Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/99

Book I. for the service of Pondicherry. Having thus effected the design of his voyage, he put out to sea on his return to Mauritius before the English squadron appeared in sight of Madrass.

Mr. Dupleix perceiving that the English squadron had sailed to Madrass, from whence they could not return to Fort St. David in some days, determined to avail himself of their absence, and make another attack upon Cuddalore. Eight hundred Europeans, with 1,000 Sepoys, marched from Pondicherry, and making a circuit inland, arrived on the 17th of June in the morning within three miles of Cuddalore, at the hills of Bandapolam. Here they halted during the day, and intended at night to attack Cuddalore by surprize: Major Lawrence receiving intelligence of this design, ordered the garrison to march and the cannon to be removed to Fort St. David, intending by this operation to make the French believe that he did not think the place tenable. As soon as night came on, the garrison, augmented to the number of 400 Europeans, together with the cannon, were sent back to Cuddalore, with the precautions necessary to prevent the enemy from receiving intelligence of their return. The stratagem succeeded. At midnight the French advanced with scaling ladders, which they no sooner began to apply to the walls than they received the fire of all the musketry from the ramparts, together with that of four or five pieces of cannon loaded with grape-shot. This unexpected resistance struck the whole body, officers as well as soldiers, with a panic. Most of the men flung away their arms without firing a shot: but the precipitation of their flight prevented the English fire from doing much execution amongst them: nor did their fears quit them when arrived at the place of their encampment; for expecting to be followed, they marched on without halting until they came to the bounds of Pondicherry.

It was now some time that Mr. Dupleix had, with great activity, been employed in making dispositions to resist an armament bound to the East Indies under the command of admiral Boscawen, of whose destination the French at Pondicherry, as well as the English at Fort St. David, had received intelligence. This armament consisted of, one ship of 74 guns, one of 64, two of 60, two of 50, one