Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/621

Book XII. prevented the controllers, appointed to manage these districts, from collecting enough to defray the expences of the late expedition, although the revenues, if unmolested, would have furnished more: Mr. Lilly had ordered the whole to return, and expected they would join him before Vandivash. They were, besides the 300 Europeans In Seringham, two detachments lately sent from Pondicherry, with stores and ammunition, who were arrived, and halting at Utatore. The manager appointed to collect the revenues, who was a counsellor of Pondicherry, thought that matters would mend, when he should be reinforced by the detachments at Utatore, and ventured to disobey the orders. The Nabob and Captain Joseph Smith at Tritchinopoly resolved, as the best means of preventing the arrival of the detachments, to get possession of the fortified pagoda of Pitchandah, on the farther bank of the Coleroon, which terminates the only high road leading from Samiaveram and Utatore into the Island of Seringham. The pagoda was reported to be garrisoned only by a company of Sepoys, with a few Europeans. Accordingly Captain Richard Smith, who was recovered of his wound, crossed the river on the 28th of December, and took the command of the country troops, and those from the garrison, which had continued at Samiaveram since the defeat of the French party, which had advanced a few days before. Early the next morning, Captain Joseph Smith moved with a party from the city, and began to cannonade the pagoda of Seringham from across the Caveri, in order to divert the French troops from sending a reinforcement to Pitchandah; for the attack of which, his fire upon Seringham was to be the signal. The troops from Samiaveram were in time on their ground near Pritchandah. The two field-pieces which were to beat down the gate were in the road; the oxen were cast off from them, and they were to. be dragged the rest of the way, which was 50 yards, to a choultry within six yards of the gate. The troops were not discovered until they had got under the wall, and were fixing the scaling-ladders: the garrison, more numerous than supposed, tire hotly from the walls, and especially on the field-pieces. Most of the Europeans in the detachment were foreigners, and none of those employed in bringing oh the field-pieces liked the service; and to encourage them,