Page:History of the French in India.djvu/335

 LAWRENCE DEFEATS LAW. 311 to capture or destroy a great portion of their convoy, chap. Chance, at first, seemed to favour his designs. On V1L April 7, Major Lawrence, misled by his guides, took 1752. his force even nearer to the upper branch of the Kavari than would have been the case had he followed the ordinary route, and found himself all at once under the fire of the guns of Koiladf. These did considerable execution, and before he could move out of range, he had lost twenty Europeans, and his convoy and baggage had been thrown into great disorder. This was the time which the French force, had it been strong enough, might have used with crushing effect. But its com- mander had apparently imbibed the hesitating and unenterprising nature of his chief. Partly on this account, partly doubtless because he felt himself tied down by the orders he had received, he remained sta- tionary in his stronghold. Major Lawrence therefore was able, not only to extricate himself from his position, but to safely convey that portion of the convoy* he had with him to within ten miles of Trichinapallf. Thus failed, and failed deservedly, Law's first attempt to crush the advancing English. Like all the measures of weak men it was a half measure, and was therefore ineffective. Fearing to run the risk of an attack from the garrison should he detach a strong force to meet Lawrence, he sent only a weak one, and thus incurred the greater risk of losing his whole army. For he ex- posed his force, first, to the risk of being beaten in detail ; secondly, to its being overwhelmed by the com- bined forces, superior in numbers, of Lawrence and Gingens. To avert a very small risk, therefore, he ran a very great one, and drew upon his force the destruction in which a bolder course of action would most probably have involved the English. It is a crisis of this nature which really tries a man, which tests the material of previous day at Triktapalti, ou the belonging to the king of Tanjur.
 * He had left the remainder the south of the upper Kavari, a post