Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/302

294 might seem, justified by the success alone; for as the city would inevitably have fallen if the English had remained inactive, so the loss of it would have been hastened only a few days if they had been defeated; and major Lawrence undoubtedly acted with as much sagacity as spirit in risquing every thing to gain a victory, on which alone depended the preservation of the great object of the war.

The enemy dispirited by their defeat, began to disagree amongst themselves; the Mysoreans and French reciprocally imputing their ill success to one another, and the Morattoes with great reason to both; their parties appeared less frequently on the plain in the day, and none ventured to patrole in the night: the English Sepoys in Tondiman's country availing themselves of this interval, quitted the woods, and joined the camp in the night, with a convoy of provisions which furnished a stock for fifty days. This necessary object being provided for, the Major determined to avoid coming again to a general engagement, before he was joined by some troops, which the arrival of the ships from Europe enabled the presidency to send into the field: they were ordered to march through the Tanjore country; and as a body of cavalry was still more necessary to enable the army to act with vigour against an enemy which had such numbers, he resolved to proceed without delay to Tanjore, in hopes that whilst he was waiting for the reinforcement, the appearance of the army and the reputation of their late success might determine the king to declare openly, and furnish the assistance of horse, of which the English stood so much in need. The presence of the Nabob, being thought necessary to facilitate the negociation, he prepared to march with the army; but on the evening that he intended to quit the city, his discontented troops assembled in the outer court of the palace, and clamouring declared that they would not suffer him to move, before he had paid their arrears; in vain were arguments to convince this rabble, more insolent because they had never rendered any essential service, that his going to Tanjore was the only measure from which they could hope for a chance of receiving their pay; they remained inflexible, and threatened violence; upon which captain Dalton sent a messenger to the camp, from whence the grenadier company immediately marched into the city, where they were joined by