94 CONQUEST OF MYSORE. 



Ralph Abercromby landed with a large force, reduced Cana- 

 nor, and easily made himself master of every place held by 

 the enemy in Malabar. He met with another auxiliary, 

 who opened for him a passage into the heart of Tippoo's 

 dominions. An account has been given of the injurious 

 treatment suffered by the people of Coorg from the ruler 

 of Mysore. Their youthful rajah, after a long captivity, 

 had lately contrived to effect his return. The greater part 

 of his subjects were groaning in exile ; but in the depth of 

 the woody recesses there was still a band of freemen, who 

 rallied round him with enthusiastic ardour. By a series 

 of exploits that might have adorned a tale of romance, the 

 young prince recalled his people from the distant parts to 

 which they had been driven, — organized them into a regu- 

 lar military body, drove the oppressors from post after post, 

 and finally became complete master of Coorg, expelling 

 the Mohammedan settlers who had been forcibly introduced. 

 A common interest soon united him in strict alliance with 

 General Abercromby, who thus obtained a route by which 

 he could transport his army, without opposition, into the 

 high plain of Mysore. The conveyance of the heavy can- 

 non, however, was a most laborious task, as it was often 

 necessary to drag them by ropes and pulleys up the tre- 

 mendous steeps which form on this side the declivity of the 

 Ghauts. At length the general had overcome every diffi- 

 culty, and was in full march to join Lord Cornwallis, when 

 he received orders to retreat, which, in this case too, could 

 be effected only by the sacrifice of all the heavy artillery. 



As his lordship was retiring, in a most shattered condi- 

 tion, upon Bangalore, the strength of the men sinking from 

 want of food, and the sick being with the utmost difficulty 

 dragged along, his troops were alarmed by the appearance 

 on their left of a large body of cavalry, apparently the van- 

 guard of a numerous army ; but, as they were preparing 

 for resistance, one of the horsemen rode up and called out 

 that he was a Mahratta. This proved, in fact, to be no 

 other than the first division of those potent allies under the 

 command of Purseram Bhow and Hurry Punt. These 

 chiefs had taken the field in good lime, and this unfortunate 

 delay had been occasioned by the siege of Darwar, a very 

 strong place considerably to the northward, which Tippoo 

 had carefully fortified and garrisoned with chosen troops. 



