DEFEATS OF THE P1NDAREE3. 197 



safety by flying in various directions. The greater number 

 endeavoured to reach the corps of Cheetoo ; and, accord- 

 ingly, the final destruction of that warrior appeared all that 

 was necessary to finish the Pindaree contest, when there 

 started up another head of the hydra which the English 

 were labouring to vanquish. 



The councils of the house of Holkar had been involved 

 for some time in the utmost confusion. Jeswunt Rao, 

 who had raised that family to power, after the unfortunate 

 issue of the war with the British, became deranged, and 

 died in a few years. His heir Mulhar Rao was a mere 

 boy, and the administration during his minority was 

 agitated by the most violent dissensions. The chief par- 

 ties were, on one side Toolsee Bhye, widow of the late 

 Holkar, who had been invested with the office of regent ; 

 and on the other the Patan chiefs, who were strongly 

 attached to the predatory system. The queen-regent, with 

 the view of maintaining her influence, made secret overtures 

 to the English for receiving a subsidiary force. This 

 measure was strongly opposed by the leaders just named, 

 whose sentiments were shared by the military in general ; 

 and their influence was so strongly felt by her majesty, 

 that she did not venture to proceed with the negotiation. 

 The chiefs, however, being suspicious that something of 

 that nature was still in progress, were fired with such 

 indignation, that they seized Toolsee Bhye, carried her 

 down to the river, and put her to death. War was then 

 only delayed till the completion of the necessary prepara- 

 tions. Troops, especially infantry, were collected with 

 the utmost diligence, and their movements assumed so 

 formidable an aspect, that Sir John Malcolm judged it 

 advisable to fall back upon the corps of General Hislop, 

 who, as already mentioned, had begun a retrograde move- 

 ment, but was again advancing towards Poonah. These 

 commanders, hating effected a junction, proceeded together, 

 and found the native army strongly posted at Mehidpoor, 

 with a steep bank in front, at the foot of which flowed the 

 river Soopra, passable only by a single ford. Although 

 this position might have been turned by a circuitous 

 march, General Hislop considered such an advantage more 

 than counterbalanced by the impression which would be 

 produced by pushing on promptly and directly to the 



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