Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/531

 CiiAP. VI.] SIEGE OF TItlCHINOroLV. 41)7

much dexterity, that duiing three months not one of the convoys of provisions a.d. 1754. coming from Tondeman's Woods was intercepted. The enemy were most anxious to dei)rive Major Lawrence of his services, but having no hope of corrupting his integrity by a bribe, endeavoured to effect then* object by a very base plot. A Brahmin, named Poniapa, acting as Indian interpreter to the British, necessarily pos-sessed much of their confidence, and became privy to tiieir most secret de- signs. This confidence, of which he was altogether miworthy, he shamefully unseattemi-t betrayed by entering into a secret coiTespondence with the enemy, and ulti- jiahoiuea mately engaging to act entirely in their interest. In the course of this guilty intercourse it was resolved by all means to get rid of Mahomed Issoof ; but, as he was too much on his guard to be cut off by any kind of assassination, the following scheme was adopted: — A letter, addressed by the Mysorean commander Nunjeraj, was purposely placed so as to be intercepted. Captain Kilpatrick, on obtaining possession of it, carried it to Major Lawrence, who caused Poniapa to interpret it in their presence. It desired Mahomed Issoof and another sepoy officer to meet according to promise with some persons deputed by Kunjeraj, to adju-st the time and mode of betraying Trichinopoly, promising him, if the plot succeeded, an immense sum in money, and various other advantages. Mahomed issoof and the other sepoy named in the letter were at once imprisoned, but a short investigation established their innocence, and they were released. Sus- picion now fell upon the proper party, and Poniapa, thougli refusing to the last to make any confession of his guilt, was blown from a gun.

The first symiitom of a favourable turn in the affiiirs of the nabob and his ^i'"'niiig

jKj.sitioii of

British allies appeared about this time, when Morari Row, who had become tired the British of the wai", picked a quarrel with Nunjeraj, by making some exorbitant demands for money, and, on being refused, withdrawing to an encampment on the north l)ank of the Coleroon. Another incident, which at first threatened very disastrous results, terminated triumphantly. On the 1 2th of May a pai'ty of 120 Europeans and 500 sepoys, with two field-pieces, set out under the com- mand of Captain Calliaud, at four in the moniing, intending to wait about two miles south of the Sugar-loaf Rock, for a convoy of provisions which had been ordered to advance from Tondeman's Woods. The place where they meant to halt was an old water-tank, nearly choked up, though its mound was nearly entire. They had nearly retxched it when Mahomed Issoof, who was riding in front, was surprised on ascending an eminence, by the neighing of his horse and the answer of it by several others. On advancing to reconnoitre, he was fired at from the other side of the eminence by several French troopers. The presence of the enemy in the very tank in which the party had determined to wait for the convoy was now certain. Captain Calliaud immediately prepared for attack, and by dexter- ously moving the sepoys on the left, while the Europeans wheeled round to the right flank, placed the enemy between two fires, and obliged them to abandon the tank with precipitation. The da' was only dawning when the action began. Vol. I. 63