88 



Neriad being the principal town belonging lo Conda Row, 

 who had joined in all Futty Sihng's machinations against Rago- 

 bah, he determined lo give it up to pillage, or levy a contribution 

 from the inhabitants. This city is one of the prettiest in Guzerat, 

 nearly three miles in circumference, fortified in the eastern man- 

 ner with a slight wall flanked by round towers at irregular dis- 

 tances; it has nine strong gates, and a dry ditch round the walls: 

 in the seventeenth century it was a place of great trade, frequented 

 by the English and Dutch merchants, and now contained about 

 twelve thousand families, chiefly employed in fabricating the finest 

 baftas, and other cotton manufactures: they also cut and polish 

 the sprig stones from Copperwange, in a beautiful manner. 



On approaching Neriad, Conda Row's Subahdar sent the 

 keys of the garrison to Ragobah, accompanied by every token of 

 respect and submission, in hopes of preventing the intended hosti- 

 lities : he offered terms, and British troops took possession of the 

 gales until they were settled. The confederate army only left 

 Neriad the day before our arrival, and were then encamped within 

 ten miles, wailing our movements. We pitched our tents near the 

 Avails among rich groves of mangos and tamarinds, and copses of 

 an inferior kind of sandal-wood, with a profusion of good wells 

 and an extensive lake. 



Ragobah, considering Conda Row's delinquency, was thought 

 to have been very moderate in levying a contribution of only sixty 

 thousand rupees on the inhabitants of Neriad; which, as usual, 

 they refused to pay until the threats of immediate pillage effected 

 a compliance. Each caste was assessed according to ils wealth 



