Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/337

Book V. demands, which he preferred when Balagerow was treating, loitered on the way until the other Morattoe, whom he feared, was returned to his capital; and then, about three weeks after the separation, appeared again before Calberga, where the army of Sallabadjing still remained.

His cavalry, as usual, ruined the country, intercepted convoys, and attacked such parties as they could surprize with superior numbers: but avoided, as much as possible, any encounter with the French troops: which however they could not alway's escape; but were exposed several times to the French artillery, by which they suffered considerably. He nevertheless continued his depredations, and Mr. Bussy wishing, for the sake of his own views, to relieve Sallabadjing from all military operations, advised him to give Ragogee several districts in the neighbourhood of Berar, who on this cession retreated to his own country, about three weeks after he had recommenced hostilities. But these pacifications produced an effect contrary to that which Mr. Bussy had expected from them; for the cessions made to the Morattoes, had deprived many of Sallabadjing's officers of their pensions and employments, and consequently encreased their aversion to the influence which Mr. Bussy maintained in his councils. Shanavaze Khan, the first promoter of this discontent, no longer appeared at the head of the faction; but another more dangerous opponent encouraged the disaffected, and thwarted Mr.Bussy: this was Seid Laskar Khan, the Duan, who under Nizam-al-muluck had held the post of captain-general of the Soubah's army, in which character he likewise accompanied Nazirjing into the Carnatic. From the opinion entertained of his abilities, both as a statesman and, a soldier, it was believed that Nazirjing would have escaped his fate, if he had not deprived himself of the counsels of this officer, by sending him to suppress some commotions at Aurengabad, soon after the army retired from Pondicherry to Arcot; he was at Auengabad when Sallabadjing and Mr. Bussy arrived there, in the preceding year; and although he detested, more than any one, the favours which the Soubah conferred upon his European allies, he dissembled his sentiments so well, that Mr. Bussy believing him his