Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/187

Book III. river near the pagoda. The camp was only accessible by the high, road; for the rest of the ground was laid out in rice fields, which being at this season overflowed, formed a morass not to be passed by cavalry: but the army soon found difficulties in getting provisions which could now only be brought from the opposite shore under the protection of the guns of the camp, and it was feared that this distress would be greatly increased by the enemy's sending a strong detachment across the river to take possession of the great pagoda. It was therefore resolved to prevent them, and orders were given for the whole army to cross the river.

The Coleroon, like all the other rivers on the coast of Coromandel, is subject to very sudden and unforeseen alterations, which depend on the rains that fall on the mountains of the Malabar coast; so that in the space of twenty-four hours it often, from being fordable, becomes almost impassable even by boats; and at this time it was scarcely fordable, and very rapid. The ammunition and stores were transported before day-light in two large flat boats, kept by the government of Tritchinopoly to ferry over horses. The troops then followed with the field-pieces: and the retreat was not discovered by the enemy until the last boat, with four of the field pieces, was passing. This stuck upon a sand-bank, and the enemy brought down their guns, and cannonaded it; on which it was abandoned by the boatmen; but the grenadiers, who formed the rear-guard, brought it off, and the whole army passed without any other loss than that of two or three tumbrils, and one small iron gun belonging to the Nabob. The English troops, as well as those of the Nabob, entered the pagoda, and were admitted with great reluctance into three of the first inclosures, which affording room much more than sufficient for their reception, they complied with the earnest sollicitations of the Bramins, imploring them to carry the stain of their pollutions no nearer the habitation of the idol. It was evident this post might have been defended against the enemy's whole force, since the cannon of Tritchinopoly and those in the pagoda were near enough to have kept the communication open: but the spirit of retreat still so strongly possessed the army, that they suspected the outward wall of Seringham to be in a ruinous condition, and thought the extent of it too great to he defended