Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/135

Book II in supporting a much less important cause, were equally blind to their real interest, in neglecting to join the Nabob of their own accord, as soon as they found the French determined to support his rival.

Chunda-sabeb and Murzafa-jing approached, levying contributions in the countries thro' which they passed, in virtue of the quality of Soubah, assumed by Murzafa-jing. In their progress they likewise augmented the number of their troops, which, when arrived at the borders of the Carnatic, amounted to 40,000 men. The troops sent from Pondicherry crossing the western mountains, at a distance from the Nabob's army, joined Murzafa-jing without opposition; who immediately proceeded to attack the Nabob, and found him encamped, with 20,000 men, under the fort of Amboor, lying 50 miles west of Arcot, and about 30 to the south of Damal-cherry, where Doast-ally Khan was killed fighting against the Morattoes in 1740. This fort of Amboor is built on the summit of a mountain, between which and a large lake at some distance from it is one of the principal passes leading into the Carnatic. The Nabob had thrown up across the pass a strong entrenchment defended by cannon, which was served by about 60 vagabond Europeans: and he had likewise caused the ground in front of the entrenchment to be swamped with water from the lake, which, although it might bemire, was not sufficiently deep to prevent the passage of determined troops.

Mr. d'Auteuil offered to Chunda-saheb to storm the entrenchment with the troops sent from Pondicherry, without the assistance of any part of Murzafa-jing's army; and Chunda-saheb, glad of an opportunity to shew that prince the great services which the European allies he had procured him were capable of performing, readily accepted the offer. The French soldiers were animated by exaggerated representations of the great treasures and other valuable plunder in the Nabob's camp, and advanced with the Sepoys resolutely to the attack; but they were repulsed, chiefly by the Nabob's artillery which the first discharge was well pointed, and did execution: they rallied and made a second attack, which lasted more than half an hour, and many of them had mounted the breast-work of the entrenchment; but they were again beaten off and obliged to retire; and in this attack Mr. d'Auteuil was