196 
WITH GENERAL LAKE'S ARMY. 
the turn which the Mahratta pohtics have taken having obhged 
his Excellency to take the field with the whole army in these pro- 
vinces, I was reduced to the necessity of setting off this day to meet 
him at Gosiah Gunge, distant about twenty miles. Mr. Russell 
lent me two carriages, and from the CaliNuddi I meant to go upon 
an elephant. I had written to General Lake to propose the place, 
but did not receive his answer till early in the morning. This 
delayed me till eight o'clock, when the heat was considerable, 
although the sky was occasionally cloudy. However, I went on, and 
meeting with no accident, arrived at his Excellency's camp about 
eleven. My reception was perfectly polite and cordial. He had 
paid me the compliment of pitching my tent in a line with his, and 
close to him: my escort was behind. The scene was very pleasing : 
the camp covered a very large extent of ground, was frequently 
divided by mango-topes, and in the back ground, here and there, 
appeared a few houses. The white tents, covering the plain in 
every direction, formed a pleasing contrast with the dark trees 
that backed them ; and the colours in the front added greatly 
to the effect. The elephants were strolling about ; the soldiers 
were retired to their tents ; the numerous army followers were 
collecting forage in every direction. 
The whole line had now joined, which marched in divisions 
from Cawnpore, consisting of about five thousand troops, and 
twenty thousand followers. This is the general proportion of an 
Indian army, and is one cause of the difficulty of keeping them 
together, from the prodigious quantity of provision that is necessary 
for their maintenance. It is almost the first instance of taking the 
field during the rains ; but, hitherto, the weather has been most 
