Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/141

Book II of the court of Delhi, if, by interfering in the present war of Coromandel they should chance to take the wrong side. Necessity was their justification for having taken possession of St. Thomé; aud they already repented severely of their expedition to Tanjore: and relinquishing all views of conquest, they imagined that the restitution of these places would at any time satisfy the Mogul government, which they were very unwilling to offend any farther. Restrained by this spirit of caution, at the same time that they fully saw the dangers to which they were exposed, they were incapable of taking the vigourous resolutions which the necessity of their affairs demanded. They should have kept Mr. Boscawen with his force on the coast, and joined their whole strength to Mahomed-ally, without considering who was or was not authorized to fight in the Carnatic: whereas they only sent 120 Europeans to join Mahomed-ally at Tritchinopoly, and suffered Mr. Boscawen to return to England with the fleet and troops, notwithstanding he had declared that he would remain, if the presidency publickly requested his stay at this critical conjuncture.

On the 21st of October the fleet sailed from Fort St. David, leaving behind 300 men, to reinforce the garrison. The French were so sensible of the great advantages they should derive from Mr. Boscawen's departure, that they could not immediately bring themselves to believe he intended to quit India; but imagined that he had only left the coast to avoid the stormy monsoon, and purposed to return as soon as that season was passed. However, they were prepared to take advantage even of this absence, short as they supposed it; and the very next day Murzafa-jing's army, accompanied by 800 Europeans, 300 Caffres and Topasses, with a train of artillery, began to march from Pondicherry, and crossing the river Coleroon, entered the kingdom of Tanjore. Mr. Dupleix had strongly recommended to Chunda-saheb to suffer nothing to divert him from proceeding directly to attack the city of Tritchinopoly; since it was evident, that until this place was reduced, the family of An'war-odean Khan would always be enabled to make efforts to recover the Nabobship. Chunda-saheb acquiesced in the truth of this reasoning: and, not to discourage the ardour with which