Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/413

Book V. time, Mr. Bussy negociated with Balagerow, to dissuade him from ravaging the Mysore country; who finding he could not prosecute his intentions without incurring the hostilities of Salabad-jing, and perhaps gratified by a part of the contributions levied, returned quietly to Poni. Salabad-jing quitted Seringapatnam in April, and in his return to Hyderabad exacted the submissions and levied the tributes due from several Polygars of Viziapore. The army arrived at Hyderabad in the beginning of July, and were not employed in any other military operations during the remainder of the year. The English squadron found no enemies to encounter, nor any other occasion of active service on the coast of Coromandel since their return from Bombay in the month of January; but it may be supposed that their appearance awed the government of Pondicherry, and contributed not a little to produce that moderation which prevailed in the French councils after the conclusion of the conditional treaty. They came from Fort St. David to Madrass in the end of July, and departed from thence on the 10th of October, in order to avoid the northern monsoon. On the 10th of November, they arrived at Bombay, where they found several of the company's ships lately arrived from England, with a considerable number of troops, sent with an intention to be employed on a special expedition projected in London.

The East-India company, whilst uncertain of the event of the negociation in India, received advices of the acquisitions which Mr. Bussy had obtained from Salabad-jing; and concluding very justly that negociations alone would not induce the French to quit such great advantages, they determined to strike at their power in the northern parts of the Decan by more effectual means. Aurengabad, the capital of this division of the Mogul empire, lies no more than one hundred and fifty miles west of Bombay, and the country of the Morattoes between both: a friendly intercourse had for some time been kept up by the presidency of Bombay with the Saha Rajah; and from the frequent hostilities which had been carried on by his general Balagerow against Salabad-jing, it was imagined that the Morattoes might be rendered very instrumental in removing the French troops from the service of this prince: it was therefore determined to assist Balagerow with a force of Europeans the first time he should