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Rh the rock-perched fortress of Gwalior, which Sir Eyre Coote, the new member of Hastings' Council, had held it utter madness to attack.

These 'frantic military exploits,' as Francis and his allies were wont to call them, owed much of their success to the Governor-General's own resourceful energy, his masterful self-reliance, and his happy choice of competent officers. They were followed in March, 1781, by the surprise and rout of Sindhia himself at the hands of Colonel Carnac, who, after a painful retreat of seventeen days through Málwá, thus suddenly checkmated his over-confident pursuer. In the west, however, Goddard was less fortunate. A great gathering of Maráthá horse and foot barred his advance to Poena, while Parasrám Bháo kept harassing his rear. To march back over the Gháts before 60,000 keen pursuers, was all that remained to him; but, thanks to his own skill and the courage of his soldiers, the return to Panwell was safely effected, after some hard fighting, before the end of April, 1781.

Meanwhile events had happened in Southern India which enlarged the circle of Hastings' anxieties, and thwarted his efforts to keep India closed against the French. Ever since 1772 Haidar Alí had lost no opportunity of enlarging his boundaries at the expense of his weaker neighbours. Before the end of 1778 he had pushed his conquests northward to the Kistna and