Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/248

240 but none was intended: for Mr. Law soon came out with some of his officers, and conducted the detachment into the pagoda, where they formed with their backs to the gate, opposite to the French troops, who immediately flung down their arms in a heap, and surrendered prisoners. The whole consisted of 35 commission officers, 725 battalion men bearing arms, besides 60 sick and wounded in the hospital, and 2000 Sepoys: their artillery were four 13 inch mortars, 8 cohorus, 2 petards, 31 pieces of cannon, of which 11 were for battering, mostly 18 pounders, and the rest field pieces: they had likewise a great quantity of ammunition, stores and carriages of all sorts in very good condition. The pagoda of Seringham was soon after delivered up, and the horse and foot who had taken refuge in it suffered to pass away without molestation; but the 1000 Rajpoots refused to quit the temple, and threatened their victors to cut them to pieces if they offered to enter within the third wall: the English, in admiration of their enthusiasm, promised to give them no occasion of offence. Thus was this formidable army, whose numbers two months before were nearly equal to the confederates, reduced, without a battle, more effectually than it probably could have been by what is generally esteemed a total defeat in the field. The soldier who regards his profession as a science, will discover examples worthy of his meditation, both in the absurdity of the enemy's choice of their situation, and in the advantages which were taken of it. It is indeed difficult to determine whether the English conducted themselves with more ability and spirit, or the French with more irresolution and ignorance, after major Lawrence and captain Clive arrived at Tritchinopoly.

Still the fate of Chunda-saheb remained to be decided before the success of this day could be deemed complete. The anxiety which Monack-jee carried away from the conference in major Lawrence's tent was encreased every hour by the messages and proposals he received. The Mysorean promised money, the Nabob threatened resentment, and Morari-row, more plainly, that he would pay him a visit at the head of 6000 horse. Terrified at the commotions which would inevitably follow, if he, gave the preference to any one of the competitors he saw no method of finishing the contest but by putting an end to the life of his