Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/233

Book VIII. and it was a maxim with Balagerow, never to remain to the southward, with that obstacle between himself and his capital. He accordingly marched away from Sirpi, with the greatest part of his army, 45,000 men, but left 15,000 horse, as many foot, and a large train of artillery, under the command of a general named Balaventrow, to execute the other purposes of the campaign, who, after # receiving the submissions and fines of a variety of petty Polygars under the subjection of Sirpi, proceeded 40 miles to the s. s. E. and encamped between two forts called the greater and lesser Balabarum, of which the greater refused to make any submission, but the kellidar of the other paid 50,000 rupees. From hence they proceeded 20 miles farther east, and, after a siege of 10 days, took Ouscotah. This fort, although far distant from the territory of Cudapah, belonged to the Nabob of that province. Proceeding, they summoned the fort of Colar, situated 20 miles beyond Ouscotah, and being refused, left it in their rear, and sat down before Mulliavaukel, twenty miles farther on. This fort stands on the highest rock of a large mountain, and is impregnable by open force. Balaventrow therefore tried money, which in four days gained the place. They were now within 30 miles of the great range of mountains which bound the Carnatic to the west; and on the 27th of June encamped before the fort of Cudapanatam, sixty miles N. by w. from the city of Arcot, and commanding the entrance of one of the passes into the Carnatic. Balaventrow, whilst preparing to attack the fort of Cudanapatam, sent forward letters from Balajerow, with his own, to the Nabob, and the presidency. During the expedition to Seringapatam, Balajerow had likewise written several to the presidency, in which he complained, that the government of Bombay had given him no share of the plunder of Gheria; and held out his intentions of visiting the Carnatic on his return from Mysore, in order to settle, as he said, the affairs of the province; but these were deemed expressions merely designed to intimidate, insomuch that the presidency, in answer, invited him to come and assist them in expelling the French, as the only means of restoring tranquillity to the country. They were therefore not a little surprized to find in the letters now received from