Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/498

474 The Hardwicke and the two sloops, which had been dispatched from Vizagapatam on the 12th of December, anchored the next day in the road of Yanam, which lies on the eastern mouth of the Godaveri, where the agents of the French factory, on news of the defeat at Peddipore, had embarked their effects and themselves in a snow, which had not got out of the river when the Hardwicke arrived; and they surrendered to her longboat without resistance. Some days after, the vessels sailed down to Masulipatam, and cruized between this place and Narsipore on the western arm of the Godaveri, until the 9th of February, when they fixed their station in Masulipatam road, waiting for the arrival of the army; but weighing occasionally to bring vessels to, that were passing in the offing, of which they intercepted several laden with rice for Pondicherry, and the French army before Madrass. The English army arrived on the 6th of February at Elore; but, to prevent another quarrel, Colonel Forde had been obliged to let the Rajah march as he listed, employing his troops to the right and left, in levying contributions, on promise, however, of rejoining him soon at Elore. This place, otherwise called Yalore, is situated 50 miles s. w. of Rajahmundrum, and nearly 40 N. of Masulipatam. It is the capital of a province, or phousdarry, of no great extent, and one of the four obtained from Salabadjing by Mr. Bussy. It has been very little known to the English, and never frequented by them since they withdrew their factory from Masulipatam in the last century. The town is extensive, and in the middle of it is a very large fort, in which the French used to keep a garrison mostly of black troops; but the Marquis de Conflans had taken them away with him, as he was passing on to Masulipatam, where he had determined to make his stand. The long delay of the English troops in following him seemed to have inspired him with a little resolution: for with some of the troops which had joined him after the defeat of Peddipore, and the garrisons of Elore and Rajahmundrum, he formed a body of 200 Europeans, with four field -pieces, and 2000 Sepoys, which he called his army of observation; but they did not venture within less than thirty miles of Elore, and kept