A History of the Mahrattas v2.c34.5

v2.c34.5

a body of Arabs, whom he had lately entertained, refused to fight without pay, Mannajee Phakray¹ and Sukaram Hurry, two of his best officers, were wounded in the commencement, the ground was confined, the confusion universal, and Rugoba, fancying that he was about to be seized by his own troops, suddenly set off from the field of battle and fled with about one thousand horse to Cambay. The Nabob of that place, who had before intended to unite with him, was now apprehensive of the consequences of affording protection to a fugitive. Rugoba, therefore, applied to Mr. Charles Malet,² at that time chief of the English factory, who had only heard by common report of the pending negotiation between Rugonath Rao and the Bombay Government, but readily assisted to get him conveyed to Bownuggur, whence he embarked for Surat, and had been four days at that place, when the vessels, on board of which were Lieutenant-Colonel Keating's detachment, anchored at Surat bar on the 27th February. In the meantime the defeated army of Rugoba, under Govind Rao and Khundee Rao Gaekwar, Sewdasheo Ramchundur, Mannajee Phakray and Sukaram Hurry, retired to Kupperwunj, and thence to Pulhanpoor. For the purpose of forming a junction with those chiefs it was proposed to disembark the British troops at Cambay. The members of the Bombay Government approved of that plan, with the exception of Mr. Daniel Draper, one of the members of council, who, at a consultation on the 7th March, dissented (Mar. 7.) because, as no formal change or ratification of the treaty had taken place, he conceived the circumstances to be so much altered, and their means so inadequate to the end proposed, that delay was both justifiable and advisable, at least until it could be ascertained what number of Rugoba's party was likely to reassemble, and what resources of money and of troops could be afforded from the other presidencies. Mr. Draper recommended that the detachment should remain with Rugoba at Surat, to protect that place and Baroach, to give confidence to his cause, and, with Rugoba's concurrence, to secure the revenues of the districts to be ceded.