Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/227

Book VIII. but they recalled their advanced posts into their intrenchments, and only sent out their hussars, who, as before, ventured nothing. This trial convinced Col. Lawrence that nothing but the certainty of advantage could bring them to action; and enough being done to convince the country that the former retreat had not been in consequence of fear, he thought it best to put an end to the expence of the campaign. The army marched away on the 26th, and the enemy made no motion to harass them. On the 28th, they arrived at Conjeveram, where 500 Europeans, with 1500 Sepoys, remained in cantonments, under the command of Lieutenant-colonel Forde: the rest returned to the garrisons and stations from whence they had been drawn. Thus ended this campaign, in which the whole force that Madrass and Pondicherry could bring into the field, remained 40 days within a few hours march of each other, and separated, without a man wounded on either side. Nevertheless, both were right, according to their different views and circumstances, in refraining from action.

The garrison of Madura was so much elated by the departure of May, Captain Calliaud with the best of the troops, and by the cause in the danger of Tritchinopoly, that the Jemautdars, who had made proposals to him, would not continue any communication with Lieutenant Rumbold and Mahomed Issoof; who ordered up six of the 12 companies of Sepoys from Tinivelly and Palamcotah, and moved the camp from the S. E. to the N. E. of the town on the other side of the river Vigee, in order to cut off the communication of the garrison with the river, from which they drew their water, as all in the tanks of the town and plain was putrid.

The four sides of Madura front nearly to the four cardinal points. The river passing from the N. W. washes the walls at the N. E. angle; the bed, unless immediately after heavy rains, lies in dry flats of sand, on some of which are buildings; the channels between are shallow. The English camp extended on the northern side of the river, opposite the angle, and within point bank of part of the walls on the east and north sides; for nothing was feared from the decayed artillery of the town.