Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/209

Book VIII Nazeabulla; but his troops were not ready to march from Arcot before the 1st of April, although the outrage happened on 21st of February; during which Ichlass Khan was waiting for them with his detachment at Kalastry, the town of the polygar Damerlah Venketappahnaigue, 70 miles to the s. w. of Nelore. The force from Madrass was only 100 Europeans, the company of 56 Coffrees, and 300 Sepoys, with one eighteen-pounder, three sixpounders, four cohorns and one howitz. Lieutenant Colonel Forde, of Adlercron's regiment, was appointed to command the expedition. The Sepoys and bullocks proceeded by land. The Europeans and Coffrees, with the artillery and stores, embarked on the first of April, in a ship and a sloop, which anchored the next afternoon opposite to the mouth of the river Kandeler, seven miles to the North of Kistnapatam, a town of considerable trade, from whence they expected the usual assistances of the port; but the inhabitants, intimidated by the threats of Nazeabulla, abandoned the town on the appearance of the vessels, which were employed seven days in effecting the disembarkation with two massoolas they had brought from Madrass. During this interval the Sepoys and bullocks arrived; but coolies and more bullocks were necessary before the detachment could move from Kistnapatam, and the Nabob's army from Arcot was not near enough to supply them before the 22d of the month. The next day Colonel Forde marched, and on the 25th joined the Nabob's army at Serapely, which was commanded by his brother Abdullwahab, and had been encreased by the troops of the polygars Bangar Yatcham and Damerlah Venketappah, and all together amounted to 10,000 men, of which 3000 were cavalry. On the 27th the army encamped before Nelore. This town stands about 500 yards to the south of the river Pennar, extending about 1200 yards from east to west, and 600 on the other sides. The walls were of mud, and only the gateway and a few of the towers of stone. The parapet was six feet High, with many port-holes for small arms, made of pipes of baked clay, laid in the moist mud, whilst raising, and afterwards