Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/343

Book IX. to be apprehended from him; but the expelled Rheddy was much befriended by the Polygars of Arielore and Woriorepollam, whose long aversion to the French it was at this time more especially expedient to encourage, by indulging their solicitude for the reinstatement of their friend.

Accordingly Captain Joseph Smith marched, with his company of 70 Europeans, the company of 50 Coffres, two field-pieces, with their artillery-men, and ten companies of Sepoys, commanded by Mahomed Issoof. The deposed Rheddy, with some of the Colleries, or natives of Terriore, who abided by his fortunes, accompanied the detachment, and, if nothing more, were to serve as guides through the wood. Messengers were sent forward with a letter, ordering the Rheddy within to come out, and meet Captain Smith; and they were instructed to take notice of every thing that occurred in the path through which they should be led; but the guards at the barrier stopped them, and sent on the letter by men of their own, who returned with a letter from the Rheddy, which they delivered to the messengers, who brought it to Captain Smith on the march. It contained vague apologies for his not coming out of the wood, and endeavoured to gain time, which Captain Smith resolved not to lose. The troops arrived in sight of the barrier at four in the afternoon of the day after they had crossed the Coleroon, and immediately formed for the attack.

The wood of Terriore stretcheth 20 miles along the foot of the western mountains, and extends from them 10 miles into the plain; the wood is in most parts seven miles through, and encloses an open ground about three miles square, of which the farther side, as of the wood itself, adjoins to the hills: and in this area are the habitation of the Rheddi, which is a spacious building, a town, gardens, arable lands, and immediately under the hills a very large tank, computed seven miles in circumference. It was known, that the path before them had defences in various parts, and that the whole of the fighting men would be in these stations. Captain Smith therefore sent off four companies of Sepoys, with Ramanaig, a Jemautdar, on whom Mahomed Issoof had reliance, to enter the wood at a considerable