A History of the Mahrattas v2.c33.40

v2.c33.40

As soon as Rugoba came into Guzerat he renewed the negotiation with Mr. Gambier, but it was temporarily impeded, owing to a misfortune which befel his accredited agent, Nowruttundass, who was taken prisoner by Futih Sing’s troops, when employed with a party of Govind Rao’s horse in raising revenues from the districts south of Surat. Various drafts for a treaty had been tendered on both sides, and much time lost by the dilatory (Mar. 6.) preciseness, rather than the indecision, of the Bombay Government. The treaty when finally concluded on the 6th March¹ consisted of sixteen articles, by which all former treaties between the two governments were confirmed, and neither party was to assist the enemies of the other. The Bombay Government engaged to send immediately five hundred Europeans and one thousand Sepoys, with a due proportion of artillery, to assist Rugoba, and pledged themselves to make up the number to seven or eight hundred Europeans and seventeen hundred Sepoys, with gun-Lascars, artificers and pioneers, the whole amounting to three thousand men. Rugoba engaged to pay, on account of two thousand five hundred men, one lack and a half of rupees monthly, with a proportionate increase or decrease according to the number of men; and as a security for the payment, he made over temporarily the districts of Amod, Hansot, Versaul, and a part of Oklaseer. He ceded in perpetuity Bassein with its dependencies, the island of Salsette and the other islands, the districts of Jumbooseer, Oolpar, and an assignment of seventy-five thousand rupees annually upon Oklaseer, the whole amounting to nineteen lacks and twenty-five thousand rupees. He engaged to procure the cession of the Gaekwar’s share of the Baroach revenue, and to pay all expenses the Company might incur in obtaining possession of the specified cessions, which were to be considered as belonging to them from the date of the treaty. As Rugonath Rao was destitute of other funds, he deposited jewels, valued at upwards of six lacks,¹ as a security for the promised advance, pledging himself to redeem them. The protection of the Company’s possessions in Bengal, and those of their ally the Nabob of Arcot, as long as the latter adhered to the existing engagement with the Mahrattas, was also provided for; and all British ships or vessels sailing under the protection of the British flag, which might have the misfortune to be wrecked on the Mahratta coast, were, as far as practicable, to be restored to the owners, together with such cargoes and stores as might be saved.