Page:History of the French in India.djvu/265

 THE ENGLISH MOVE ON DEVIKOTA. 243 disposition evinced by the Tanjurians to strike a blow Ci ^ p - for Sahuji, but their army was found posted on the, _ '_ southern bank of the Kolrun, ready apparently to 1749. oppose the passage of the English, They had enter- tained, however, no intention of fighting; they hoped, rather, to entice Captain Cope into the difficult country to the south, where his destruction would be certain. But the direction taken by the English after the passage of the river showed very plainly the real object they had in view in espousing the cause of Sahuji. Their army marched in the direction, not of Tanjur, but of Devikota, where they expected to find support from the fleet. But on their arrival that same evening within a mile of Devikota not a ship was to be seen. Having with them no supplies, and finding the place too strong to be escaladed, they resolved, after cannonading it fruitlessly during the night, to retreat. This they effected without serious molestation, and on the second day reached Fort St. David. Had the real object of the English been that which they pro- fessed — the restoration of the ex-Raja Sahuji — they had seen enough to be convinced that to effect this they must be prepared to employ all the resources of their Presidency in a war with a native power. They no longer, however, even pretended to have this in view. But Sahuji had promised them Devikota,* and the advantages presented by that place were too great to be lightly given up. Whether they received it from Sahuji or Partab Singh was to them immaterial. They were resolved to possess it at any price, and with this avowed object, throwing over Sahuji, they despatched by sea a second expedition, consisting of 800 Europeans and 1,500 sipahis, under the command of Major Lawrence. mto the sea near Devikota, was be- but it was thought that "these, with Iieved to be capable of receiving ships a little labour and expense, might be of the largest tonnage. The only removed.— Orme. R 2
 * The river Kolrun, which runs difficulty was presented by the sands,