Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/568

544 breach, which they entered without opposition; and being immediately followed by some of the officers with the picquet, no resistance was attempted in any part of the fort. The troops belonging to the French were five subaltern officers, 63 private Europeans, and 100 Sepoys the Kellidar's, 500 horsemen and foot. In this success, not a man of the English troops was killed, and only five were wounded. The English forces had thrice before been against this place, and in the last were repulsed, as we have lately seen, with as much loss as they had suffered in any action in these wars. The Kellidar had signed the treaty just as the troops entered; but his importance in the province, his relation to the family of Chundasaib, his long connexion with the French government, and his inveterate enmity to the Nabob Mahomedally, weighed unjustly more than the respect due to a contract of which he was fulfilling his part. He was brought to Madrass, behaved haughtily, and would give no account of his treasures, which he had sent away to Coilas Guddy, a fort on one of the highest hills near Velore, in which resided the widow of Subderally Cawn. The Nabob said, that the making him prisoner was of more importance than the reduction of the fort, but offered te release him for ten lacks of rupees.

The French troops in the field had made no motion from Chittapet to interrupt the attack; and, as their inaction rendered it unnecessary to march against them, Colonel Coote resolved to attack Carangoly, before they were reinforced sufficiently to risque an engagement. Carangoly is situated 35 miles w. s. w. from Vandiwash, 12 to the south a little westerly from Chinglapet, and 18 from Sadrass and the sea. The fort is large, having four not very unequal sides, of which the circumference is 1500 yards. It is built of stone, and has, before the main wall and the towers, a parapeted fausebray, and a wet ditch. The four sides nearly face to the cardinal points of the compass; a pettah, separated from the fort by an esplanade, and extending in a curve, entirely enveloped the north, and part of the west and east faces of the fort. As the weakest part, because nearst to the opposite pettah, the French had thrown up a glacis before the north front, but had not completed it before the tower in the N.°E. angle.