Page:History of the French in India.djvu/443

 TRANSIENT SIFCCESS OF THE FRENCH. 417 were killed, 138 — of whom 100 were wounded — were chap. IX taken prisoners.* This, however, was but a transient gleam of success. 1754 On May 23, a French force, 700 strong, supported by a large body of sipahis and Marathas, was repulsed near the Sugar-loaf Rock by a body of English, much inferior in numbers, on one of those occasions when a victory on the part of the French would have term- inated the war in those parts. Again, however, the tide turned. Mainville, prompted by Dupleix, took the sudden resolution of abandoning his position before Trichinapalli, and of carrying the war into the enemy's country. Moving eastward, accordingly, he attacked and took Kilakota, then possessed himself of Koiladf. Here he caused the waters of the Kavari to be diverted into the channel of the Kolrun, with a view to distress the people of Tanjur. Having seen this done he moved back to Trichinapalli, and took up the position at the Five Rocks, whence he could best intercept the supplies destined for that city. Murari Rao, about the same time, completely defeated the army of the Raja of Tanjur. To cover the capital of that country, Major Lawrence had left his position near Trichinapalli, leaving it feasible for Mainville to make the movement we have recorded. He was, at the time we are writing, wistfully watching from Tanjur the movements of Mainville at the Five Rocks, whilst — such is Oriental diplomacy — the secret agent of Dupleix had more than half succeeded in detaching the Raja whose country he was protecting from the English alliance ! It will be seen then that Dupleix had at least some reason for maintaining his pretensions in his negotiations with the English. Had he been an absolute prince we can scarcely doubt but that in the end his policy would •Amongst these men was the had borne the brunt of all Lawrence's famous battalion of grenadiers which battles. — Lawrence. E E