Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/299

Book IX. 10 miles from the famous pagoda of Tripetti, which Abdulwahab endeavoured to persuade the company's renter to deliver up: but the renter referred him to Madrass, and he was deterred from the hostilities he intended by the march of Jemaul Saheb against the polygars of Trepassore. Not knowing therefore what to do with his troops, who clamoured for pay, he sent them under the command of his principal officer to Mortizally of Velore, who was preparing to attack the fort of Tripatore, at the bottom of the valley of Vaniambady. We are ignorant on what pretentions these hostilities were founded, but they were undertaken with much earnestness: for, besides his own, and the troops of Abdulwahab, the Phousdar likewise engaged the body of Morratoes then in his town with Armetrow. The whole force was 4000 horse and 6000 foot; but the fort of Tripatore was of difficult approach; and on the 8th of February, the day after the batteries were opened, a cannon-ball killed Armetrow; which being perceived by the garrison, they sallied, routed the besiegers, and took their cannon. The Morratoes immediately after this defeat quitted the country, and joined their main body in Mysore; and the troops of Mortizally and Abdulwahab returned to their homes.

Mr. Pocock, with the ships of war from Bengel, arrived at Madrass on the 24th of February; they had been absent 17 months on the expedition. The two frigates were immediately detached to cruize off Pondicherry. Some days after, arrived the Queensborough frigate, which Admiral Stevens had dispatched with advices to Madrass, from whence she had been sent to Bengal, and now returned from thence. On the 24th of March, Admiral Stevens himself arrived from Bombay with 4 ships of the line; and on the 17th of April the squadron sailed to the southward.

The Mysore general Hyderally, after his retreat from Madura in the end of the preceding year, continued at Dindigul, waiting the arrival of a body of French troops, with which he intended to return to the attack; and in the interval Mahomed Issoof marched with his army from Chevelpetore to the city of Madura, and set to work to repair the fortifications. As the French troops in the Pagoda of Seringham