These preliminaries being disposed of, the scene that followed resembled a fair. Every man's share of the plunder was exposed for sale; purchasers flocked from all quarters, proximate and remote, the business of sale being principally conducted by women, while the men gave themselves up to amusement, of which intoxication constituted a considerable portion. This lasted until the produce of the expedition was exhausted, and it became necessary to seek in fresh outrages renewed means of gratification. Thus passed the life of the Pindarrie robber, in an alternation of brutal exertion and sensual abandonment.
They were, in truth, except on account of their numbers, a very contemptible set of miscreants. No redeeming virtue marked the character of the Pindarrie: even animal courage, often the sole ennobling quality of his profession, he possessed not. The Pindarrie marched, or rather darted, upon his victims with a rapidity never equalled by any regular force; but he manifested equal or even greater alacrity in flight. No troops in the history of the world ever displayed such proficiency in the art of running away; and to this, their strong point, they invariably resorted if attacked. They were mean and cowardly thieves, engendered by a vicious and diseased state of society.
Such is the description of this most atrocious confederacy, which received especial marks of favour and encouragement from many of the native princes; who mutually employed the Pindarries against each other, to ruin and devastate their respective countries; and not unfrequently remunerated their services by betraying and plundering their wretched instruments. On one occasion they made an overture to the Government of Bhopal to invade and lay waste the territories of Nagpore, with which state it was at war. Their offer was declined, upon which they made a like tender of their services to Nagpore for ravaging Bhopal. The ruler of Nagpore accepted their offer, and they executed his order so effectually that, at
