Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/287

Book IV. skirmishes of the Morattoes with the English battalion, during three or four marches, which they were obliged to make, in order to escort their provisions from Fort St. David. The French were not to be inticed out of their entrenchments; and Major Lawrence, seeing no other method of striking a decisive blow, determined to storm their camp. The presidency seconded this resolution, by sending 200 Europeans, of which 100 were a company of Swiss lately arrived from Bengal, to Fort St. David; where the battalion joined them; and the whole, with a large convoy of provisions, set out for the camp, on the first of April. The whole body of the Morattoes were waiting for them in sight of the bound-hedge; and behaved this day with more activity than ever, rarely removing out of cannon shot, and galloping up whenever the incumbrances of the baggage disunited the line of march, and left intervals open to their attacks. Thus continually threatened, and often assaulted, the convoy advanced very slowly. The weather was excessive hot, and several men fell dead with the heat, fatigue, and the want of water. When within three miles of Trivadi, the Morattoes made a general and vigorous charge, surrounding the front of the line, and were with difficulty repulsed many of their horses fell within a few yards of the field pieces, and amongst the slain was Bazinrow, Morari-row"s nephew, the same who came to captain Clive's assistance, after the siege of Arcot. His death damped their ardour, and they retreated to a distance. But the work of the day was not yet over; for the troops continuing their march, discovered within a mile of Trivadi, the French troops and Sepoys drawn up on their right: the convoy happened luckily to march on the left along the bank of the river Gandelu. The two battalions advanced against each other cannonading, until the French coming to a hollow-way, halted on the opposite side, imagining that the English would not venture to pass it under the disadvantage of being exposed to their fire; but Major Lawrence ordered the Sepoys and artillery to halt and defend the convoy against the Morattoes, still hovering about, and pushed on briskly with the main body of Europeans across the hollow way: the enemy, who expected to find the English fatigued with a long and harrassing march, were so startled at the vivacity of this motion, that they only stayed to give one fire, and then