Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/514

490 and a great detachment, if not the whole of Salabadjing's army, should then surround and attack the English army, which they represented to themselves as involved in impending and inevitable destruction; and indeed, if these efforts had been made by Salabadjing's army, and the French troops abroad, without waiting for the reinforcement, the English army could not have kept their ground, since the Rajah, with all his troops, would certainly have run away, and the enemy's horse, amongst whom were many Morattoes, would have cut off all provisions, and harrassed every motion: nor could they have made the embarkation, to escape by sea, without abandoning all the stores and artillery. The ministry of Salabadjing were therefore not more surprized, than vexed, at the loss of the place, because, conscious that it might have been prevented by the activity they had neglected to exert. They held councils with the French commander of the army of observation, and determined still to wait for the reinforcement; when they expected at least to reduce the English to compound for their retreat by the surrender of Masulipatam. The Rajah Anunderauze, divining what might happen, proposed to return to his own country, as soon as the place was taken; and Colonel Forde, from utter contempt of his character, made no objections to his departure; he marched away with all the Indian forces on the 12th, to regain the Godaveri; and, by hasty marches, was, in two days, out of the reach of pursuit. Early in the morning of the 15th appeared two ships, standing into the road, under French colours. The commander of the Hardwicke, Samson, was ashore embarking prisoners, of whom he had already received 40 on board: but his brother, who was the chief mate, immediately weighed, and got to windward of the strange ships; on which the largest anchored in the road, as did the Hardwicke at a distance; but the other still plying up, the Hardwicke weighed again, as did the largest ship, and the wind having changed, both of the enemy's bore down, with a fair sail; in the mean time, Captain Samson with eight gunners lent from the army,