Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/225

Book VIII. walls of Vandiwash. They were commanded by Saubinet, an officer of enterprize, who no sooner saw the English army retreating from Outramalore, than he advanced and took possession of this place; and, as soon as he heard that they had repassed Chinglapett in their way to Madrass, detached early in the morning of the 15th, 200 Europeans and 500 Sepoys, with two field-pieces, to retaliate on Conjeveram the fire which they had set to Vandiwash. Conjeveram is the largest open town in the Carnatic, and the most populous; besides the resort it attracts by the great quantities of grain produced in the vast plain that surrounds it, it is still more frequented from the reputation of its pagoda, and of the college of Bramins, who possess it, and are acknowledged the supreme council of the Indian religion in Coromandel: both the English and French had, during the late wars, kept troops in the pagoda; but its space and proper attentions had still preserved the priests and the holy places from contamination or pollution. There were at this time in the pagoda two companies of Sepoys, under the command of Serjeant Lambertson. The French troops arrived at noon, and, contrary to their expectation, were assailed by the fire of musketry, concealed on each side of the street, which obliged them to beat up the houses as the line advanced; and the English Sepoys, who knew their ground, continually escaped from one shelter to another, renewing their fire, until they retreated into the pagoda. The enemy, exasperated, then advanced against the gateway, where the Serjeant was ready to receive them again, placing his Sepoys, some on scaffolding along the walls, and others amongst the open masonry of the stories which compose the vast tower over the gate-way. The two field-pieces were of little service to dislodge them from such defences, and the serjeant had obstructed the porch with large trees, laid with their branches outwards. On this resistance, Saubinet thought it prudent not to persist, for his time was limited, and eight of his Europeans were killed, more wounded, and of the Sepoys in proportion. They therefore marched to a distant quarter of the town, from whence detachments were sent to collect whatsoever plunder could be conveniently carried away. In the evening