Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/297

Book IX. demanded by any person in authority. By these obeisances, and sometimes a small present of money, and now and then ridding the country of a tiger, they compensate their thefts, which are rarely, attended with bloodshed or violence; when they are, troops march, their hamlets are burnt, and prisoners taken, the chief himself in preference, who atone severely for the misdeeds, whether of themselves or their fellows. Two of these Polygars, between whose woods the fort of Trepassoor is situated, ventured in the end of January to make incursions, not only into the districts dependant on this fort, but even into those of Pondamalee, within 15 miles of Madrass, and carried off large quantities of grain and cattle from the villages; on which the commandant, Jemaul Saib, who had returned from Tinivelly to Madrass, was ordered to march against them with four companies of Sepoys. The one, named Rangapah Naigue, immediately asked pardon, and made restitution and atonement: but the other, Wardapah Naigue, stood on his defence, until Jemaul Saib had penetrated into his woods, and burnt several of the hamlets concealed in them; on which, he submitted likewise, and the Sepoys were withdrawn. The army of the Morratoes under the command of Balaventrow, which, in the preceding year, had defeated the Nabob of Cudapah, who fell in the battle, found notwithstanding this victory, that they could not easily complete the reduction of the country; for Abdull Nabey Cawn, the cousin-german and nearest relation of the deceased Nabob, threw himself with a strong force into the strongest fortress of the province called Sidout, near the town of Cudapah and the late field of battle; and others of the Pitan Captains stood on their defence in their respective holds, the sieges of which would employ more time than the extent of Balaventrow's expedition. He therefore sent agents to negotiate with Abdull Nabey; but likewise detached parties to harass the districts adjacent to the forts which held out; during which he marched himself with the main body of his army across the province of Cudapah to the eastward, and, when arrived on the confines of the Carnatic to the N. w. formed three divisions, one of which went against the Poly gar Bomrauze; the other entered the