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 l'('0 JIISTOKY OF INDIA. [Book III.

AD. 1751. and defeating the troops of the polygar, sent the reinforcement forward to its destination through the kingdom of Tanjore, and were on their return to Pjrt St. David with twenty-four attendants, twelve of them sepoys, when they were NaiTow surrounded by the polygar's troops, and after losing the greater number ol" (•live. their attendants, only escaped by the fleetness of their horses. Not long after, another reinforcement was despatched to Trichinopoly. Affairs there were still in a most unsatisfactory state. The British officers were quarrelling among themselves instead of thinking how they might best sustain the honour of their country; and it seemed absolutely necessary to make an example of several of them by dismissing them at a time when their places could hardly be supplied. To meet the difficulty in part, Clive returned to his true vocation, and set out His expedi- for Trichinopoly in command of the reinforcement. It proceeded through the ihinopoiy. territory of Tanjore, the king of which still professed neutrality, and received from Devicotta a small accession under Captain Clarke, who, as senior officer, assumed the command. The whole united mustered only 100 Europeans and fifty sepoys, with a field-piece. The French, who were in possession of the fort of Coilady, detached a body of thirty Europeans and 500 sepoys to intercept them. A skirmish ensued greatly to the disadvantage of the French, and the detachment reached Trichinopoly in safety. The superiority of the enemy was still very decided. Chunda Sahib's troops were ten times more numerous than those of Mahomed Ali; and while the French battalion mustered 900, the English did not exceed 600 men. In pecuniary resources, also, the enemy had decidedly the advantage. The whole country either acknowledged their author- ity, or was subject to their exactions, while almost all the usual soiu'ces of Mahomed Ah's revenues were dried up. The only thing to balance these advan- tages of the besiegers was the strength of the place. He attacks Captain Clive returned to Fort St. David in the beginning of August, 1751,

and after representing the fatal issue to which afiairs at Trichinopoly were evidently tending, suggested as a last resource to attempt a diversion by an attack on Arcot. The bold proposal was accepted, and he was requested, or volunteered to undertake the execution of it. After stripping Fort St. David and Madras so as to leave only 100 men in the one and fifty in the other, the whole force that could be mustered for the expedition, amounted to 200 Euro- peans and 300 sepoys, with three field-pieces. Of the officers, eight in number, six had never seen service, and of these six four were civilians, who, animated by Clive's example, quitted the desk for the sword. Starting fi-om Madras on the 2C)th of August, they proceeded south-east to Conjeveram, where they arrived on the 29th, and learned that the fort of Arcot was garrisoned by 1100 men. From Conjeveram they continued their march nearly due west, not far from the northern bank of the Paliar, and on the 31st were within ten miles of Arcot. Their approach was made known by spies, who had seen the detachment marching with unconcern in a violent storm of thunder and rain. The garrison

and cap tiires Arcot