Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/655

Book XII. destroy the French districts about Cuddalore. This way lay the nearest road to Valdore; but Major Monson, imagining that Mr.Lally might post a force at Cuddalore to interrupt the march of his own, which was not strong in Europeans, if they should take this route; and, being unwilling to expose the person of the Nabob to any danger, resolved to turn inland, and attack Verdachelum; from whence he might proceed to Valdore, keeping the main body of the army between his own division and Pondicherry. The enemy kept only Sepoys in their station at Trivadi, who abandoned it on the approach of Assaf beg's detachment, although they came without cannon. Encouraged by this easy success, Assafbeg proceeded towards Cuddalore, where the same panic had prevailed, and no troops remained to oppose his entrance; but the town was not entirely deserted by the inhabitants. This station was of much utility, as the road was in sight, and at this season to windward of Pondicherry: two companies of Sepoys were posted in the town; the houses of the factory were prepared to serve as an hospital to the squadron; bullocks were sent off to supply the ships with fresh provisions; and the few boatmen remaining in the town received encouragement to collect more of their own craft from different parts of the coast. On the 25th Rear-admiral Cornish anchored in the road, with the six men of war from Karical, and on the 29th was joined by Admiral Stevens, with four more from Bombay: they were part of the nine, which composed Mr. Pocoeke's squadron in the preceding year, two of which were arrived before with Mr. Cornish. Of the three others, the Salisbury was not completely repaired, and the Cumberland had not entered the dock when Mr. Stevens sailed; the Yarmouth remained, in consequence of orders from the admiralty, to convey Mr. Pococke to England from whence he had been absent five years. All the presidencies followed him with the most grateful acknowledgements of the eminent services he had rendered the nation during his continuance and command in the seas of India, which he completed, by escorting safely from St. Helena, in the heat of the war, 13 sail of the company's ships returning from their settlements, which arrived in