Page:Sir Thomas Munro and the British Settlement of the Madras Presidency.djvu/34

 26 S/R THOMAS MUNRO

advance across the plain, under the fire of the batteries they had constructed on every side, that their cavaby might be able to take advantage of the impression. He therefore made no change in his disposition, but kept his ground, offering them battle till eleven o'clock, when, finding they did not choose to make the attack, he moved to the rear of the sand-hills on his right. The army marched in two lines, the first commanded by General Munro, the second by General Stuart. In the fii'st were all the European infantry, with six battalions of sepoys equally divided on the flanks ; in the second, four battalions of sepoys. One- half of the cavalry formed on the right of the first, the other half on the left of the second line. The baggage, guarded by a regiment of horse and a battalion of sepoys, remained on the beach near Porto Novo. The army, after marching a mile between the sand- banks and the sea-shore, again defiled by an opening into the plain, where the enemy's infantry and artillery were drawn up waiting our coming ; but their horse still remained behind the sand-hills.

' In an hour the whole of the fir'st line got into the plain, where they formed under the fire of forty pieces of cannon. Not a shot was returned ; the guns were not even unlimbered ; but everything remained as if the army had been to continue its march. The enemy, encouraged by this, which they attributed to an intention of escaping, brought their artillery nearer. Every shot now took effect. The General rode along the front, encouraging every one to patience, and