Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/403

Book V. of baggage with which it was scattered; after which the rear guard, divided half before and half behind the field piece and its tumbril, proceeded; and, fortunately meeting with no interruptions from the enemy, soon joined the rear division of artillery, who had been waiting with the utmost anxiety, expecting every moment to be attacked again: great therefore was their joy at being thus reinforced. It was now dusk, and no time was to be lost; captain Smith therefore immediately collected what bullocks had escaped the enemy's slaughter, destroyed the carriage which had been the first cause of the confusion of the day, and drew off all the field pieces with their tumbrils of ammunition, leaving behind the rest of the stores, with the whole baggage of the army, for want of means to carry them away: about two miles farther in the pass he came up with the battalion whom he found lying on their arms, without either the commander in chief, or any one of the captains amongst them: for these five officers had all been suddenly taken ill about noon with the extreme heat of the day; and had proceeded in their pallankins through the wood, to the post where the advanced guard under the command of captain Lin was halting: from this misfortune, the subordinate officers, left without orders, had not ventured to make any dispositions to succour the rear, notwithstanding they knew the danger to which it was exposed. Captain Smith now took the command of the battalion, and marched with them through the wood to the station where the advanced guard and the rest of the officers were waiting. Here the army passed the night, and the next day reached the town of Nattam, where they were joined by a detachment from Tritchinopoly: Maphuze Khan accompanied them no farther; but returned to Madura. The army continuing their march without any interruption, arrived on the 5th of June in sight of Tritchinopoly, and encamped at Warriore pagodas: colonel Heron was soon after recalled to Madrass, where his conduct during this expedition was tried by a court martial, by which he was rendered incapable of serving the company any longer.

The government of Pondicherry saw this expedition into the southern countries with a jealous eye, because they saw the advantages which would accrue to the Nabob, if the territories of Madura and Tinivelly, which had so long been rent from the power of Arcot, should again