Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/326

320 the troops gained their way with much inconvenience. The regiment of Lorrain left their tents at Cuddalore, for want of bullocks and coolies to carry them. The whole army had been 12 hours without food when they arrived at Devi Cotah, and contrary to their expectation, found none there excepting paddy, which is the grain of rice before it is divested of the husk, in which state it is only fit for the food of cattle; but the operation is tedious, and requires the implements used by the natives; and the soldiers, hungry and fatigued, having searched the huts in the fort for other victuals without finding any, set fire to them, which was with much difficulty prevented from catching two magazines of gunpowder. The troops, after seven days march, arrived at Karical on the 25th. The distance from Pondicherry, although only 75 miles in the direct line, is 100 by the road; and here, for the first time during the march, they got a regular meal. Here a bramin, sent by the king of Tanjore with proposals, was waiting for Mr. Lally, who sent him back with his own, demanding immediate payment of the five millions and six hundred thousand rupees, with all the interest: and, to convince the king that he would derive no benefit from the usual delays and prevarications of Indian negotiations, he immediately sent forward a detachment to take possession of the opulent town of Nagore. This place is situated on a river about four miles to the north of Negapatam, and carries on a very considerable commerce; but the merchants had removed their money and jewels, and offered little for the redemption of their warehouses; on which Mr. Lally farmed out the plunder and ransom of the town for 200,000 rupees to Fischer, the commander of the French hussars; stipulating, that if the profit exceeded 100,000 rupees, a proportional addition was to be made to the public fund. Hitherto the conduct of Mr. Lally had been free from the reproach of those pecuniary views, which he continually imputed without distinction to every one in the service of the French company; but this agreement gave them no slight pretence to retort peculation on himself, as going shares with Fischer in the profits of Nagore. Whilst this business was transacting, he applied to the