Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/518

494 had committed in the adjacencies of Pondicherry, and to retake the forts which he and Mahomed Issoof had reduced whilst the French army were preparing on the other side of the Paliar to attack Madrass. In the middle of March, he set down before Elavanasore, which Kistnarow, leaving his rock of Thiagar, resolved to defend in person; continual skirmishes passed between them for ten days, when Lambert, seeing no probability of taking the place without battering cannon, of which he had nine, marched away, and set down before Trivatore; where likewise were some Sepoys left by Mahomed Issoof, and some of Kistnarow's, who were very near surrendering, when Lambert, with his whole detachment, was recalled to the main army; which on the 19th advanced to Covrepauk, where they took up their quarters, still keeping Lambert's party between them and the English, which continued at Conjeveram, and threw up redoubts in their front, and on their flanks.

Soon after the detachment of Gopaulrow's Morattoes had taken possession or Tripetti, he received orders from Balagerow at Poni to return and join him there without delay; lest he should be stopped by the floods of the Kristna, which swells in May. He accordingly recalled all his parties, excepting a small detachment left to guard Tripetti, under the command of an officer named Narrain Saustry. and the main body marched away from the passes of Damalcherri, in the beginning of April. At the same time, Abdulwahab, the Nabob's brother, was permitted to return with his troops, to Chandergerry; from whence he sent them against Tripetty, of which they got possession after a slight resistance: he then requested the Presidency to grant him the farm of the pagoda; but as his rank exempted him from controul, the Presidency let it to the same renters as were holding it when taken by the French, by whom they had likewise been continued in the management. Three companies of Sepoys sent from Tritchinopoly joined Kistnarow soon after Lambert's party was recalled from the south, with whom and his own troops Kistnarow immediately took the field again, and