ftake depending, than Sir Eyre Coote at this juncture. His whole force did not exceed 7,000 men. Yet with what may be comparatively called a handful of men, his dependence was fo great on the goodness of the troops and upon his own ability, that in any lefs critical state of war, he would, without hesitation, have met Hyder's vaft hoft in the field. But every thing was now at flake. The fate of Madras, of the British inferefts in the Carnatic, and perhaps in all India, to the very existence of the English name, being wrapt up in that of the fall army he commanded, a greater degree of confideration became neceffary. And, befides the principal danger of any misfortune to the army, it was forefeen that Madras itfelf might be expofed during its abfence, however fuccefsful he might be in relieving the befieged fortreffes. The multitude of Hyder's troops enabled him to make detachments to any amount, and the celerity of his numerous irregular cavalry laid all parts open to their fudden enterprife; while his main army, inffead of being weakened, was rendered more manageable by detaching.

In thefe critical circumftances, and under fuch a weight of danger and of perfonal refponfibility, the general thought it wife and neceffary to take all the counfel which it was in his power to obtain; his own opinion going frongly, under a full fenfe of all the poffible confequences to the relief of thofe fortreffes, which were the most important, and in the greatest danger. He accord

ingly drew a fhort but comprehenfive ketch of the prefent fituation of things in writing, fully ftating the value, importance, and refpective danger of the objects in view, the degrees of hope and apprehenfion to which the propofed meafure of relief would be liable, with his own opinion upon the whole; and calling a council of war, compofed of Sir Hector Monro, Lord Macleod, and Brigadier General Stuart, laid it before them, defiring, that after the moft mature confideration, they would give their feparate opinions in writing upon the fubject.

Vellore, Wandewah, Permacoil, and Chingleput, were the places befieged; the firft, from its fituation and strength, afforded no caufe of immediate apprehenfion, excepting from the treachery of the garrifon; but fome of the others were in imminent danger; and as they contained large magazines of provifions, the fapply of the enemy in that refpect, as well as with their artillery and ftores, would have been a twofold prejudice. It was remarkable in the statement upon this fubject prefented by the general, that he obferved, as a known fact, that they had not only Hyder, but the whole Carnatic to combat against; fo that they could not hope for the fmalleft affiance in any part of the road through which they were to march, or of the country which they might enter: and he informs them, that the treachery of one of the Nabob's renters in endeavouring to betray Vellore to the enemy, having been fortunately difcovered by the commander of that garrifon, he had

ordered

The three general officers coincided entirely in opinion with Sir Eyre Coote, for the march of the army to the relief of the befieged places; and as Wandewath was in immediate and imminent danger, and it was expected that Hyder would collect his whole force, and ufe his utmost efforts to prevent their paffing the river Palaar, which lay in their way to that place, Sir Hector Monro, fo far from being difcouraged by that circumstance, declared there was nothing more to be wifhed, than the bringing him to a general action; at the fame time generoufly declaring his confidence that the army would be fuccefsful under its prefent leader. Upon the fame ground, he did not with that the commander in chief fhould be fettered by a refolution for the immediate return of the army to the protection of Madras when the intended fervice was performed; but, on the contrary, that it fhould be left entirely to his own difcretion to act in that respect, as future information might indicate, or circumftances point out.

So nice, notwithstanding, was the caution of the general in this critical and momentous bufiness, that he departed from the eftablifhed military rule in fuch cafes, by laying the whole proceedings of the council of war before the VOL. XXV.

ex

Sir Eyre Coote marched at the head of the army from the encampment at the Mount, to the relief of Wandewah, Jan. 17th, in the beginning of 1781. the year. Hyder Ally, upon the first account of his approach, not only raised the fiege of Wandewafh with precipitation, but abandoned all the others in the fame manner; and fo far from meeting the English army in the field, or oppofing, as was pected, their paffing the Palaar, retired with his whole force to a cautious and guarded distance. Thus the beleaguered places were not only relieved and provided, and other garrifons that were weak and expofed reinforced, but a great extent of country was recovered, and a new frontier formed; and from hence Sir Eyre Coote, continuing to keep the field and prepared everywhere to look the enemy in the face, provided as effectually for the fecurity of Madras, as if the army had been encamped under its walls. fudden a change in the face of affairs, restored the fpirit and confidence of the troops, both European and native, and prepared them for every exertion which their commander might require.

So

The perfidy of the French inhabitants of Pondicherry, who had been treated with unexampled lenity and tenderness fince the reduction of that place, had con[F}

tributed

tributed greatly to increase the alarm and confufion of the Carnatic. These people, befides the fulleft protection in the poffeffion and enjoyment of their houfes and eftates, and the moft liberal conftruction of the articles of capitulation in their favour, were even admitted to the rights of fubjects, and to traffic under the English flag. The fortifications and the powder magazine had been alone demolished; in all other refpects, the town, port, and public buildings, were left in their former ftate.

Upon the commencement of the prefent troubles, as it became neceflary to withdraw the British troops to Madras, it was thought fitting to remove the French off cers and veterans, who, through lenity and a tenderness for their circumstances, had hitherto been left upon parole at Pondicherry, to the fame place; while thefe gentlemen expreffed the most grievous apprehenfion, left this removal might proceed from any doubt of their honour in the ftrictest adherence to their paroles. At the fame time, as the conduct of the inhabitants had lately afforded much room for jealousy, and became daily more fufpicious as the troubles in the country and the expectation of the arrival of a French force increased, it was in contemplation to fend the late attorney general, with several other of the principal inhabitants, who, from their conduct, influence, or turbulence, were deemed the most dangerous, to Madras likewife. Lenity, however, prevailed; and the meature was evaded, by thefe perfons renewing their allegiance, and voluntarily pre

fenting a written declaration, figned with their names, and binding themfelves anew to the most inviolable fidelity; thus rendering themfelves doubly criminal.

For, in return for all paft favour and prefent confidence, Colonel Brathwaite had fcarcely marched with his troops out of fight of the place, when the French inhabitants fuddenly rife in arms, feize and plunder the folitary English refident who had been left to fuperintend their conduct, and, to complete the outrage, compel him, with fixed bayonets at his breast, to fign a written inftrument, the contents of which he is totally unacquainted with. They then proceeded to raife and arm two or three battalions of fepoys, most of whom, having compofed a part of the late garrifon, had received the fame protection, and were bound to the fame conditions with themselves. As fome cover to this breach of faith, they, however, pretended that these fepoys were in Hyder's pay and service; the former of which indeed was probably true. And, that nothing might be wanting for the reception and support of the fleet and army which they expected from the Mauritius, they proceeded to amafs vaft quantities of provifion at Carangolly, a town at fome diftance, upon the fea-coaft.

Such infractions of faith are to be condemned, befides their own inherent turpitude, as they tend to difcourage the exercite of clemency and moderation. But we are always happy to find councils ever erting on the fide of lenity juftified by the final event; as was the cafe in the prefent instance.

Sur

Surrounded, however, with difficulties and dangers on all fides, as Sir Eyre Coote was at his first arrival, he ftrongly condemned a degree of imprudent fecurity thro' which Pondicherry was permitted to become a garrifon and place of arms for the reception and fupport of a new, as well as of the old enemy. One of his first meafures, after the immediately neceffary fervices of obliging Hyder to raise the fieges, and of reinforcing and fupplying the weak or expofed garrisons, was the remedy of this evil. This he accomplished effectually, by difarming the inhabitants of Pondicherry, by the deftruction of all their boats, and by the removal of the provifions from Carangolly. The deftruction of the boats was in a peculiar manner timely and fortunate; for M. de Orves arrived with a fquadron foon after off that place, and being in great diftrefs for water, provifions, and other neceffaries, the want of boats on both fides occafioned his quitting the coaft without obtaining any relief.

In the mean time, Sir Edward Hughes had performed excellent fervice on the Malabar coast towards the clofe of the year, and of a nature the most vexatious that could be to Hyder, by the deftruction of his fhipping in his own ports of Calicut and Mangalore; and thereby nipping in the bud his hopes of becoming a formidable maritime power, which was a favourite object of his ambition.

Sir Eyre Coote's force being too weak to encourage adventure, and Hyder too cautious to hazard much without neceffity, nothing

of confequence took place for feveral months between the armies.

Such a state of things, however, could not be lafting. Hyder having made preparations for thefiege of Tritchinapoly, Sir Eyre Coote marched with the army to, Porto Novo, as well to fruftrate that defign as to reprefs his depredation on the fide of Tanjore and the fouthern provinces. So wretchedly was the army still provided for the field, and fo forely the want of a provident forefight and timely preparation yet felt,' that the general could not have made this movement, if Sir Edward Hughes had not attended at that place to fupply him with provifions from the hips; for, befides the paucity in number of their cattle for draught and burthen, fo miferable was the condition of the bullocks they had, that they were fcarcely able to drag the artillery in any manner along, and were finking under the moderate weight of that proportion of camp equipage, which was indifpenfably neceffary to the fervice, and could be conveyed by no other means.

Hyder was now fo confident in the ftrength of his immenfe army, and fo determined on his object, that he departed from his general refolution of avoiding field-actions with the English, rather prefer. ring to ftand the hazard of a general engagement than to relinquish his defign on Tritchinapoly, and his views on the fouthern provinces. Thus impelled, he advanced on the direct road which the English army were to take on their way to Cuddalore, and took an exceedingly well chofen and [F] 2

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