CAMPAIGN BY GENERAL GODDARD. 143 



harassed by some of the Rajpoot chiefs, he absurdly al- 

 lowed himself to be drawn into petty contests, and in the 

 course of five months had not proceeded above 120 miles. 

 Mr. Hastings was obliged to supersede him, and send in 

 his place Colonel Goddard, who, by passing over three 

 hundred miles in twenty days, reached Surat, and avoided 

 the snares formed by the enemy to interrupt his progress. 



This commander, who, though acting on a conciliatory 

 system towards the Bombay government, was invested with 

 jurisdiction nearly independent, began with an attempt to 

 negotiate. This being found impracticable, on account of 

 the lofty tone assumed by the cabinet of Poonah upon its 

 recent success, hostilities were immediately commenced ; 

 and the English appeared no longer as auxiliaries to Ra- 

 goba, but as principals. On the 1st January, 1780, Colonel, 

 now General, Goddard crossed the Tuptee, and before the 

 end of the month reduced Dubhoy, and carried by storm 

 Ahmedabad, the great but decayed capital of Guzerat. 

 Then, however, he learned that Sindia and Holkar, with 

 upwards of twenty thousand horse, had crossed the Ner- 

 budda, and were advancing to attack him. The former 

 chief opened a negotiation with the British, for whom he 

 professed a warm attachment ; but, as it was soon per- 

 ceived that he sought only to gain time, Goddard deter- 

 mined, if possible, to bring him to a general action. He 

 attacked his camp by night, and succeeded in surprising 

 some of his outposts ; but the day dawned in time to enable 

 the main body to mount their horses and present themselves 

 in order of battle. They even made a movement as if to 

 charge ; but, being received with a brisk fire, galloped off, 

 and were soon out of sight ; and the English commander, 

 who imagined he had gained a decisive victor)', learned 

 that the Mahratta army, quite entire, had taken a fresh po- 

 sition at a little distance. He again endeavoured to bring 

 them to action ; but on his near approach they merely dis- 

 charged a flight of rockets, and disappeared, as before. 

 Wearied with these fruitless and harassing operations, he 

 at length removed his army, and placed it, during the rains, 

 in cantonments on the Nerbudda. 



During the next dry season, which commenced in Octo- 

 ber, 1780, the general employed himself in the siege of 

 Bassein, while Colonel Hartley covered his operations, 



