A History of the Mahrattas v2.c32.122

v2.c32.122

³ The following extract from one of Mr. Mostyn’s dispatches is a specimen of the invention of the day. Since closing my address to the Committee (the select committee of the Bombay Government is meant), ‘ I have learnt that a party of the Nizam’s foot approached quite to Rugoba’s tent, undiscovered, and were taken for his own guard, who by some means were absent that night. On their endeavouring to enter the tent, some of the servants found them out and alarmed the camp. They were then obliged to fly as fast as possible; however, one cut through the tent walls and made a blow at Rugoba, which took just below his right shoulder, cut four inches down the arm, and half through the bone. Afterwards a firing commenced, when a musket ball grazed along his left arm, so that he is now lame of both arms, has a fever, and several ulcers about his knee. The elephant with the gold standard’ (my readers will recognize the Juree Putka) ‘the Moghuls carried off; this is looked upon with these people as a most unlucky omen.’ Mr. Mostyn, who had not then much experience in Mahratta politics, writes all the above as intelligence which he fully credited; he might have stopped his evidence when he came to such particulars as the *four inches*, which a good member of a Punchayet would have done, and extracted valuable evidence, not from the falsehoods spoken, but from what his judgment could clearly interpret as the object of the speaker. Strange as it may appear, it was upon the receipt of the dispatch of which the above is an extract, that the Bombay Government came to the resolution, in case of the death or deposition of Rugoba, to take possession of Salsette, &c., by force of arms; and I may remark that Mr. Tayler’s able letter to the Bengal Government, 9th October, 1775, founded on Mr. Mostyn’s intelligence, is incorrect. Col. Wilks and Mr. Mill have been led into error from the same circumstance. Rugonath Rao was not defeated.