was a royal menagery, and that the breed was propagated
from the beads' which had efcaped. I find in Bernier, part iv.
p. 48, that Aurengzebe frequently took the diverfion of lion
hunting, but do not learn that the noble animal was ever turned
out for the imperial diverfion. The Ayeen Akberry, ii. 296, relates
many inftances of the valour of Akbar the Great, in his-
engagements with this tremendous animal, but is filent whether
they had or had not been aborigines o f Hindooftan- Mr..
terry, in the vaft forefts near Mandoa, fee p. 78, more than once
faw lions, or heard them roaring; they were alio frequent
about Malwah; thefe muft have been their rhoft fouthernly
haunts, as the tra£t between ¿«¿or and Cacbemere isthe moft
northerly, where they were the game of Aurengzebe, as related
by Bernier. I have never heard of their exceeding the- two
limits I mention ; poffibly they may have been extirpated in-
other parts of Hindooftan .-.certain it is, that it had a Hindoo,
name, that of Sing, which is no fmall proof of its having been
once fpread over the whole empire, at left as far as- climate:
would permit.
ON the downfal of the Mogul empire, this fortrefs fell to the
ftiare of the Mabratta chieftain, Madagee Scindia. In 1779, we-
entered into an alliance againft him. I neVer endeavour to in -
veftigate too nicely the motives of our Hindooftan. wars. Colo,
nel Popbam was fent againft the fort, which was at that time
garrifoned by twelve hundred men : but for an accident,
The cattle’s ftrength
Had laugh’d a fiege to icorn.-
Sotne-
Some banditti who plundered the country, and made their
nightly excurfions round, the fortrefs, had for the fake o f pilfering
made an attempt to find a path up the rock; they fuc-
ceeded, and in the' dead o f night often got within the walls.
This was' communicated to Colonel Popbam; he firft fent fome
trufty people with one of the thieves ; the practicability of fur-
prifing the place, notwithftanding the great danger of the attempt,
was made evident. In the midft o f darkneis the rock
was fcaled, the parties got fafe up, mounted the walls, and in a
few minutes, on Auguft 4th, 1780, made themfelves mailers o f
Gwalior, impregnable except by the refiftlefs hand o f famine.
I refer to Mr. Jonathan Scott for his very curious account o f the
wonderful bufinefs. In 1783, Madagee fet down before the
place with an army of feventy thoufand men ; treachery alone
could have given him fuccefs. The place was garrifoned by
Indians, part of whom permitted his entrance on one fide,
while an attack was made on another, equally ill defended.
Mr. Hodges, in his firft vol. tab. V, VI. gives two fine views o f the
fortrefs, and at p. 139 of his travels, the account o f the capture,
from Mr. Scott.
Abulfazel, in the Ayeen, ii. p. 47, fpeaks of the iron mines
of Gwalior, of its fine fingers, and beautiful women ; of the profitable
and rich copper works of Beerat, and a filver mine not
worth working ; . and o f the confiderable manufactures of
woollen carpets and glafs at Allore.
Calpy, a town on the fouthern banks, about feventy miles Calpy.
from Etawa, is famous for being the place from which General
G o d d a r d began his ftupendous march acrofs the broadeft
B b 2 part