Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/398

390 remain until he received a second and more peremptory order, which came soon after; upon which he recalled the detachment which had been sent against the Polygar Catabomanaig, and prepared himself to quit Tinivelly. The detachment had been as far to the north-east as Shillinaikenpettah, the principal fort of the Polygar, who on their appearance entered into a negociation, paid some money in part of the tribute due from him, and gave hostages as security for the rest: some money was likewise received from several inferior Polygars, but the whole collection did not exceed 70,000 rupees: as soon as the troops received the orders to return, they summoned Catabomanaig to redeem his hostages; but he knowing that they would not venture to stay any longer in his country, made some trifling excuses, and without any concern suffered them to carry the hostages away with them. On the 2d of May colonel Heron quitted Tinivelly, but instead of proceeding directly to Tritchinopoly, suffered himself to be persuaded by Maphuze Khan to march against Nellitangaville, a fort situated about thirty miles to the west of Tinivelly, belonging to a Polygar who had with much contumacy refused to acknowledge the Nabob's authority: on the march he was joined by the detachment from the north-east. It was the misfortune of colonel Heron to place the utmost confidence in his interpreter, and to be constantly betrayed by him; for before the army arrived in sight of the fort, this man had informed the Polygar that they had no battering cannon, and that they would not remain long before the place: the Polygar, therefore, secure in his fort, which was built of stone and very strong, answered the summons with insolence; upon which the field pieces and two cohorns fired smartly upon the walls for several hours; but this annoyance producing no effect, another message was sent, offering that the army, should retire, provided he would pay 20,000 rupees. The Polygar relying on the information which he had received from the interpreter, and encouraged by this relaxation in the terms which were at first proposed to him, answered with great contempt, that such a sum could not be raised in his whole country, and that he knew the value of money too well to pay a single rupee. By this time the army were much distressed for provisions of all kinds, and the Sepoys ready to mutiny for want of pay; both which