﻿1^2 NARRATIVE OF A ROUTE 



fatam. The Rajah's dwelling is a fmall Hindoojlanny 

 houfe, the top of which I could fee above the walls. 

 The town was by far the largell I had feen fince leav- 

 ing Chunarghiir^ and appeared to he very populous. 

 It is at leaft two miles in circumference, but confilts, 

 for the moft part, of poor Tellinghy huts. The valley 

 is furrounded on all fides by lofty ranges of hills, the 

 pafles through which are the only acceffes to Paloon- 

 JJiah. 



Some of my people, who had been admitted into 

 the arfenal, reported that they had feen a manufacture 

 for matchlock guns, jinjalh^* fpears, fabres, and 

 every fpecies of weapon commonly ufed by the na- 

 tives. The Rajah had likewife a train of fix brafs 

 field pieces, which, with their limbers and tumbrils 

 complete, appeared to be well taken care of. 



In the evening the Vakeel, accompanied by three 

 or four well drefled men, came to my tent. He de- 

 tailed a number of incidents relative to the defperate 

 lituation of the Fringhys in the Circars, and repre- 

 fented the removal of the troops about that time from 

 Ellore to Mafulipatam, for a more healthy fituation, 

 as a defeat and flight, previous to embarkation; and 

 the return of the two battalions from Hydrabad as a 

 certain omen of deftru6tion to the Britifh interefts in 

 that part of India: and he concluded by informing 

 me, that it was the Rajah's intention to fend the whole 

 of ray party to Hydrabad. Finding thefe fchemes to 

 intimidate me had not the defired effect, and that, as I 

 was acquainted with the Nizam s capital, and the cha- 

 racters of his principal officers, I had no objeftion to 

 march towards it the enfuing morning, their aftonifh- 

 ment was fo great, that they immediately departed to 

 make a report thereof to the Rajah. 



Towards night, we repeated the precaution we had 

 taken for our defence, on the preceding evening, at 

 Pocullapilly. This created a great alarm, and they 



immediately 



♦ A wall-piece, carrying a ball of near a pound weight. 



