266 APPENDIX II battlements, and is situated eighteen leagues from Gwalior. Madhu Rao, during the continuance of the siege, kept constantly sending messages to Rana Chat- tar Singh, telling hi to persist in his opposition to Raghunath with a stout heart, as the army of the Dec- can should not be despatched to his kingdom to rein- force the latter. In a word, for the period of a year they used the most arduous endeavours to capture Gohad, but failed in attaining their object. During this campaign, the sum of 3,200,000 rupees, taken from the pay of the troops and the purses of the wealthy bankers, was incurred by Raghunath Rao as a debt to be duly repaid. He then returned to the Deccan dis- tressed and overwhelmed with shame, and entered the city of Nasik, whither Madhu Rao also repaired about the same time, to see and inquire after his fortunes. In the course of the interview, he expressed the deepest regret for the toils and disappointment that the Rao had endured, and ultimately returned in haste to Poona, after thus sprinkling salt on the galling wound. Shortly after this, Kankuma Tantia and his other friends persuaded Raghunath Rao to adopt a Brah- man's son. Accordingly the Rao attended to the advice of his foolish counsellors, and selected an individual for adoption. He constituted Amrat Rao his heir. Madhu Rao no sooner became cognizant of this fact than he felt certain that Raghunath Rao was meditating mischief and rebellion, and seeking to usurp a share in the sovereignty of the realm. He consequently set out for Nasik with a force of twenty-five thousand
