He urged that the preparations he had made were intended solely for the defence of his state, against marauding bands of Mahrattas, and especially against those of Murari Reo, who was a scourge to all his neighbours.
In the meantime, every effort was made to strengthen the defences of Ambur.

The walls surrounding the town were repaired, and although these, in themselves, could have offered but a slight defence to a determined assault, the approaches to the town were all covered by the guns of the fort above.
The weak point of the defence was the hill behind the town.

This sloped up, gradually, to a point higher than the level of the projecting rock upon which the castle stood.

It then rose, in rugged cliffs, some two hundred feet higher; and then fell away again, steeply, to its summit.

This was too far back for the fire of guns placed upon it to injure the castle or town.