Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/117

Book II. it is limited by the kingdom of Tritchinopoly and the country of Tondiman: the capital, bearing the same name as the kingdom, lieth about 30 miles east of Tritchinopoly.

The force appointed for the conquest of Tanjore consisted of 430 Europeans, and 1,000 Sepoys, with four field pieces and four small mortars: the battering cannon and provision for the troops were sent in four ships, two of which were of the line. The army, accompanied by Saujohee, left Fort St. David in the latter end of March, and on the 13th of April encamped on the bank of the river Val-aru, which disembogues itself at Portonovo. In the evening the northern monsoon changed, and the southern commenced with a hurricane, which lasted with such violence until four o'clock the next morning, that the tents of the English camp were blown into rags, many of the draught bullocks and horses were killed, and all the military stores were so much damaged, that the army was obliged to march to Portonovo in order to repair the detriments it had sustained. Here they were informed that the storm had committed much greater ravages at sea: two of the company's ships were stranded between Cuddalore and Fort St. David: the Apollo hospital ship was lost, with all her crew: the Pembroke, a 60 gun ship, which sailed on the expedition, was wrecked, and only six of the crew saved: and the Namur of 74 guns, in which Admiral Boscawen hoisted his flag, and which was the finest ship of her size belonging to the navy of England, perished, with 750 men. Fortunately most of the other ships were either at Trinconomalee, or in parts of the coast to which the greatest violence of the hurricane did not extend.

The army having repaired its damages, left Portonovo, and marching by the great pagoda of Chilambaram, arrived at the bank of the northern arm of the Coleroon. Here Captain Cope, who commanded, encamped and intrenched, resolving to learn the state of affairs on the opposite shore before he proceeded any farther. The intelligence he received was very different from what he expected: no persons of any rank offered to declare for Saujohee, and not a single squadron appeared ready to join him: on the contrary, a great number of troops belonging to the king of Tanjore were seen moving up and down