141 



and attended with pernicious effects. Fortunately there were sel- 

 dom any Europeans there besides the colonel and myself; he was 

 often ill with an intermittent fever, and I soon experienced the 

 bad effects of sleeping in a damp tent, on my palanquin, raised 

 only a few inches from the ground, covered only by a cotton carpet; 

 for, notwithstanding all the trenches, the heavy rains pervaded 

 every thing. Few European constitutions can resist the combina- 

 tions of heat and moisture; mine was gradually undermined, and 

 at length fell a sacrifice to a severe relapse of fever at the return 

 of every new and full moon. 



The Mahratta generals had excellent tents for the rainy season, 

 formed of many folds of quilted cotton, purposely to resist the 

 elements. When Ragobah resolved to form his winter encamp- 

 ment at Bellapoor, all his tents were pitched, and those separately 

 appropriated to worship, eating, sleeping, the zenana, and at- 

 tendants, occupied a very large site, at some distance from the rest 

 of the army, and guarded by a select body of troops. The durbar- 

 tent, where the peshwa gave audience and administered justice, 

 was placed near the dhall-flag, or royal standard, distinguished 

 from all others, like the prastorium of the Roman generals, so called 

 from the ancient Latins, who styled their commanders praetors. 

 Scipio Africanus first formed the praetorian cohort, stationed near 

 his tent, and ready to attend him on all emergencies: such are the 

 husserat, or household troops of the Mahratta peshwa, and the life- 

 guards of the British sovereign. 



My manuscript volumes contain the transactions, during thewin- 

 ter quarters at Dhuboy and Bellapoor camp, for some time longer; 



