fore [you] at this time will make a rapid march with all your troops, fall upon them and raise the siege, we shall again see your face. If you fail on this occasion, to come, our fate is in God's hands. [Z]"
He dispatched this letter hy express* and sent it by the hand of Munei Vira Bhadrudu. The moment that the baron of Bellary read this letter, he sent for the troops at Kurugodu and Bellari, and gave them to the charge of his younger brother Hanumapa Nayu and sent them saying, " You are to go and fall upon them arid raise the siege and return." They [accordingly] went (lit. came] arid three hours after noon they assaulted the troops of Basavapa who were closely beleaguering the place : ( a ) a great battle took place between them and many were slain on each side. Then Basavapa's men withdrew from the siege, and going along the inner (bank) of the tank, [they fled] along the Upparla palli roadf and taking refuge behind the Gummana embankment, they halted in Belappa's grove. The Bellary troops then returned to Anantapuram.
9. When the Nabob of KarpaJ heard of these brawls, he consider- ed that an ancient family was now in difficulties for want of allies. He therefore gave some troops into the hand of a captain (sardar) who was with him, saying, You are to march with speed, and chase away the Bellari chiefs who are in that village ; you are to garrison Anantapuram : and write me a report of your doing this. The [Kadapa] captain set out, and halted on the bank of the Kotaleru stream near Narpala. When the Bellary captains in the fort, heard of this, they thought " They must have written to the [Nabob of] Kadapa to fall upon us." They and their troops were in consternation ; their army broke up and fled to Raptad and thereabout? ; then they departed every man to his village.
10. When baron Basavapa heard this news, he arose, with (his captain) Bharmaji, (see above) arid halted at Raptadu. When the
- Literally, (Khaddi katti) " ho tied a bit of wood to the letter." tins denoted that it was to travel with speed. Compare the Lady of the Lake, vuisc 8 canto 3 ; "a slender crosslct, a cubit's length in measure," was the similar rite used
in the highlands.
() Page 42.
f Lit : the village of the Diggers. The nppara vandlu arc the tribe who de- the work of excavators. In England they aie called Navigators.
7 rii'bubly Mijid Khan \>ho ^0.5 Nabob oi Cuddapa in AI> 1703,
