the
British in Bombay reserved to themselves, that when their ally Rugonath
Raw was demanded to be surrendered by the Poona minister, the
panic-stricken Government of Bombay would have given him up, had he not
made his escape to Scindia. The British, by the help of Scindia, made a
convention with the Mahratta Government of Poona, by which the Island
of Salsette was to be ceded, and the fort and government of Baroach
were to be added to Scindia's kingdom, two hostages being left to
secure the performance of that engagement from the British. This
arrangement cost England 41,000 rupees as presents for the good offices
of some powerful Hindoos.
The
Bengal contingent was intercepted by native chiefs, and so little
progress had Colonel Leslie made in five months that the
Governor-General recalled him, and appointed Colonel Goddard to succeed
to the command. After this the Bengal contingent was very soon marched
into Bombay, and in 1780 Colonel Goddard put his army in motion, and
Ahmedabad was taken by assault. From its position, at the eastern end
of Gujerat, both Scindia and Holkar were threatened with check, and
these two chiefs advanced to give battle to Goddard, when the British
general at once accepted the challenge. Scindia used all the eastern
arts to avert the engagement he had challenged, but Goddard brought the
matter to an end by an attack upon the enemy's camp, which proved
successful. In the meantime a small force under Captain Popham attacked
Lahar, 50 miles from Calpie, and, to the astonishment of Sir Eyre
Coote, carried it by storm. If possible, it was an object of
