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from the pressure imposed upon him by the Maráthás, Haidar began to recruit his means by exacting heavy contributions from all the wealthy persons he could seize. On hearing of the dissensions at Poona as to the succession, on the death of the Peshwá Náráyan Ráo, he despatched Tipú to regain possession of the territory ceded to the Maráthás, while he himself prepared to recover Malabar. Between the Mysore country and Malabar intervenes the small mountainous district of Coorg—now the field of active European enterprise in the production of coffee,—and as its subjugation appeared to Haidar to be essential to his keeping open his communication with the coast, he suddenly entered the country towards the end of 1773.

Coorg, or Kodagú, is a most picturesque alpine region, heavily wooded, and bounded on the west by