A History of the Mahrattas v1.c24.35

v1.c24.35

But whilst thus negotiating for every succour he could devise, Aliverdy Khan wisely placed his chief dependence on his own exertions ; he assembled every man he could command and made vigorous preparations for attacking Bhaskur Punt’s camp at Cutwa, as soon as the season should permit. Before the rivers had fallen he prepared a bridge of boats, which in the night he threw first across the Hooghly and then over the Adjee, which enabled him to gain the opposite bank ; although, in consequence of a break in the fastening which had laced the boats together, fifteen hundred men were plunged into the Adjee and totally lost before the accident was discovered. The Mahrattas, by whom this attempt was quite unexpected, did not oppose the Nabob, but fled eastward, until they had misled their pursuers in the hills and jungles of Bahar, when they again re-entered the district of Midnapoor. But Aliverdy Khan soon recovered their track, and with the most active of his troops continued to pursue them. They seldom turned except to skirmish, and having lost all confidence, in consequence of an indecisive action which took place at Ballasore, they fled from Bengal and returned through the province of Orissa to Berar. Rughoojee Bhonslay had arrived with his army from the Carnatic, some time before his fugitive Dewan appeared, and having resolved to support his pretensions in Bengal, advanced towards the province by the same route as that by which Bhaskur Punt had entered.