Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/627

Book XII the loss of Arcot, which with that of Chittapett gave new scope to the imputations against Mr. Lally. it was said, that he himself had declared, the one incapable of holding out four days, the other not more than five. Why then leave in them 400 Europeans, so much wanted in his own army, to fall a certain prey to the English? But this conduct, as his retreat to Pondicherry, was not void of justification; for, had he withdrawn these garrisons, the English army, having nothing to apprehend in their rear, might have immediately followed him to Gingee, and from thence to the adjacencies of Pondicherry, when the produce of the country, so necessary to store Pondicherry, would have fallen under the power of the enemy, whom the necessity of reducing Chittapett and Arcot had turned another way; and, besides the time they must employ against these forts, other delays might concur to keep them still longer at a distance.

The English army, after the reduction of Arcot, encamped without the town, towards Velore. The Kellidar Mortizally trembled for his fort; and having been very complacent to the English, since the French had been repulsed from before Madrass, he now intreated the Presidency to spare the attack, and sent a present of 30,000 rupees to Colonel Coote; who refused it, signifying, that he was not empowered, either by the Nabob or the Presidency of Madrass, to levy tributes. The Kellidar replied, that it was intended as a homage to himself, a great commander, according to the custom of the country; on which the money was accepted, and appropriated to the general stock of prize-money for the army.

The army had not restored its equipments sufficiently to move from the neighbourhood of Arcot until the 20th of February, and even then left behind two eighteen-pounders and a ten-inch howitz, which were not repaired. They halted this day at Timery, and 500 Sepoys, with 100 black horsey were dispatched with Captain Stephen Smith against Trinomaly. The next day the army encamped under Arni. The Kellidar of this fort, which is considerable, and a fief belonging to the king of Tanjore, had conducted himself with so much hospitality to both sides, that neither the French nor the Nabob considered him as an enemy. On the 23d