Page:History of the French in India.djvu/329

 CLIVE TRIUMPHS AT KAVAEIPAK. 305 in the reduction of Kanchipuram. Strengthening this chap. place, therefore, they moved by forced marches upon ^_ Arkat. The garrison of that place having refused their 1752. summons to surrender, they marched to the town of Kavaripak and occupied a position in front of it, so well covered that it was a veritable ambush. Here, under cover of the trees, they waited for Clive. Clive, who had been marching sixty-one miles with but little rest to his troops, fell into the ambush. It was dusk, and the enemy were so strongly posted that after a fight of two hours it appeared as though Clive would for the first time be forced to retreat. By means of one of his officers, however, who could speak French, the English leader, at the moment when matters seemed desperate, succeeded in deceiving the enemy's sentries, and in bringing a large force into their rear. These, suddenly firing a volley, caused such a complete panic amongst the French, that they hastily abandoned their position and their guns, and fled as they best could. Many of them were taken prisoners, and Clive, by this artifice, converted an impending defeat into a victory, till then the greatest of the war. Another proof, if any were required, that valour and strong positions are useless if there is a general to attack, and a fool to defend them.* From the scene of this victory Clive marched to Arkat, and thence in the direction of Vellur. Whilst, however, contemplating the reduction of this place, which was held by Murtiza Ali on behalf of Chanda Sahib, he received instructions to repair instantly to Fort St. David, there to undertake immediate measures for the relief of Trichinapalli, the garrison of which was suffering from the close blockade persisted in by Law. On his way to that place, he came upon the site of the victory gained by de la Touche over Nasir Jang, India. X
 * For a full account of this mirvellous battle see The Decisive, Battles of