DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.25988#0081
1803.
Assye.
59
straight to any place I tliink they will be run down. If they
wind and double, they may gain a march on the Greneral, but
not more. The Greneral has not neglected the protection of
Poona in any of his plans. At present it is not exposed, the
enemy being near two hundred miles from it, with us between
it and them. I do not know why you think the Greneral
deficient in intelligence. There is always speedy information
of every movement of the enemy, who, you know, are a mighty
army of sixteen thousand horse, very ill-mounted, and without
one gun. With respect to the Greneral’s running them down,
while they wander, as they are doing now, they have great
advantages in the uncertainty of their movements ; but if ever
they take any expedition in hand, I think they will soon be run
down. If the enemy go your way we shall soon meet; but I
clo not think there is any chance of it. The object of a cherry
fouj, without guns, with two armies after it, must be to fly
about and plunder the richest country it can fincl, not to march
through exhausted countries, to make revolutions in cities.
Do not write me a letter full of black melancholy, and common
bile, if I say that I am incredibly stupid and sleepy to-day, ancl
that my side is little better for my blister. I have observecl
that a dismal letter draws a dismal answer, so I stop. If I do
not get a very witty letter, full of goocl humour, before you get
this I shall complain. ‘ Yours ever,
‘ M. Elphinstone.’
‘Camp near Peepttlgaon, Sept. 11, 1803.
‘ Dear Strachey,—I have receivecl yours of the 8th. I have
already, if I recollect right, written you the enemy’s motions
regularly, as far as I knew them. Where they are now I am
not certain : they cannot be far off, as their Pinclarrees annoy
our foragers. I hearcl of them yesterday at Jalna, which may
be (I speak between guess and hircarra report) forty miles
from this. But I think I heard it repeated by a native intelli-
gencer to the General to-day that they had marched to Amber.
Amber, I am told, is said by some to be four, ancl by others six
or seven miles from this. It is certain that a party of one hundred
Assye.
59
straight to any place I tliink they will be run down. If they
wind and double, they may gain a march on the Greneral, but
not more. The Greneral has not neglected the protection of
Poona in any of his plans. At present it is not exposed, the
enemy being near two hundred miles from it, with us between
it and them. I do not know why you think the Greneral
deficient in intelligence. There is always speedy information
of every movement of the enemy, who, you know, are a mighty
army of sixteen thousand horse, very ill-mounted, and without
one gun. With respect to the Greneral’s running them down,
while they wander, as they are doing now, they have great
advantages in the uncertainty of their movements ; but if ever
they take any expedition in hand, I think they will soon be run
down. If the enemy go your way we shall soon meet; but I
clo not think there is any chance of it. The object of a cherry
fouj, without guns, with two armies after it, must be to fly
about and plunder the richest country it can fincl, not to march
through exhausted countries, to make revolutions in cities.
Do not write me a letter full of black melancholy, and common
bile, if I say that I am incredibly stupid and sleepy to-day, ancl
that my side is little better for my blister. I have observecl
that a dismal letter draws a dismal answer, so I stop. If I do
not get a very witty letter, full of goocl humour, before you get
this I shall complain. ‘ Yours ever,
‘ M. Elphinstone.’
‘Camp near Peepttlgaon, Sept. 11, 1803.
‘ Dear Strachey,—I have receivecl yours of the 8th. I have
already, if I recollect right, written you the enemy’s motions
regularly, as far as I knew them. Where they are now I am
not certain : they cannot be far off, as their Pinclarrees annoy
our foragers. I hearcl of them yesterday at Jalna, which may
be (I speak between guess and hircarra report) forty miles
from this. But I think I heard it repeated by a native intelli-
gencer to the General to-day that they had marched to Amber.
Amber, I am told, is said by some to be four, ancl by others six
or seven miles from this. It is certain that a party of one hundred