And the safety of Surat from the Portuguese, through
the bravery of the English. It was therefore agreed that we should not
depart without a sufficient guard, which was to be ready for us next
day. We did not however depart till the 29th; and, at Brodrah, the men
belonging to Sarder Khan procured more soldiers to assist them, as there
were several companies of rajputs lying in the way to intercept us, and
many robberies and murders were committed daily in that part of the
country.
[Footnote 139: This name also is so corrupted as not to have any
resemblance in the modern geography of Hindoostan. - E.]
On the 2d of February, while passing through a narrow lane inclosed on
both sides with hedges, we were assaulted by above 300 rajputs, where we
could not hurt them, as they did our caffila or caravan by their arrows
and shot. We therefore made all the haste we could to gain the plain,
while they in the mean time cut off two of our carriages. Having got to
the open ground we made a stand; but the rajputs betook themselves again
to their hedges, to look after their prey, lest one thief should rob
another. Many of our party were hurt on this occasion, among which was
Humphrey Elkington.
