his march, and now confidered himself in a state of actual hoftility against Luckwa.

His fituation had by this time become critical; the army of Luckwa was but twenty cofs to the eastward of him; that of Jypore lay in his front; and Perron himself was endeavouring to hurt him at the court of the Rajah. The bad water of the mountainous country of Mewar having affected his army, a third part of the troops were fick, but Luck wa's troops were in a state of infubordination; and the Rajah of Jypore and Mr. Perron were at prefent overawed by the presence of Colonel Col· lins, the British Ambaffador at that court, who about the latter end of 1799 had arrived at Janaghur, to demand the delivery of the perfon of Vizier Alli, the fpurious Nawaub of Oude.

In this ftate of affairs, Mr. Thomas, after eluding every attempt to oppofe his progress, and having raised contributions to the amount of two lacks of rupees, arrived in his own territory, defirous of obtaining some repose from the fatigues of his late perilous campaign.

His repofe however on this occafion was not of long duration; the force which he had left behind to collect the revenues having accomplished their purpose, now joined him; and finding himself at eafe with regard to the Mahrattas, he refolved to make an incurfion into the Punjaub, in order to punish Sahib Sing of Puttialah, who had undefervedly ill treated his fifter for entering into the negotiations with Mr. Thomas the preceding year. That chief had, moreover, during Mr. Thomas's abfence in the Mewar country, authorifed depredations among his diftricts; but hoftilities were for the present prevented by the Seik chief agreeing to furrender certain villages, and paying a fum of money as a compenfation for thofe depredations.

Mr. Thomas next turned his arms against the Rajah of Beykancer, who, as we have before had occafion to remark, on the termination of his late difpute, had given him false bills on the merchants of Jypore. That Prince had lately obtained fome advantages over his neighbours the Battees, an extraordinary race with

whom he had long been at variance, and whose country, from its fingularity of fituation, as well geographical as ftatistical, merits a digreffion from the ordinary courfe of Mr. Thomas's narrative.

CHAPTER XI.

Defcriptive account of the country of the Batties -fingular manners and cuftoms of the inhabitants-military operations against the Rajah of Beykaneer-Mr. Thomas returns to Jyjur.

HE country of the Batties is bounded on

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the north by the Punjab and the river Sutledge, eaft by the district of Hurrianah, weft by the defert, and fouth by Beykaneer.

It is fifty cofs from east to west, and about one hundred from north to fouth.

That part of the country best adapted for the purposes of cultivation is along the banks of the river Cuggur, extending from the town. of Futtahbad to that of Batnier. The foil is uncommonly productive, which arifes in a great measure from the immense body of water defcending from the mountains during the rainy feafon; this caufing the banks of the

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river to overflow to an extent of several miles, leaves on the retiring of the waters a loamy earth, which rewards the labours of the fant in the produce of an abundant harvest.

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Where the river overflows, wheat, rice, and barley are plentiful, and in the higher parts of the country are likewife to be found those different fpecies of grain which are common throughout India. The remainder of the Battie country, owing to a fcarcity of water, is unproductive.

The course of the Cuggur river has already been laid down in our detail of the Punjab. It is here, therefore, fufficient to remark that during Mr. Thomas's refidence at Batnier, he could perceive little veftige of what was called the ancient bed of this river; but from the fcanty information he procured, it appeared to him that the river, though it formerly ran along the north fide of the fort, its channel had been choked up by vast quantities of earth forced down from the mountains; and, according to the prevailing opinion of the natives, though now loft in the fands weft of the city,