Page:History of the French in India.djvu/387

 BUSSY SURPRISES THE MAB/VTITA AT? MY. 363 gues, Bussy, still prevailing with the Subadar, moved on chap. until he found himself once more in the vicinity of the Maratha army at Rajapur on the Gur river. The time 1751. was propitious for an attack. An eclipse of the moon had called all the Hindus to their devotions, and Bussy was resolved to take advantage of their superstition to beat up their quarters. It was a new thing to his Muhammadan allies to witness this attempt to fight the Marathas with their own weapons — to attempt to surprise those who had owed a great part of their success to their own quickness and vigilance. 80 great was their opinion of the Marathas that this attack seemed to them, witnesses as they had been of the flight of the cavalry of Balaji in the open field, to savour more of rashness than prudence. Nevertheless Buss} attempted it. Taking advantage of the moment when the eclipse of the moon would, as he believed, engross all the attention of the enemy, he moved upon their camp, and opened suddenly a fire of artillery and small arms. The surprise was complete. Balaji himself, who was " busy at his devotions, and naked, had hardly time to throw himself on an unsaddled mare, on which he saved his life by flying with all his might." * His example was followed by his entire army, and though the accounts of the slaughter vary,f it is certain that the Marathas lost an immense quantity of booty, and that a heavy blow was dealt to their prestige as warriors. Proportionately, and even more than proportionately, did the victory increase the reputation of Bussy. It can easily be understood on how high an elevation those who had so dreaded Maratha dash and daring must t Grant Duff asserts, on the autho- success, that they lost a vast number rity of Maratha accounts, that the of men, whom the French consumed surprise was incomplete, and that in shoals at the fire altars of their the Marathas did not suffer mate- artillery." Grant Duff admits that rially. The author of the " Seir this action had an immense effect in Mutakerin " states, on the other raising Bussy's reputation, hand, that the Marathas ''were set
 * Seir Mutikherin. upon in the night, and with so much