Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/499

Book XI moving to the West of Masulipatam, collecting or extorting tributes. Colonel Forde, whilst waiting for the Rajah and his troops, detached Captain Knox, with the first battalion of Sepoys, to reduce the French factory at Narsipore, where by this time the garrison, by the arrival of stragglers from the late defeat, was augmented to 100 Europeans, and 3 or 400 Sepoys. Narsipore stands 20 miles to the s. E. of Elore. Letters were previously sent to the Indian Zemindar of the district, threatening the destruction of his country, if he gave the French any assistance, but offering him alliance if he would join the English army with his troops. The Zemindar met Captain Knox on the road, and accepted the terms with cheerfulness; and the French troops at Narsipore having relied on his assistance, marched away as soon as they saw his defection, leaving in the factory, besides common effects, some cannon and marine stores, and in the river several boats and vessels; but they sunk what ammunition they could not carry off. The English detachment leaving a few men with the Zemindar's officers to take care of what was worth preserving, returned to Elore, where on the 18th came in the Rajah with all his troops collected; and the next day the Zemindar of Narsipore with 1500 foot, armed in the fashion of the country. But, although so much time had already been lost, the Rajah was not yet ready to proceed, and detained the army at Elore until the 1st of March.

Mr. Conflans, on his defeat at Peddipore, had written letters to Salabadjing, earnestly requesting he would march with his army from Hyderabad to Masulipatam, when both their forces united could not fail of destroying the English troops, and punishing the powers of the country which had revolted to their common enemy. The desistance of Salabadjing with Mr. Bussy from the pursuit of Nizamally towards Brampore had encouraged this prince to resume his former ambitions; in which he was, at least secretly, abetted by the adherents of Shanavaze Khan and Mahomed Hussein, whose deaths, as well as his own flight to Brampore, had been the immediate consequences of the assassination of Hyderjung, the duan of Mr. Bussy: but this confederacy refrained from any conspicuous