Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/255

Book IV. time. The Nabob knew that an immediate declaration of war, would effectually stop the progress of his arms in the Carnatic, where he hoped to gain some signal advantage, whilst the regent delayed to commence hostilities against him; and the regent wished for nothing so much as the departure of the Nabob and the English battalion, that he might carry on his schemes to surprize Tritchinopoly, which he knew their presence would render ineffectual. The excuses he made, when pressed to march, sufficiently explained his intentions; and to frustrate them, 200 Europeans with 1500 Sepoys were placed in garrison in the city, under the command of captain Dalton, who was instructed to take every precaution against a surprize.

The battalion, now reduced to 500 men, together with 2500 Sepoys, began their march on the 28th of June, accompanied by the Nabob at the head of 2000 horse: these, with about the same number of Peons left in Tritchinopoly, were all the force he commanded, for none of the numerous allies, whom he saw acting in his service a few days before, remained with him. The Tanjorines had rendered too great services to be refused the permission of returning home; and the troops of the Polygars were not obliged to act out of the districts of Tritchinopoly. The Mysoreans and Morattoes remained in their encampment to the west of the city, placing a detachment in Seringham Pagoda, of which the Nabob had permitted them to take possession. The weakness to which the Nabob's force was reduced by this fatal contest, and the apprehension of still worse consequences from it, destroyed the hopes which the English had entertained a few days before, of carrying his arms in triumph against Velore or Gingee. Their late success, instead of inspiring exultation, served only to imbitter the sense of their incapacity to reap any advantage from it. They marched away more with the sullenness of men defeated, than with the alacrity of troops flushed with victory; and proceeding with out any regular plan for their future operations, they followed the high road until they came to Vol-condah.

Here they halted for some days, whilst the Nabob negociated with the governor, who refused to deliver up his fort, but took the oath of allegiance, and paying 80.000 rupees as a consideration for the arrears