INROADS OF THE PINDAREES. 187 



mere expedient for the attainment of personal objects, and 

 to be thrown aside as soon as these were accomplished. 



The occupation of Berar afforded great facilities for ope- 

 rations against the predatory powers, whose main rallying- 

 point was in Malwa, a hilly tract to the northward of the 

 Nerbudda. The governor-general, however, had not yet 

 obtained permission to root them out of that strong coun- 

 try, and was obliged to content himself with drawing a cor- 

 don along the southern bank of the Nerbudda, by which he 

 hoped to prevent them from penetrating into the Deccan. 

 Unfortunately for themselves, Cheetoo and other chiefs had 

 at this time acquired a considerable increase of strength. 

 They had been left for several years nearly unmolested ; and 

 had even received secret assurances of support from the prin- 

 cipal Mahratta chieftains, who were meditating a fresh at- 

 tempt, with the aid of the Pindarees, to subvert the ascend- 

 ency of Britain. They were, however, considerably alarmed 

 by the appearance of the force stationed on the Nerbudda ; but 

 seeing it remain inactive, while they themselves had mus- 

 tered 23,000 cavalry, they conceived it possible to penetrate 

 at some point the extended line along which the English 

 were posted. Accordingly, with 10,000 horsemen they 

 crossed on the extreme right, with such rapidity that our 

 infantry were unable either to arrest or overtake them. 

 They then separated into two lubkurs or plundering bands, 

 one of which proceeded due south into the territory of the 

 nizam, and reached the banks of the Godavery. The other 

 marched eastward, and entered the company's territory of 

 Ganjam, where in the course of twelve days the preceding 

 year they had killed and wounded nearly 700 persons, and 

 carried off or destroyed property to the value of 100,000/. 

 A third party crossed at Burhanpoor, and overran the ter- 

 ritory of the peishwa to some distance beyond Poonah. 



The Pindarees had thus eluded the regular force ap- 

 pointed to check their inroad ; yet, though they were still 

 liable to be attacked by several detached corps that were 

 scouring the country in different directions, they never sta- 

 tioned sentries, nor took any similar precaution against an 

 evil to which they were always exposed. While the large 

 body who had reached the Godavery were deliberating on 

 their future course, Major M'Dowal, with a body of light 

 troops, came upon them so unexpectedly that they had re* 



