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 •i3cS HISTORY OF INDIA. [Book III.

A.D. 1749. throwing shells into it. In two nights of this foolish work all the shells were

expended, and nothing now remained but retreat. It was accomplished with much more difficulty and loss than the advance; and the troops, after a long and harassing march, returned to Fort St. David, with nothing better to detail than misfortunes and blunders. New The presidency having imdertaken the cause of Saujohee, had still two, an<]

expedition.

only two, honourable courses before them. The one was to persevere in lii.s name; the other was to abandon the contest altogether. Declining both these courses, they devised a third, which, though it enabled them ultimately to gain their object, left a stain on their reputation. They made no scruple of abandoning Saujohee, but felt a stronger longing than ever for Devicotta. It was deter- mined, therefore, to wrest it from its rightful owners, at all events, whether by force or fear. A new expedition was accordingly fitted out, and with much more prudence than before. It was commanded by Major Lawrence, the officer of highest reputation in India, and escaped the fatigue and dangers of a land march, by proceeding at once to the scene of action by sea. Six ships, three of them of the line, carried the Europeans, 800 in number, with the artillery and baggage ; while 1500 sepoys accompanied them in large boats used by the natives for coastinor. Having aiTived and anchored in the mouth of the Coleroon. the troops and stores proceeded in boats up the arm leading to Devicotta, and were landed on the bank opposite to it. This position was chosen, both because the ground on the other side was marshy, and the Tanjore army lay encamped imder the walls. The siege of The fort, about a mile in circuit, formed an irregular hexagon, inclosed by a brick waU eighteen feet high, and flanked by square or circular towers. The attack was made on the eastern side by four twenty-four pounders, and in three days the breach was pronounced practicable. The great difficulty now was to cross the stream, which besides being dangerous from its rapidity, had wood}- banks, from which the enemy were prepared to defend the passage. It was ultimately effected by John Moor, a ship-carpenter, who not only contrived a raft capable of carrying 400 men, but swam the river during a very dark night with a rope, which was attached without being seen to the root of a large tree on the one side and to the raft on the other. By this contrivance the whole troops were transported, and soon succeeded in clearing the thickets. The enemy had not attempted to repair the breach, but learning from it the direction in which the final attempt would be made, endeavoured to counteract it by forming an entrenchment, which stretched from the banks of the river across this side of the fort. This entrenchment, though not finished when the troops crossed, pre- sented a serious obstacle to further progress, the more especially that in front of it there was a deep and miry rivulet. The attack, however, was resolved upon ; and Clive, who had finally quitted the civil for the military ser'ice, and attained the rank of lieutenant, voluiiteered to conduct it. His offer was accepted,