Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/340

334 connivance of the government of Negapatam, in not protecting the Rubys according to the rights of a neutral port.

The retreat of the English garrisons into Madrass, and the insubordination of the Nabob's troops at Arcot, left the country to the south of the Paliar without any other protection excepting from the troops maintained by Murzafabeg; who endeavouring to cover a greater extent than his force was adequate to, was no where strong enough to oppose the enemy; and, in the end of June, a French officer returning with his escort of Sepoys, and a party of horsemen, which he had levied at Velore, surprized the fort of Trivatore, in which he left his Sepoys, who being joined by the peons from the French districts, all together made incursions on the harvests of Conjeveram and Salawauk; to repress which, the presidency sent out again four companies of Sepoys, two to Conjeveram, and two to Chinglapet; which were not sufficient to repress half the mischief. However, an advantage was soon after gained by other means, which more than retaliated the loss of Trivatore. Mr. Lally, on his arrival at Pondicherry, had given the fort of Trinomalee with its dependencies, which Mr. Soupires had reduced in the preceding year, to Rajahsaheb, the long-neglected son of Chundasaheb, who to prove himself worthy of this change in his fortunes, levied a body of 300 good horse and 300 Sepoys, and proceeded with them in the beginning of August, escorting a convoy of provisions to the French army in the Tanjore country; but this expence and subtraction obliged him to leave Trinomalee ill-guarded. Kistnarow, the Kellidar of Thiagar, which had been attacked without success by the French troops, and whose districts were still continually harassed by them, took the opportunity, and assaulting Trinomalee in the night, carried it, and put all the garrison to the sword. It was taken on the 10th of August, and it was not until the 14th that the presidency received intelligence of the agreement which the king of Tanjore had made on the 1st of the month, to assist the French army in the attack they intended against Tritchinopoly; on which they resolved to take the field, but with no other views or hopes than that the rumour might recall the king, or at least stop the