Page:History of the French in India.djvu/430

 404 THE FALL OP DUPLEIX, C fx ? ' P erce ^ vec ^' anc ^ carried it without giving the French „ '_., leisure to fire their two guns, which were captured 17 53. loaded. Only waiting to re-form, Lawrence then ad- vanced quickly towards the Sugarloaf Rock, his men shouting and drums beating, the Maisurians fleeing before them. Here, however, in front of the unfortified face, the French were drawn up to receive him, with a strong body of sipahis on their left. These men, how- ever, would appear to have been disheartened by the sight of the fugitive Maisurians escaping from the Eng- lish, as well as by the shouts of the latter, for they gave way without striking a blow. The right division of the English, following them up, discovered the left flank of the French unguarded. They, therefore, wheeled to the left, and took their line in flank at the same moment that the two other divisions charged it in front. Stationary as they were, the French could not stand this double attack. In vain did Astruc exert himself to restore the battle. The English pressed on so hotly that rallying was impossible. Broken and divided, fleeing in disorder and dismay, the scattered remnants of the French force made no halt till they had placed the waters of the Kavari between themselves and their pursuers. This great victory, gained by the superior boldness and daring of the English leader, was decisive. Eleven pieces of cannon, 111 prisoners — amongst whom were M. Astruc and ten officers, 200 killed and wounded, testified to its importance. On their side the English lost but 40 men. Nor were its results on Trichinapalli less favourable to the English. That city was at once delivered from the horror of scarcity. For whilst the main body of the French took refuge, cowed and para- lysed, in Srirangam, Major Lawrence, sweeping their detachments from the country south of the Kavari, poured supplies into the city, and then moved himself with the main body of his troops to Koilaclf, on the