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 498 illSTOliy OF INDIA. [Book III.

A.u. 1754. but there was now sufficient light to perceive that the enemy conaisted of 250 Europeans, with four field-piece.s, 1000 sepoys, and 4000 Mysore horse. A smart cannonade immediately commenced, and both armies, attnicted by the sound, immediately prepared to take part in the engagement. Captain Poher, com- manding in the absence of Major Lawrence, whom sickness had obliged to retire A brilliant into the city, hastened forward with all his remaining troops, while the rest of

achievement. , ' i /» r

the enemy s army crossed over from Seringham. When the two armies were thus pitched against each other, the inequality was seen to be enormoas. On the one side stood the British battalion, mastering only 3G0 men, 1500 .sepoy.s, and eleven troopers ; on the other side 700 Europeans, fifty troopers, 5000 sepoys, and 10,000 horse; fortunately, from the cause already mentioned, none of them Mahrattas. With such odds a decisive victory was scarcely possible ; and the utmost, therefore, which Captain Polier proposed, was to fight his way back to the camp. The English, defiling from the tank into the plain, marched onward in column, while the sepoys followed in a line at right angles with the rear of the battalion, and extending beyond it both on the right and left. In this manner they proceeded, galled by the enemy's .seven field-pieces, but suffering little from their musketry, which kept too far off" to do much mischief, and without halting reached a second tank about a mile nearer the city. Just as they reached this post, Captain Polier, who had previously been struck, received another wound, which so disabled him that he was obliged to resign the command to Captain Calliaud. The fight being now visible from the walls of the city. Major Law- rence, although very ill, ordered himself to be ca,rried to the top of one of the gates, and there beholding how his little army was hemmed in, trembled for its fate. While the enemy's sepoys and cavalry were drawn up opposite to three sides of the tank, the fourth side was menaced by the French. As the latter advanced, the three British field-pieces, brass six-pounders, capable of carrpng a large quantity of grape-shot, and admirably served, did fearful execution. In a few minutes nearly 100 of the French battalion were struck down. The rest, dismayed at the havoc, showed signs of faltering. Captain Calliaud seized the favourable moment, and sallying out with all the Europeans, gave a volley so well levelled that an indiscriminate flight immediately ensued, and continued till the fugitives were fairly out of cannon-shot. The rest of the enemy were not slow to follow the example, and the whole hastened back for Seringham ; the British, satisfied with their victory, did not attempt pm-suit. In the evening the convoy reached the camp in safety. More depended upon its arrival than the enemy seemed to have been aware of Had they succeeded in preventing it, mere want of provisions would have obliged the victors to decamp for Tanjore the very next day. .

Barbarous The enemy, ashamed and enraged at their disgraceful defeat, sought to wreak

proceeiliugs ...

of the their vengeance in any quarter where it coidd be done without much danger,

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and fixed upon Tondeman's Country, from which Trichinopoly had drayn the