Page:History of the French in India.djvu/236

 214 THE FIRST STRUGGLE IN THE KARNA'TIK. chap. 27th June a force of 1,800 men, of whom 800 were V Europeans, to make such a detour as would bring them 1748. without being observed into the vicinity of that town, upon which they were to fall in the darkness of mid- night. But Major Lawrence, who had arrived shortly before from England to command the English forces in India, was too well served by his subordinates. He was informed, not only of the approach of the French, but of their intentions. Not only did he make no secret of the knowledge, he openly used it to increase the confi- dence of the enemy. He ostentatiously removed the garrison and the guns from Gudalur, and gave out that he intended to confine himself to the defence of Fort St. David. No sooner, however, had night fallen than he threw a strong garrison into the place, and mounted all the guns he could spare upon the ramparts. The French, completely deceived by his movements during the day, made sure of their conquest, and neglected every precaution. At midnight they advanced care- lessly towards the place, believing they would meet with only a nominal resistance. But they had scarcely planted their scaling ladders than they were received with such a fire of grapeshot and small arms as sent destruction and disorder into their ranks. Utterly con- founded and panic-stricken they retreated in the utmost confusion, scarcely stopping for a halt till, baffled and humiliated, they reached Pondichery.* Thus, for the fourth time, was Dupleix forced to re- nounce his designs upon the last refuge of the English. The fault on this occasion was certainly not his own. An experienced and resolute general at the head of such a force as that of which the French detachment was composed, would have made Major Lawrence bitterly regret his finesse. Had the French advanced against Gudalur as soon as they observed its walls dismantled tain the name of the officer who com- occasion.
 * We have been unable to ascer- manded the French troops on this