134 
POONAH. 
agates, which are here in profusion : these were sent off this night. 
Many of iny people were ill of fevers and colds, a very common 
complaint am.ong the inhabitants of the Cokan w^hen they ascend 
the Gauts. It is also the case with Europeans, a circumstance 
that I cannot avoid considering as extraordinary, though the same 
took place in the Tehama of Arabia. By the attention of Mr. Murray 
none of them died ; one of the chubdars was however too ill to 
march, and the native officer of the escort was in a similar situation ; 
they had therefore conveyances procured for them, and were 
directed to move as they found themselves able. 
The empire of the Mahrattas, which had once been sufficiently 
powerful to contest the possession of India with the Mussulmauns, 
though weakened by the total overthrow they experienced at 
Paniput, was yet in a very flourishing state; and was prevented 
only by its internal dissensions from carrying its victorious arms 
through the greater part of the Peninsula, The treaty of Bassein, 
however, has, in fact, annihilated this empire, and has. in its stead, 
established the relatively independent states of the Berar Rajah, 
the Paishwa, Scindiah, Guikwar, and, if he should not be conquered 
in the present war, Holcar. An incalculable degree of security has 
been by these means acquired for the British provinces, which, 
after the conquests of Tippoo, had only to fear an union of the 
Hindoo Princes of India. 
In the preparatory steps to the attainment of the important ob- 
jects of an union between the Paishwa and the British, the greatest 
difficulty was the wavering and uncertain character of his Highness, 
who wanted sufficient firmness to adopt those decisive measures, 
of which he could not avoid perceiving the necessity, surrounded 
