Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/517

Book XI. the company extended 80 miles along the sea, and 20 inland, and the revenues amounted to 400,000 rupees a year.

As soon as the treaty was signed, Salabadjing offered Colonel Forde a district near Masulipatam, as a jaghire or pension for himself, if he would accompany him with part of the English troops against his brother Nizamally. Colonel Forde, with as much earnestness, requested his assistance to take or destroy the French army of observation, who were encamped in the neighbourhood, avowedly under the protection of Bassaulet Jung. Neither side had the least inclination to gratify the other, and Salabadjing on the 18th marched away in much disgust with the English, to whom he had confirmed, without any reciprocal benefit, the most advantageous acquisition of its extent, they could wish to gain, with the view of maintaining, on the whole coast of Coromandel from Ganjam to Cape Comorin. The body of French troops crossed the Kristna, but marched to the westward, in consequence of assurances from Bassaulet Jung to take them into his service, when he should return from Hyderabad to his own Government of Adoni. The Presidency of Madrass considered Masulipatam as dependant on their authority, and appointed Mr. Andrews, with a council, to manage the revenue and trade: and Colonel Forde remained there with the troops, in expectation of orders for his future proceedings from the Presidency of Bengal.

Mr. Lally, with the French army, was in full march after the English, when he received the news at Trivatore that they had taken Conjeveram, on which he halted; but sent forward the partizan Lambert, with the body of troops he commanded apart from the army, who posted themselves seven miles from the English, in the road to Arcot, in order to prevent the incursions of their cavalry into those districts; but the English army had no intention to ravage a country they intended to recover. Lambert's party consisted of 300 either Topasses or Europeans, unfit for the regular battalions, about 700 Sepoys, and 200 horse. They had been detached whilst the two armies some time before were facing one another at Conjeveram, to retaliate on Kistnarow, the Killidar of Thiagar, the ravages he