Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/143

Book II. much seeming humility, that Chunda-saheb suffered himself to be amused to the middle of December, without having settled the terms of accommodation. In the mean time the king, corresponding with Mahomed-ally at Tritchinopoly, joined with him in exhorting Nazir-jing, at Gol-condah, to come and settle the affairs of the Carnatic in person, after the example of his father Nizam-al-muluck. He likewise solicited the assistance of the English, who exhorted him to defend himself to the last extremity; but sent to his assistance no more than 20 Europeans, who were detached from Tritchinopoly and entered the city of Tanjore in the night. Mr. Dupleix beheld with great anxiety this detention of the army before Tanjore, and continually sent letters, representing to Chunda-saheb the superior importance of Tritchinopoly: and finding that his exhortations had no effect, he ordered the commander of the French battalion to endeavour to break off the treaty, by committing some signal hostility. By this time Chunda-saheb likewise thought it necessary to attack the place, and, in order to intimidate the Tanjorines, made his whole army march round the walls sounding their military music. This procession was repeated four days successively, but without effect. The Tanjorines fired from the walls upon the troops, whilst they were making this parade; and on the fifth day the French troops attacked three redoubts, about 600 yards from the walls, and carried them with the loss of five Europeans. Early the next morning some of the king's ministers came to the camp, and entered into conference with Chunda-saheb, who made his proposals, and allowed the king two days to consider of them; but finding that no answer was returned on the third, he directed the French commandant to bombard the town: a few shells fell near the king's palace, and frightened him so much, that he immediately sent deputies to the camp; who renewed the conferences, which continued three days longer without concluding any thing. The French commandant, more weary than Chunda-saheb of these delays, renewed the 'bombardment; and the enemy, assisted by the English soldiers, answered it by the fire of many pieces of cannon, which they had brought from different part fortifications to that which was opposite the French attack. Exasperated by this unexpected resistance,