﻿RROM CHUNARGHUR TO YERTNAGOODUM, 127 



pafs, nor public papers, to produce to the Nizam's 

 officers, it was very uncertain in what manner they 

 might receive me; or whether they would not refill my 

 entering the territory of their fovereign. The Pwr- 

 gunnah I fliould firft enter upon, fubjeft to the Nizam^ 

 was Chinnoor ; the capital town of which, bearing the 

 fame name, is fituated on the north bank, of the river 

 Godavery. I was informed that this was the only in- 

 habited place in the whole diflricl; for the Zemeendar 

 who rented the country, having rebelled about feven 

 years before, the Nizam had fent a large body of 

 troops to fubdue him ; but, not being able to get 

 pofleffion of his perfon, bad laid wade the country, 

 and had encouraged his vaffals to pillage it likewife. 

 This warfare had continued about four years, when: 

 the refraftory Zaneendar was at length betrayed by his 

 own adherents, and murdered; after which all his 

 ftrong holds were reduced. But the calamity occa- 

 fioned by this [cenQ of rapine, and murder, fell 

 heavieft upon the peafantry, who had all fled, and 

 fought refuge in the neighbouring diflrifts; and, for 

 the laft three years, there had not been an inhabitant 

 in the whole diftrid, excepting a few matchlockmer^ 

 in the fort of Chinnoor, 



As my route would not lay within thirty miles of 

 Chinnoor, I had nothing to apprehend from that quar- 

 ter; and the reft of the country being defolate, there 

 was no body to obftruct me until I fhould have crof- 

 fed the Godavery, and proceeded about forty cofs along 

 the fouth bank of that river, which would bring me 

 upon the Rajah of FaloonJIiah's frontier. 



AsHRUFF Row, the Rajah of PaloonJJiah, had like- 

 wife refifted the Nizam's government for many years; 

 and at this time he barely acknowledged allegiance to 

 him. Upon inquiring into his hiftory, character, and 

 in what manner travellers who palfed through his coun- 

 try were treated, 1 was informed, that the old Rajah 

 had left two fons, the elded of whom, who was only 



nineteen 



