﻿IS6 NARRATIVE OF A ROUTE 



motions, witii direftions to retire before them, fliould 

 they advance; which they did not however attempt; 

 and, after deliberating about half an hour, they went 

 back. 



Finding the people of the country thus inhofpitably 

 inclined towards us, I conceived it would be hazard- 

 ous to fend a mcffenger to Bhopaulputtun ; for, fliould 

 he be detained, or put to death, we might wait in vain 

 for an anfwer, until the numbers by which we fhould 

 "be furrounded would effeftually cut off" our retreat. 

 The Goands appeared to be in full expectation of our 

 attempting to pafs the river, which they would no 

 doubt have refilled; fo that the only way to extricate 

 ourfelves from the prefent embarrafling (ituation, was 

 to retreat as fall as poffible by the road we had come. 

 At midnight rain came on, which rendered the road 

 very flippery for our cattle ; but the weather clearing 

 up at day break, we moved off" in perfeft filence. 



May ift. We had proceeded about eleven miles, 

 U'ithout being obferved, when the difcharge of fome 

 matchlocks apprized us, that the Goands were at no 

 great diftance; and on coming to the village of Coiv- 

 lapour^ through which our road led, we found about 

 300 of them poded in it, feemingly with a determina- 

 tion to difpute the paffage. It was now about two 

 o'clock in the afternoon, the fun bright, and, as ufual 

 at this feafon of the year, exceffively hot. We had 

 got back eighteen miles of our diftance, and had yet 

 eight more to go before we could reach Rajarrarn.; at 

 which place I was refolved to take poll for that night. 

 The rain had retarded the progrcfs of my camels, but 

 had proved benelicial in other refpefts ; for the water 

 having collefted in the hollows of the country, ena- 

 bled my people to flake their thirft, which the heat, 

 and length of the march, would othcrwife have 

 rendered infupportabic. Upon our arrival within 



mulkct 



