Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/261

Book IV. proclaiming Raja-saheb, the son of Chunda-saheb, Nabob of the province, in virtue of the pretended authority invested in himself, and by ordering a body of 500 men to take the field.

Mahomed-ally felt more severely eveiy day the bad consequences of his promise to the Mysorean, for none but the most insignificant chiefs in the province offered voluntarily to acknowledge him; the rest waited to be attacked before they made their submission; and he being little skilled in military matters, but deeply sensible of the decline of his fortune, conceived a notion, that the English troops were capable of reducing the fortress of Gingee; in this persuasion he requested of the presidency in the most pressing terms to render him this service, and they with too much complaisance determined to give him the satisfaction of seeing the experiment tried, notwithstanding that major Lawrence went to Madrass on purpose to represent the improbability of succeeding in the attempt.

Accordingly on the 23d of July, major Kineer, an officer lately arrived from Europe, marched with 200 Europeans, 1500 Sepoy's, and 600 of the Nabob's cavalry, and the next day summoned Villaparum, a fort twelve miles to the north of Trivadi: it surrendered without making any resistance. Proceeding on their march, they found difficulties increase; for the country 10 miles round Gingee is inclosed by a circular chain of mountains, and the roads leading through them are strong passes, of which it is necessary that an army attacking the place should be in possession, in order to keep the communication open. Major Kineer's force being much too small to afford proper detachments for this service, he marched on with the whole to Gingee, where he arrived the 26th. The garrison was summoned to surrender, and the officer answered with civility, that he kept the place for the king of France, and was determined to defend it. The troops were in no condition to attack it; for by some unaccountable presumption, they had neglected, to wait for two pieces of battering cannon, which were coming from Fort St. David. Mr. Dupleix no sooner heard that the English had passed the mountains, than he detached 300 Europeans and 500 Sepoys, with seven field pieces who took possession of Vicravandi, a town situated in the high road, and