Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/388

380 of February Mr. Godeheu, having fulfilled the principal intentions of his commission, quitted Pondicherry and returned to France, leaving the power of the governor much more limited than it had been in the time of Mr. Dupleix. The two presidencies, now at peace with each other, gave their whole attention to manage their respective territories, revenues, and alliances, to the best advantage, without infringing the truce. The Mysoreans could not be made to understand that they were no longer at liberty to commit hostilities against the English or the Nabob; and the regent, when advised by the French to return to his own country, said that he was under no obligation to regard any treaties that he had not made himself; that therefore he should never leave Seringham until he had got Tritchinopoly, which he did not despair of effecting even without their assistance: finding, however, that the French thought themselves obliged to acquaint the English of any schemes that he might put in practice for this purpose, he offered the commanding officer 300,000 rupees if he would retire with the French troops to Pondicherry, and leave him at liberty to carry on his projects without controul: the English, however, were under no apprehensions of the effects of them, and at the request of the Nabob a detachment of 500 Europeans and 2000 Sepoys were ordered to proceed into the countries of Madura and Tinivelly to assist in reducing them to his obedience. Maphuze Khan, who arrived at Tritchinopoly in the end of December with 1000 horse, was appointed by the Nabob his represntative in those countries, and joined his troops to the English detachment; the Nabob himself likewise resolved to accompany them some part of the way.

This army, commanded by lieutenant-colonel Heron, an officer lately arrived from England, set out in the beginning of February from their cantonments at Warriore pagodas, and halted thirty miles to the south of Tritchinopoly, at a village called Manapar, where the Polygars of this part of the country had previously been ordered to send their agents to settle their accounts with the Nabob; The four principal Polygars obeyed the summons; and their agents gave obligations promising to pay the tributes that were due; but the Nabob knowing the deceitful character of these chiefs in general, desired