part o f the peninfula into Guzerat *. His is the merited fame,
but the Colonel Lejlie, an officer highly credited in America by
our hero Wolfe, had the conduit in the early part. A frequent
fucceffion of war and peace had long been known between
the prefidency o f Bombay and the weftern Mahrattas, occafioned
by the faitions in the court o f Paonab. A ‘ partial account has.
been given at p. 93 o f my firft volume; the whole is well told
in the hiftorical -account of Bombay, printed in 1781. After
fome ftrong difputes between the fupreme eouncil at Calcutta*
and the governor general, the genius o f Mr. HaJlings got the
better; and it was.determinedto fend the Bengal brigade on the
great defign o f eroding the Peniniula, effectually to decide the
long reigning difputes. This force has been exaggerated', but
it confifted in the whole o f only fix thoufand fix hundred and:
twenty-four native troops* without a tingle European corps,and
thofe commanded by a hundred and five European officers , . To-
thefe the author of the War in. AJia, i. p. 22, adds, the'*firft regiment
o f cavalry, all compofed o f natives,,commanded by Captain
Wrayr and the fame number- of the nabob of Dude’ s, or
Vijier's, Candabar horfe. From the force o f cuffom, this little:
army was followed by a train o f very near thirty-two thoufand
fervants,. futlers,. 8tc., 8tc. dreadful plagues to difcipline, and toi
the mind of an European commander.
On April 3d, 1778, part o f the fir ft brigade arr iv ed at Allaba-
bad; and on different days others, w ith the artillery park, ftores,,
and treafure, a rriv ed at Corab. Lejlie joined the troops on the
* Authorities for this March are from the Account of. Bombay^; and the Journal, &c.
printed for. Faden.
Tilth:
n th o f May; on the 19th, part o f the army made the eventful
paffage over the Jumna in boats, covered by twelve two
pounders, and two placed on the weftern heights of the river,
oppofite to the city and fort o f Calpee or Culpeer In this city
are numbers o f tombs, fays rhe Ayeen, ii. p. 47, of great per-
fonages; it had its own princes tributary to Debit. Two thoufand
Mahratta horfe made a ihew of oppofition, but were foon
difperfed by the artillery. After fome farther flight refiftance,
The fort and town, abandoned by the garrifon and inhabitants,
fell into our hands. On May the 27th, June 2d and 3d,, the
whole paffage was effedled. The commander of the Mahratta
force in this part was Gungadur Punt, who had orders from
Poonah to ufe all his efforts to obftruit the progrefs o f the
Englijh, in which his brother Ballagee, who had a diftrift farther
to the weft, was to affift.
The march from Culpeer was attended with the utmoft difficulty,
through narrow roads, and amidft hillocks o f Conkar.
This fubftance feems to me a genuine lava. The hillocks rife
to a confiderable height, are moft rude and irregular, and of
moft grotefque appearances, compofed o f fcoria, exadtly refem-
bling the flags flung out o f iron furnaces 4 they muft have been,
vulcanic, and thefe the extinif vulcanos. I have been told thatr
earthquakes have been felt bra: rarely in Hindoojlan,. which
fhews that vulcanic fury has been long exhaufted.
T h e heats at this time were dreadful. 'Numbers o f Sepoys
were ftruck dead by them. Captain Craufurd, an officer of dif-
tinguilhed merit, fell a vidtim to the heat. Dogs and other animals
funk under it. To add to the calamity, every well, had
beem
CoN K AR .-
D readpul
Heats.-