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fupport if not the equipment of a large army; and its being befides fo capacious, as to afford cover and iccurity as well as fubfiftence. It was defended by about 7,000 of the Nabob's people, of all forts, in arms, and about 150 of the Company's European infantry and artillery, with a few companies of their fepoys. The place feemed capable of a long defence, at leaft against an Indian army; but befides the little dependence that was to be placed on the Nabob's people, Hyder's army was now become truly formidable even in fieges. His beft troops, and these were fufficiently numerous, were compofed principally of deferters from the Company and the Nabob's fervice, who had been trained up and difciplined by English officers. His approaches were accordingly conducted with fuch regularity, his attacks fo well fupported, and his artillery fo well ferved, as could not but greatly furprife the Europeans in garrifon; who were particular. ly aftonifhed, and no lefs difheartened, at the facility with which his batteries difmounted their can

non.

In the mean time, his cavalry were fo thoroughly mafters of the country, that even in the camp near Madras, the troops could not venture two miles from their entrenchments; and fuch was the difaffection that prevailed in the Nabob's garrifons, that feveral of his forts were furrendered to parties of the enemy's horfe, without the firing of a fingle fot on either fide. Nor was it among the fmalleft evils or misfortunes of the prefent time, that the government had become fo generally edious to

the people, as to have it fuppofed that there was fcarcely a native from one end of the Carnatic to to the other who did not wifh fuccefs to Hyder's arms.

The government of Bengal were fo little fatisfied with the past, and placed fo little confidence in the future conduct of Madras, that they did not think it fitting, upon the first account which they received of the invafion, to take any immediate meafures towards their relief; confidering it as better to wait for fuch further information as would not only enable them to afcertain the degree of affistance that was really neceflary, but likewife to adopt fuch measures as fhould enfure its right application.

But when accounts were received of the fevere blow fuftained in the lofs of Col. Baillie's detachment, and of the danger and ruin which involved the whole Carnatic, the most vigorous measures of relief were immediately adopted; to which, however, the monfoon feafon then prevailing, was a great impediment. A confiderable reinforcement of European troops by fea, with a fupply of fifteen lacks of rupees in money, was immediately refolved; and as the repugnance of the fepoys to all expeditions on that element was too ftrong to be fafely meddled with, it was determined, as foon as the feafon and roads would admit, to fend a ftrong body of those forces to the relief of the Carnatic by land. But this being a meafure of much doubt, delay, and difficulty, no great reliance was probably placed on its fuccefs; for the route of the fepoys, in their way to the northern circars, was, of neceflity, through Moo

dajce

dajee Boofla's territories in the province of Oriffa; and that prince's difpofition was not only doubtful, but his fon was then advanced with a strong army to the borders of Bengal, and lay in the Cuttack, full in the courfe which they fhould pafs, with views apparently hoftile. Meatures were at the fame time taken by the fupreme council for a plentiful fupply of grain, as foon as it could be done, to Madras; and a quantity of falted provifions were directly fent, to provide against the neceffities of a fiege, if fo unexpected an extremity fhould poflibly

Occur.

1

But all the hopes of the fupreme council for retrieving the British affairs on the coast of Coromandel were centered in the abilities and fervices of that experienced and diftinguifhed officer General Sir Eyre Coote, who was then a member of their own body, as well as commander in chief of all the forces in India. It was urged in council, that the danger impending on the Company's interefts in the Carnatic might be eafily repelled, even by its own immediate force, if that were properly applied and conducted.-But that it did not appear to have been properly applied; nor could it be expected to be properly conducted, unlefs Sir Eyre Coote would at "this crifis ftand forth and vindicate, in his own perfon, the "rights and honour of the British

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which, notwithstanding the badnefs of the feafon, and the preca. rious ftate of his health, he immediately complied, Doubts being then fuggefted, and the queftion agitated, upon the propriety of entrufting fo large a fum of money as 15 lacks of rupees to the manage ment of thofe whofe mifapplication and wafte had, it was alleged, brought on their own prefent necefilties and dangers, it was refolved that the treasure fhould be configned to the care of Sir Eyre Coote, and by him to be appropriated exclufively to military fervices; with however a difcretionary authority in the general of advancing any part of it on the requifition of the prefident and felect cemmittee of Fort St. George, but being himfelf to determine on the expediency of the measure.

The fupreme council communicated, both to the prefidency of Madras and to Sir Edward Hughes, an early account of the measures of relief which they were taking; together with an affurance of their difpofition to a peace with the Marattas, and their determination to make fpeedy propofals for that purpofe. Upon this head they were however more full with that admiral than with the prefidency, as an anfwer to the letter which he had fo lately written upon the fubject; they alfo requested that he would, if poffible, direct the operations of his fquadron against Hyder's ports and flipping on the Malabar coast.

Sir Evre Coote's voyage was unufually fhort and favourable for the feafon, he being only 23 days on his paffage from Calcutta to Madras, where he arrived on

the

the 5th of November. He brought with him two hundred European artillery, fix companies of infantry, one of volunteers, and between fix and feven hundred Lafcars. With this reinforcement, more confiderable indeed from the intrinsic value of the troops than their number, the whole force which he could collect in two months time at the Mount (where he encamped) fcarcely exceeded 7,000 men. The monfoon afforded a feasonable colour for inaction, with an army which was in every refpect incapable of taking the field. The protection of Madras was the utmoft, in the prefent ftate of things, that could be hoped for.

cot.

It was undoubtedly the difaffection of the Nabob's people which occafioned the continual differences that prevailed between them and the Europeans during the whole courfe of the fiege; and to both caufes may be attributed their afterwards charging them with the lots of the place, when, being prifoners, they were equally incapable of knowing the charge, and of making any defence if they had. That Arcot was lost through their own treachery, there is every reafon for believing; and if others were wanting, Hyder's taking the Nabob's principal officer there into his fervice and particular confidence, immediately after the capture, might be confidered as no flight evidence. Indeed it had flipped (with more inadvertence than could have been well -expected) from Hyder long before, that he had full information of the moft fecret tranfactions of the Nabob's court.

The city of Arcot had been taken by affault a few days before the arrival of the general; and the fort or citadel, which was capable of a long defence, was given up three Nov. 3d. days after. Hyder, who feems to have been feldom deficient in fuiting his conduct to the occafion, whatever that might be, difplayed an extraordinary degree of humanity and kindnefs to the prifoners taken in ArThefe found means to inform their countrymen in the fort, of the generous treatment and kindnefs which they had experienced; and at the fame time that they extolled the conqueror, totally condemning their folly and obftinacy in fruitlessly refifting the arms of fo great and excellent a prince. The confequence was, that all the fepoys, to a man, deferted the fort in the night, and went over to Hyder, leaving their European officers to provide for themfelves as they might; who were accordingly obliged to fur render the place and themselves.

In two days after the general's arrival at Madras, he took his feat, as fecond, in the council, and produced the orders which he had conveyed from the fupreme government of Bengal, for the fufpenfion of Mr. Whitehill the prefident. This measure principally proceeded from his obftinate perfeverance in thofe tranfactions relative to Bazalet Jung and the Guntoor circar, which had fo much alienated the Nizam from the Company's interefts, notwithftanding the long repeated injunctions of the fupreme council to the contrary. That gentleman now totally difclaimed and protefted against the authority of the fupreme council to deprive him of his office of prefident and gover

nor;

nor; and held every member of the administration who fhould fubmit to it in the prefent inftance, to be anfwerable to the Company for the fubverfion of the government, and to him, for any lofs he might fuftain in his perfon or liberty. The fufpenfion was however confirmed by a majority of the council; and the late prefident affumed a merit from that moderation, which induced him to prevent the evils of a civil war by fubmitting. Mr. Smith, as next to the chair, fucceeded to the govern

ment.

The fituation of affairs in the Carnatic, at the time of Sir Eyre Coote's arrival, was fo deplorable, as far to exceed all report and imagination upon the fubject; and the unaccountable neglect which had marked every department of adminiftration, feemed rather the effect of fome fatality than of indolence or weaknefs. That general obferves in his letters to the directors, as well as to fome of the principal officers of the ftate, that the fame inactivity and bad policy which had operated, in not collecting the troops, in the defect of every kind of preparation, in leaving the paffes open to Hyder's en trance, and in fo many other ruinous inftances, were ftill prevalent at the time of his arrival; and that what ought to have been their first care, lay as much neglected as if no enemy had been

near.

That even the neceffary arrangements for the fecurity of Fort St. George, the very foundation of our existence on that coaft, had not been made; that no pains had been taken to repair the fhattered condition of the very finall army

that remained for their defence; that the field artillery requifite for a campaign was fo far from being in readinefs, that the carriages were then making up. That the troops were difpirited, the fepoys deferting, the country defolated, the inhabitants treacherous, all communications cut off, their provifions confumed, and their refources exhaufted. That the Nabob, fo far from being able to give affiftance in this exigency, had neither men, money, or influence, and looked up to the Company for the fupport of his interests and credit.-After ftating the dangerous and ruinous conduct which had been purfued with refpect to Pondicherry (the effects of which will appear) he obferves, that to all the difadvantages arifing from thefe misfortunes, and from the misconduct of government, on one fide, fhould be added the increase of fuperiority to the enemy, arifing from his good policy, as well as from the ftrength and fuccefs of his arms; "for that Hyder

had taken every meafure which "could occur to the moft expe"rienced general to diftrefs us, "and to render himself formi. "dable; and that his conduct in "his civil capacity had been fup"ported by a degree of political "addrefs, unequalled by any power "that had yet appeared in Hin

"doftan."

Such was the enemy with whom the Eaft India Company were now engaged in fo arduous a conteft; and fuch was part of a picture of the affairs of the Carnatic, drawn upon the ipot, at the clofe of the year 1780, by Sir Eyre Coote.

CHA P. IV.

Sir Eyre Coote's defign of relieving the besieged fortrelles, confirmed by the opinion of the council of war and the approbation of the felect committee. Hyder raifes the fiege of Wandewash, and retires with precipitation, on the approach of the British army. The other beleaguered places relieved and Supplied. Dangers arising from the perfidy of the French at Pondicherry obviated, by the general's difarming the inhabitants, deftroying their boats, and removing their magazines from Carangolly. Hyder's fhipping deftroyed in his own ports by Sir Edward Hughes. Sir Eyre Coote marches to Porto Novo, to fruftrate the enemy's defign on Tritchinapoli. Hyder's immenfe force. Numberless difficulties which the English general had to furmount. Grand battle on the ft of July. Hyder's vaft hoft, after a very long and obftinate engagement, defeated. Hyder retreats towards Arcot, and Tippon Saib raises the fiege of Wandewah. English general marches to the northward, and forms a junction with the forces from Bengal. Takes Trepafore, defeats Hyder, in a hard and difficult conflict, on the 27th of Auguft. Defeats him a third time on the 27th of September. Succeeding actions, in which the English army is conftantly victorious. Sir Edward Hughes and Gen. Sir Hector Monro befiege Negapatam by fea and land. Place furren dered upon conditions. The admiral proceeds to the island of Ceylon, and takes the Dutch forts and fettlement of Trincomale.

A

MONG the good confequences which attended Sir Eyre Coote's coming to take the command in the Carnatic, the unanimity which from thence prevailed in the government was far from being the least. The council were unanimous in his fupport, and wifely committed the whole conduct and management of the war, without referve, into his hands. An appearance of vigour, in defpite of weaknefs and of all the wretched circumftances of affairs, accordingly took place in every department; and the enemy, impreffed with a fenfe of the general's fime and military abilities, became more guarded in their conduct.

Hyder's army was by this time prodigioufly augmented; his force within the Carnatic was fuppofed far to exceed an hundred thousand men; and fome accounts went fo far, as to eftimate his matchlock men and irregular infantry only, at not lefs than 80,000. The weaknefs of the army at Madras, the neceffity by which he knew it was tied down to the protection of that place, together with the multitude of his own troops, encouraged and enabled Hyder, after the taking of Arcot, to lay fiege at one and the fame time to feveral of the principal fortreffes in the Carnatic.

Few generals have had a more difficult game to play, or a greater

ftake

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