Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/395

Book V. so much exasperated by a sense of the danger to which they had exposed themselves, that they put all they met to the sword, not excepting the women and children, suffering only six persons out of four hundred to escape alive; sorry we are to say, that the troops and officers who bore the greatest part in this shocking barbarity, were the bravest of Englishmen, having most of them served under colonel Lawrence on the plains of Tritchinopoly: but those who contemplate human nature will find many reasons, supported by examples, to dissent from the common opinion, that cruelty is incompatible with courage. Meanwhile the Polygar Morawar was so delighted at the success of his negotiation with colonel Heron, that as a farther proof of his good intentions to the English, he ordered 5000 men, under the command of his brother, to march and assist them in reducing the Polygars of Tinivelly; but the king of Tanjore and Tondiman having many years been at implacable variance with the Morawar, beheld the marks of favour which had been shewn to him with the utmost jealousy, and represented their detestation of them in the strongest terms to the presidency of Madrass, alledging that they themselves could have no reliance on the friendship of the English, if they saw them making treaties with their mortal enemies. The presidency, unwilling to give umbrage to these allies, whose assistance they might probably soon stand in need of again, directed colonel Heron to break off all farther communication with the Morawar: these orders, however, did not arrive before the Morawar's troops were advanced within five miles of Tinivelly; when they were abruptly told, that if they did not immediately march back to their own country they would be treated as enemies: not, however, imagining that the English would proceed to such extremities, they remained in then camp, and endeavoured to commence a negociation; but the orders which colonel Heron had received were so peremptory, that he thought himself obliged to march and attack them; on this they decamped with such precipitation, that they left behind them a great part of their baggage, with some horses, which were plundered by the Sepoys of the advanced guard. The revenues which had been collected during this expedition,