﻿FROM CHUNARGHUR TO YERTN ACOODUM. 137 



mufkct fhot of Cowlapour, I halted my party at a 

 well, the only fupply of water to the village; and de- 

 fired my people to lofe no time in refrefhing thcm- 

 felves with a drink, and likewife to refrefh the cattle. 

 The Goands fen t me repeated threats of the annihila- 

 tion of my party, unlefs we could pay them a large 

 fum of money; to which I replied, that I would pay 

 nothing; they having no right to demand it: and I 

 cautioned them againit afting in defiance to the pafs 

 which I had in my pofTellion from the Rajah of 

 Nag pour ; whofe country I was in, and whole fub- 

 je6ts they were. Upon this they demanded to fee it, 

 which I readily complied with ; but none of them 

 being able to read, they appeared doubtful of its au- 

 thenticity. This parley engaged us for about an hour; 

 when the people of the village growing thirlty, were ne- 

 cefTitated to beg us to let them have accefs to the well; 

 which, in hopes of pacifying them, we readily con- 

 fented to ; but they found the water had been drained 

 by my people; who being now refreflied, I informed 

 the Goands^ that it was my determination to proceed 

 immediately. To this they replied, that the fon of 

 their chief was arrived, who affured us, that if our pafs 

 was authentic, we might proceed unmolefled to Raja- 

 rum ; where it would be further invefligatcd. This 

 being all we required, we purfued our route, and en- 

 camped that evening, about five o'clock, at Rajarum ; 

 taking up our polt at a tank. Here we found the 

 Goands, who had been very friendly before, all armed, 

 and huddled together in a few detached huts; but no- 

 thing, however, occurred to interrupt our repofe 

 during the night. 



May 2d. With the commencement of the day we 

 relumed our march ; but had fcarccly loaded the cat- 

 tle, and moved off the ground, when a meffengcr ar- 

 rived, defiring us to halt until the Goand chief of that 

 part of the country fliould arrive; which he faid would 

 be in two or three hours. I replied, tb.at what the 

 chief might have to fay to me, he could as well com- 

 municate 



