Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/491

 Chap. V.] EXPEDITION AGAINST VOLUONDA. 457

the issue of a battle before he would yield it up to either. Captain Gingen, a.d. nai. becoming impatient, determined to force a surrender; and after posting his army so as to intercept the approach of Chunda Sahib, should he attempt to interfere, sent a strong detachment to attempt the ca})ture. The town, inclosed only by a mud wall, was easily gained ; but the rock, as should have been fore- seen, could not be assaulted till a breach was made, and the detachment returned to the camp.

Captain Gingen, while thus assuming the offensive, seems to have been nisgnu^fiu

1 1 (» • 1 defeat

ignorant or regardless of the fact, that he was opposed by far superior numbers. Chunda Sahib had an arm}'^ of 12,000 hoi"se and 5000 sepoys, and was l)esides suppoited by a strong battalion of French. These at break of day next morning were seen approaching along the bed of the river, which was nearly dry. Instead of attempting to intercept their progress, Captain Gingen and his officers were deliberating in a council of war whether they should fight or retreat. It was resolved to fight ; but meanwhile the French were near the foot of the rock, and the resolution came too late. The troops, aware of the hesitations of the council of war, had no hope of victory ; and, seeing some of their officers betraying symj)- toras of fear when the guns of the fort oi)ened on them, were seized with panic. Strange to say, it was at fii-st begun and for some time confined to the Company's battahon, for not only did their own officers — Clive, now a lieutenant, among the number — endeavour to rally them, but Abdul Wahab Khan, Mahomed Ali's brother, riding up to them, and pointing to his own men, who still kept their ground, upbraided them for their cowardice. It was all in vain, and the day wis lost. Even after the danger was over, the fear was so unequivoc;dl}' declared, that Captain Gingen, to free them even from the sight of the enemy, commenced his retreat at midnight, on the road leading to Trichinopoly, and did not venture to halt till he had reached the pass or straits of Ootatoor. Chunda Saliib followed slowly by the same route. When he ajipeared in sight some skirmishing took place, and even a regular battle was talked of, but the sj)irit of the troops was still such that Captain Gingen was afraid to risk it, and stole away with them in the silence of the night. So eager were they to place themselves beyond the reach of pursuit, that they marched eighteen hours without refreshment in the hottest season. Chunda Sahib following leisurely found them encjvmped on the northern bank of the Coleroon, within sight of Trichinopoly. The site of the encampment was now the only spot of ground beyond the Coleroon which Mahomed Ali could call his own.

About five miles north-west of Trichinopoly, the Cauvery, after a somewhat Tiie ixian.i of circuitous south-easterly coui-se of 380 miles from its source in the Western «itii it. Ghauts, divides into two principal anns, the northern of which is called the '"*^'* Coleroon, while the southern retains its own name. For the fii-st fifteen miles, as far as the fort of Coilady, the two anns nin nearly parallel to each other, and again approach so near that they are only prevented from uniting by means of Vol. I. 58