man, greatly against his own will, and much to the glory of the Prophet.
On the fall of Seringapatam the humanity of the conquerors set him at liberty, and no sooner were his fetters off than his feet were again in the stirrup; while many of Tippoo's troopers, men of desperate fortunes, without a country, a service, or a master, became his willing followers. The actual state of the country being highly favourable to recruiting for such predatory purposes as those of Dhoondia, he was 'soon enabled to overrun the district of Biddenoor, while certain Killadars were prevailed upon to betray their trusts to him; and in this manner some of the principal places in the province fell into his hands, before it was in the power of General Harris to detach from the army a sufficient force to act against him with effect.
Meanwhile Dhoondia made the best use of the time thus afforded him, by levying contributions on the rich country that lay at his mercy; enforcing his exactions by the most unrelenting cruelty, and filling the province with acts of rapine and murder. To stop his career, a light corps of cavalry and native infantry, under the command of Colonel Dalrymple, moved from Chittledroog as soon as their services could be spared. They soon fell in with a party of the banditti, consisting of about two hundred and fifty horse and four hundred infantry, which they completely destroyed. The capture by the English force of a fort on the east bank of the river Toombuddra followed, and not long afterwards another on the west bank was taken.
While Colonel Dalrymple was thus engaged. Colonel Stevenson was advancing into Biddenoor by another direction, at the head of a light force, composed also of cavalry and native infantry. Simoga was attacked by this force, and carried by assault. On the 17th of August, 1799, Dhoondia was attacked near Shikarpoor; and his cavalry, after sustaining considerable loss, were driven into a river which was situated in their rear.
