Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/721

Book XIII. to seize them, and every other vessel which had more than the provisions of their own diet on board. They came into the road on the 8th, where they found the Salisbury of 50 guns arrived from Triconomaly, which had anchored close to the Compagnie des Indes, and kept her under command, waiting orders from the Commodore. The Compagnie des Indes struck on the first summons; and the schooner, which was loaded with 400 bags of wheat, and some barrels of salted meat, ran ashore. The smaller vessels in the road escaped to the southward; and the Salisbury sailed away with the prize to rejoin Admiral Stevens at Triconomaly. The news of this loss was received in Pondicherry with as much concern as a disaster in the field. The Danish government sent deputies to Colonel Coote, with a protest against the infraction of the neutrality of their port; but were shewn intercepted letters, which proved their assistance to the French agents, and silenced their remonstrances.

On the 9th of the month, a ricochet battery of four eighteen-pounders was finished in a ruined village, 1400 yards to the north, between the sea-side and the bleaching town: the shot plunged along the east face of the town, and were answered very hotly by twelve pieces of cannon, which as well from the distance, as the parapet of the battery, by which the guns were entirely concealed, could do no mischief. On the 12th, Colonel Coote received information, that a convoy was advancing from Thiagar; they were 24 European and 100 black horse, escorting 100 bullocks, laden with salted beef, and each of the horsemen likewise carried a parcel of it at the croup of his saddle. They crossed the Panar on the 13th, at some distance above Trivadi, and proceeded between this and the river of Ariancopang; but imprudently lost time in driving 300 bullocks more, which they had taken up in the way. At four in the morning they came up near the fort of Ariancopang, and were immediately surrounded by a detachment of 100 European foot, 40 European and 150 black horse, which were waiting to intercept them. The officer with one of the troopers was killed, and ten, with more than half the black horse, surrendered; but the other 12 of the European