A History of the Mahrattas v2.c37.90

v2.c37.90

Nana Furnuwees had sent the Peishwa, now in his seventh year, to Poorundhur; Hurry Punt Phurkay and Tookajee Holkar commanded the main body of his army, with which Nana himself advanced towards the Ghauts, and Pureshram Bhow Putwurdhun was sent down into the Concan with a force of twelve thousand men, to harass Goddard’s detachments and obstruct the communication with Bombay.¹ An opportunity soon presented itself; a detachment of two corps, the 1st Bombay and 5th Bengal battalions under Captain Mackay, when returning from Panwell as an escort to a convoy of grain for the army, were very briskly attacked by Pureshram Bhow. On the night of the 15th March Captain Mackay had brought up his convoy a distance of twelve miles to the village of Chouke,² when early on the morning of the 16th March he was suddenly assailed by the whole force of Pureshram Bhow, which he repulsed though not without difficulty; but Pureshram Bhow’s loss was comparatively very severe. Both battalions behaved well, and the Bengal Sepoys, who had never before been so closely engaged, showed very great spirit. One company, however, in charging a body of horse with the bayonet, after having routed them, were drawn forward in the eagerness of pursuit, when the Mahrattas, than whom, if no troops sooner fly, none are so speedily rallied, wheeled about, charged and overpowered them, but the contiguity of the line saved them from total destruction. Captain Mackay had still twelve long miles to march before he could reach the bottom of the Ghaut: the face of the country in the Concan has already been described, and although the road was the best in the country, it was a mere