Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/389

Book V. that the army might remain at Manapar until the money was paid, and sent officers to collect it; who on their return reported that the Polygar Lachenaig, after paying a part, refused to pay the remainder Upon this it was resolved to attack his country, and the army after marching ten miles to the south-west of Manapar, in the high road leading to Dindigul, came in sight of his woods, which lye about two miles to the west of that road.

The subjects of this, as well as of all the other Polygars in these southern parts of the peninsula, are Colleries, a people differing in many respects from the rest of the Indians, and hitherto little known to Europeans; they sally in the night from their recesses and strongholds to plunder the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages of their cattle, which if they cannot bring away alive, they kill with their long spears: by constant practice in these exploits they acquire so much dexterity and audacity that they will for hire undertake to steal and bring off a horse even from the center of a camp; they are so far from thinking it a disgrace to be accounted thieves, that they value themselves upon excelling in the profession, and relate to strangers stories of desperate and successful thefts accomplished by their countrymen, with as much complacence as other people commemorate the heroic actions of their ancestors; and indeed when booty is the object, they regard danger and death with indifference, of which the English officers themselves saw a very striking example, whilst they were besieging the French and Chundasaheb in Seringham. Of the party of Colleries employed at that time by the English to steal the enemy's horses; two brothers were taken up and convicted of having stolen, at different times, all the horses belonging to major Lawrence and captain Clive; the prisoners did not deny the fact; but being told that they were to be hanged, one of them offered to go and bring back the horses in two days, whilst the other remained in prison, provided that both should be pardoned. This proposal being agreed to, one of them was released; but not appearing in the stipulated time, major Lawrence ordered the other Collery to be brought before him, and asked him the reason why his brother had not returned, bidding the prisoner prepare for death if the horses were not produced before the next evening; to this the Collery with great composure replied, that he was surprized the English should be so weak