Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/669

 Chap. XI. J COOTE BEFORE PONDICHEEKY. 635

temper and courage of the Mysoreans by defying them to an encounter with ad. irco. tlieir own countrymen. Previous events had discouraged them, and they decHned the challenge.

The junction of the Mysoreans with the French was not so formidable in its ^'.vw.reaiiB

finally quit

direct as in its indirect consequences. The nabob's revenues could not be col- Pomudierr)' lected in the face of marauding parties, and yet there was no other source fi-om which the funds necessary to cairy on the war could be obtained, as the direc- tors at home had intimated their resolution not to supply them, and the Bengal presidency, instead of being able, as the directors imagined, to meet the wants of the other presidencies, had been obliged to borrow largely for its own necessities. Pecuniary emban'as.sments, however, was now the only danger to be feared, for reinforcements were arriving from different quarters, and in particular, towards the beginning of August, six Company ships amved, having on board 000 men drafted from regiments in England. The French, on the contrary, were rapidly becoming weakened. The Mysoreans, increased to about 10,000, were unable to render any service ecpial to the monthly pay for which they had stipulated ; and, notwithstanding their dexterity as marauders, ftiiled to bring in [)rovisions sufficient for their own consumption. No sooner was the pressure of want felt than they began to repent of their French alliance. Desertions in consequence became so numerous, particulai-ly among the sepoys, as greatly to thin their ranks. The horse, possessing better means of regaining their homes wiien they should deem it expedient, remained more steadily at their posts, but at last, when they found their communications with the open country gradually narrowed, the greatest })art of the whole body suddenly decamped in one night from the glacis of Pondicheny. . They were hotly pursued, and suffei-cd much from British detachments before they made their escape. A few nights after, those who had remained, as well as a division of oOO who had retraced their steps in order to elude pursuit, moved off, and in a short time not one M3'sorean remained.

The time seemed now arrived for establishing a oomi^lete blockade of Pondi- Prcimratioiis

_ for besieging

cherry both by sea and land. It was necessar}' for this purpose that the it. bound hedge, with its redoubts, should be in possession of the British army, and that the squadron should remain on the coast even during the approaching mon.soon. Coote thought it. moreover, necessary that the fort of Ariancoopan should be captured. The force necessary for this purpose was estimated at SOO Europeans; but it seemed doubtful whether such a number could be safely witiidrawn from the camp, which mustered in all, inclusive of garrison and detachments, only 2000 European and GOOO native troops. It was therefore determined, in order to prevent the army from being too much weakened, to employ the marines of the squadron on shore. They amounted in all to 422

I Europeans, and were landed at Cuddalore on the 27tii of August. Another seasonable reinforcement was obtained on the 2d of September, by the arrival I