Page:Our Indian Army.djvu/225

Rh the same time to strike a serious blow at the efficiency of an important portion of the English force, Kummer-oo-Deen, leaving a strong body in the trenches, marched with the remainder of his force a distance of about ten miles, to the vicinity of a pass where the woods of Arivally terminate and the plain commences. A large convoy of oxen, intended for the western army, was assembled at Palagant; and Kummer-oo-Deen made a demonstration of getting into Major Cuppage's rear, for the purpose of occupying the pass. This would have enabled him to cut off the passage of the convoy, and by the force of numbers to embarrass Major Cuppage's return to Palagant. That officer accordingly fell back, and the occupation of the pass was decided by a severe action, in which Major Cuppage was victorious. He immediately returned to Palagant, while Kummer-oo-Deen proceeded to resume the siege of Coimbatore, relieved from the fear of interruption.

The fate of that place was now sealed. All hope of relief was cut off; the ammunition, bad from the first, was nearly expended; a wide breach had been made perfectly practicable, and the sap had been carried to the covered way. Lieutenants Chalmers and Nash were both wounded in one day; and the most determined of the gallant defenders of this miserable fort saw the necessity of surrender. Negotiations for this purpose were commenced, and soon brought to a conclusion, the enemy being quite ready to grant the besieged favourable terms. On the 3rd of November, after a close and vigorous siege of one hundred and forty-three days, the conquerors took possession of Coimbatore; its remarkable defence having invested it with a degree of historical interest far beyond the actual importance of the place.

It was a condition of the capitulation that the garrison should be permitted to march to Palagant; but after the surrender it was pretended that this condition could not be acted upon without the Sultan's ratification. The sequel of this tale of perfidy need scarcely be told. After