the feet of the idols ; but there -is reason to 

 believe that in this instance he greatly exaggerated his 

 own enormities. At length he became so elated with these 

 exploits, that he appears to have considered himself as 

 really endued with supernatural powers, and little, if at all, 

 inferior to Mohammed, the founder of his faith. Being 

 strongly advised by his counsellors not to attempt passing 

 the Ghauts during the height of the rainy season, he re- 

 plied, that " he would order the clouds to cease discharging 

 their waters until he should have passed." But he had 

 soon to encounter a mortal foe, against whom neither his 

 earthly nor his celestial powers were found to avail. 



The little kingdom of Travancore, forming the western 

 part of the most southerly extremity of India, amid the 

 revolutions which shook the greater states in its vicinity, 

 had hitherto succeeded in maintaining independence and 

 neutrality. It was protected, not only by a lofty chain- 

 of mountains, extending as far as Cape Comorin, but by 



