Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/322

316 pagoda. The renter posted 7 or 800 peons in the pass, who kept the adventurers and their force at bay, although joined by the troops of Matlavar, until the beginning of May; when they forced their way through; and, on the 5th, attacked the town of Tripetti, where the renter stood his ground, with only 300 Sepoys and 500 Peons; but had secured them under the cover of garden-walls from the impression of the enemy's horse, when Ragavacherry exposing himself intemperately in endeavouring to encourage them, was shot dead, on which all his followers ran away, although only 10 men, besides himself, had been killed: he fell near the place where Mahomed Comaul was killed, five years before, in the same attempt. This was the only event of any risque, which had happened in the Nabob's territory, since the arrival of Mr. Lally; for the great draughts of men which had been made from the French forts on the frontier to carry on the siege of St. David, had reduced their garrisons to the incapacity of attempting any thing beyond transitory excursions to plunder. But the English presidency now concluding that the French army would march against Madrass immediately after their success at St. David, delayed no longer to give their final orders for the retreat of their own garrisons with the dependant out-guards, from Carangoly, Chinglapet, Conjeveram, Covrepauk, and Arcot, which had previously sent in their artillery and stores, reserving only as much musket-ammunition as was necessary for the march. Arcot and Covrepauk were delivered to the Nabob's troops, of which a body were remaining in the city; Conjeveram and Chinglapet to the peons of the respective renters; and the partizan Murzafabeg, leaving only a few of his men in Trivatore, went with the rest into Carangoly. The English garrisons having united at Chinglapet, came in together on the 7th of June, the day after the return of the squadron: they amounted to 250 Europeans and 2000 Sepoys; but the garrisons of Pondamelee and Tripassore, consisting only of Sepoys, were not withdrawn, because they protected a valuable district from the incursions of the adjacent Polygars, and might at all times retire to Madrass, before any detachment from the French stations on the other side of the