A sh er- G h u r .
G rapes.
telligence o f the Bombay army; he alfo heard of the unfortunate
convention of Worgaum. It was alfo reported, that twenty
thoufand Mahratta horfe were afiembled to difturb his march.
This determined him to make for Burbampour, a city, I refer
the reader for an account of to p. 77, o f my firft volume.
In his approach he had a view of HaJJir or AJher-Ghur, an
impregnable rock, compofed of conkar and ftone, and vifible
twenty miles diftant on every fide; the rock was like part of
the Cape o f Good Hope, table land, and not lefs than a mile in
diameter, and of a triangular form. A fingle bullock can only
afcend at a time. It is faid that there is a lake on the top, and
a canal the length o f the fort, and fpace for the growing of
corn, which makes it the moft unconquerable fort in the world.
The garrifon confifts o f fifteen hundred men, Ferijhta, iii. p. 82,
fays four thoufand; he adds, that there was a lake on the top,
and that it was well furnilhed with fprings. It was befieged by
Shah Jeban in 1625, when he had a rebellion againft his father
Jehangir. He met with a repuHe which obliged him to fubmit
to mercy. It is mentioned in the Ayeen, ii. p. 64, as a place, o f
vaft ftrength.
T h i s place is famous for its grapes, which were ripe in February,
they were fold at the rate of a roupee, or half a crown,
the fixteen feer o f near a pound weight each. The oranges
were very indifferent, the mangos not yet ripe.
On the n th o f January, Colonel Goddard received the famous
letter figned Carnac and Eger ton* , direaing him to return
* Wars in A lia , i. p. 8 1 . Atceunt o f Bengal, p. 2 8 3 .
to
to Bengali he nobly anfwered, that in obedience to the orders
of the fupreme council be was ordered to protea Bombay, and
that thofe orders he ihould obey. This he did with incredible
celerity and fpirit ; it was through a fine country, filled with
villages and inhabitants; On February 6th, he left Burbam-
pour ; and on the 25th, including a halt o f two or three days,
he reached S u r a t ; a march, according to the account o f Bom-
bay, o f near three hundred miles. The fupreme council, to
exprefs their fenfe of bis merit, fent him a brevet o f brigadier
general, and gave him full power o f treating with the Mabrat-
tab court.
No fooner had he arrived at Surat, than he fixed on a
healthy fpot for bis army, in order to recruit the fatigues o f
its march. He then fet out for Bombay, to concert with the pre-
fidency the plan of the campaign : It would not be refponfible
for it, yet agreed to furniih him with affiftance, and accordingly
fupplied him with four companies o f Europeans, and
two battalions of Sepoys, commanded by Colonel Hartley.
G o d d a r d returned to Surat, and immediately fet his army in
motion, on January iff, 1780. I have, at p. p. 67. 90, of my
firft volume, related his ftorming Amedabad. Let me here add,
that the gallant Hartley had the conduit of that dangerous
part of the fervice. The caufe our General was then to fupport
was that of Futty Sing, legal heir to part of the province of
Guzerat, in fome degree ufurped by the Mahratta government
of Poonab. Futty Sing was immediately put in pofleffion of
the conquered city. As foon as thé Mahrattas heard o f Goddard’s
laying fiege to it, they marched with a confiderable force
* t0