>rnia U THE HISTORY O F AYDER ALT KHAN, NABOB-BAHADER: OR, New Memoirs concerning the Eafl Indies. WITH HISTORICAL NOTES. By M. M. D. L. T. General of Ten thoufand Men in the Army of the Mogol Empire, and formerly Commander in Chief of the Artillery of Ayder Ali, and of a Body of European Troops in the Service of that Nabob. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, N72 a ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARO. M.DCC.LXXXJV. THE HISTORY O F AYDER ALI KHAN: O R,. NEW MEMOIRS- CONCERNING THE EAST INDIES. HITHERTO we have given n more than a fuperficial account of the different wars in which Ayder Ali Khan has been engaged againft the Ma- rattas, the Englifli, and other enemies, who envied his fuccefs, or dreaded his power. The true reafon why the former actions of this ce- VoL, II, JB lebrated 2000782 & THE HISTORY OF lebrated conqueror have not been given in a more ample manner in the prefent work, is, that the Author, not having joined the army of the Nabob before the time of the war on the coaft of Malabar, did not think it neccf- fary to fpeak largely concerning military ope- rations he could only know from the commu- nications of others. Every perfon acquainted with fubje&s of this nature, muft be fenfible how very imperfect an idea of the particulars of any war can be gathered from the accounts of officers, who, engaged in their own duty, cannot have much opportunity to contemplate the general fcene of a&ion. To difplay the character, the genius, and the talents of Ayder, with regard to the art of war, it would doubtlefs have been highly in- terefting to have defcribed all the marches, fieges, and battles, in which he has exerted himfelf. But the curiofity of the reader will be amply fatisfied in the following volume, by the details given of facts that happened during the war between Ayder and the Englifh. The Author will at leaft relate what he has feen, and clearly come to the knowledge of j with the AYDER ALI KHAN. $ the afiurance that this, of all the wars in which Ayder has been engaged, is the bed adapted to make known the great abilities of that Nabob ; becaufe in this he had to contend with enemies who pouefled the fuperior advan- tage of the military fcience and difcipline. It will be eafy to judge, from the war between the years 1767 and 1769, of the probable event of the prefent war, which commenced in 1779. The war we -are about to relate is fo much the more interefting, as it forms an epoch in the hiftory of the Europeans in India ; fmce it is the firft war the Europeans have finifhed by afking peace of the Indians. Before we begin our account of the opera- tions of this famous war, it will be proper to give a difplay of the forces of the refpe'ctive combatants. The-pofieffions of Ayder in the year 1767, when he began the war againft the Englifh, conlifted of the kingdom of Mayfibur ; the country of Benguelour, that formerly com- pofed part of Mayfibur ; all the country called Malleam, or the Carnatic, in the charts, which B 2 words 4 THE HISTORY OF words fignify, in two different languages, the Country of Mountains, and which compre- hends all the vallies and mountains from Am- bour to Madura, Travancor, and the coait of Malabar ; the town of Scirra ; the country of Ballapour; the little kingdom of Bifnagar ; the kingdom of Canara, which extends from Cape Rama northwards along the frontier of Vifapour ; and laftly, the fovereignty of the coaft of Malabar and the Maldive Ifiands, thefe countries being only tributaries. It may be ieen, by the chart annexed to this work, that the dominions of Ayder have the advan- tage of being connected together, and of being defended, on the part of the Englifh, by mountains and narrow entrances. Thefe coun- tries contain, if popular report may be cre- dited, above a thouiand fortrefles, of different magnitudes ; a number, perhaps, beyond the .truth : however, as an eye-witnefs, I can affirm them to be very many. All the larg*. fortrefles or garrifons are guarded by the troops of the army, which are changed from time to time; and by garrifon foldiers, who are a kind of militia, and ferve for lefs pay than the re- gular AYDER ALi KH Aft. 5 gular troops. The fmaller fortrefies are main- tained only by this latter order of military ; and, in cae of any alarm, the inhabitants of the mountains ta-lce arms, throw themfelves into the forts, and defend them with obftinacy fufficient to require a fiege. Thcfe fortreiles, which feem to have been conflru&ed to defend the country againft the incurfions of the Ma- rattas, have trenches, and baftions or towers : many of them have their revetement of ftone or brick ; but the greater part, efpecially in the flat country, have their embankments of red earth, which poflefles the property of ac- quiring, in a fhort time, the hardnefs of bricks baked in the fun. They are all kept in the beft repair, or at leaft have been, ever fince they became the property of Ayder. The dominions of this prince abound in rice, ami every other necefiary of life, as well as in cattle of .every kind j that is to fay, oxen, Jheep, goats, and elephants. As to the horfes and camels, they are for the moft part brought out of other countries j and Ayder, by making a proper ufe of his money, is always provided with a great number of horfes B 3 and 6 THEHISTORYOF and elephants, the moft ufeful animals in war. He has always a referve of thefe in the vil- lages, to the number of three hundred ele- phants, and from fifteen to twenty thoufand horfe. To be always provided with a fupply of thefe very necefTary animals, he never fails to purchafe all that are offered to him, pro- vided they be robuft and ftrong, and the owners will part with them for the price he fets upon them,, after a fhicl: examination; and, as his offers are very equitable, dealers come to him from all parts, to prefent the fineft of thefe animals for his infpe&ion. To all thefe means and inducements that might lead the Nabob to enter into a war with the Englifli, we may add the afiurance he had that the Englifh, being almoft without ca- valry, could not prevent his army from being fupplied with provisions from all parts of his dominions : and above all the immenfe trea- furcs he poflefled, which, joined to the confi- derable revenues of his kingdoms and ftates, pat him in a iltuation to fupport with eafe the moft long and expenfive war. In the year we f^eak of (1767) all the forces of Ayder AH Khan AYDERALIKHAN. 7 Khan were eftimated at about one hundred and eighty or two hundred thoufand men, of which twenty-five thoufand were cavalry : but, as it was neceflary to garrifon all the fortrefies, and leave fome troops on the fron- tiers, the army he led againft the Englifh might be from fifty to fifty-five thoufand men ; of which eighteen thoufand were cavalry, namely, ten thoufand of excellent cavalry, and about eight thoufand Marattas, Pandaris, and others, that cannot be better compared than to the Coflacks who follow the Ruffian army, being fit for no fervice but to ravage the coun- try, or rob the baggage of an army. The in- fantry confifted of twenty thoufand TopafTes, or Seapoys, armed with fixteen thoufand good firelocks, becaufe all the officers, down to the corporals, have no mufquets ; befides, this be- ing the cuftom in the Indian armies, Ayder was not in pofleffion of a fufficient number of good mufquets to arm his troops better : they who were left in garrifon, were armed with an inferior kind, with wooden ram-rods. The reil of the infantry were Peadars, Carnates, or Ca- leros, armed with matchlocks and lances. B 4 The 8 THE HISTORY OF The number of Europeans was about fevcn hundred and fifty. They were divided into two companies of dragoons or huflars, two hundred and fifty cannoniers, and the officers and ferjeants difperfed among the regiments of grenadiers and Topafies. There were like wife fome troops, armed "with arms either unknown or out of ufe at prefent in Europe, to the number of about one thoufand men, mounted two and two on running camels, having each a firelock of a great length, that threw a ball of about three ounces to a prodigious diftance. Thefe arms have an iron reft fixed to the barrel ; and the foldiers, who are excellent markfmen, follow the cavalry, and plant themfelves in covered paces to flank the enemy, among whofe ca- valry they keep up a very deftru&ive fire. This body of troops have the fingular privi- lege of an enfign for every ten men ; whether it he an honour, or a piece of policy to de- .ceive the .enemy into an opinion, from the number of ftandards, that they are oppofed by a numerous corps of infantry. The troop is wry ancient, being, according to all appear- AYDER ALI KHAN. "~ ance, the firft among the Indians that bore fire-arms. The fame number, of about one thoufand or twelve hundred men, carried roc- kets or fufees of iron, which are boxes of plate iron, made in the form of fufees, and at- tached to direction rods : they are of various fizes, fome containing more than one pound of powder or compofition, and fly to the diftance of a thoufand yards. Many of thefe rockets are charged (o buffr. ; others are fharpened at the end ; and others are pierced at the foremoft end, being charged To that the wind acts ftrengly on the flame, and fets -fire to the matters it may ftrike in its courfe. This implement is, on the whole, far more ex- penfive than ufeful ; which, J fuppofe, chiefly arifes from the want of care and attention in making them up : however they have been fometimes productive of dreadful efFec"ts, by fetting fire to * ammunition waggons. Thefe - *'' rockets According to the relation given bythe Englifti of the battle gained by Ayder againft the colonels Eaylie and ^letcher, a rocket having fet fire to an ammunition JO THE HISTORY OF rockets are very well adapted for fetting fire to towns and villages in which the enemy have magazines. A body of cavalry, not ufed to this kind of inftrument, would be quickly thrown into diforder by it j for the rockets falling at the feet of the horfes, emit a flame refembling that of a forge furnace, which frightens them ; and when they burft, they do confiderable mifchief. It is no fmall advan- tage, that they defcribe a curve line, and may therefore be thrown by people that are covered by a line of infantry. The Englifh made ufe of them againft the cavalry of Ayder ; but, as it was habituated to the fire by various exer- cifes performed with paper rockets, the horfes, inftead of being frighted, marched fiercely over them. A troop of Arabs, armed with bows and arrows, arrived at Syringpatnam a fhort time ammunition waggon, which in blowing \ip fet fire to two others, the battle was loft; becaufe Tipou Saeb, fon of Ayder, with his cavalry, fell upon the Englifli infantry, which the explofion had thrown into diforder, before AYDERALIKHAN. If before the departure of the army. The men were well-made, ftrong, and active j but, as Ayder did not fuppofe the arms they bore would have much effel on the enemy, he formed them into two companies j one clothed in red, which he joined to his Savari j and the other, in blue, he gave to the commandant of Europeans, to apply to any fervice he might think proper. They were very adroit in killing birds and game with their bows and arrows, which were large, and very much or- namented. The army of Nizam Daulla, Suba of De- can, King of Golconda, &c. was reckoned one hundred thoufand ftrong ; but he had not more than forty thoufand fighting men, of which thirty thoufand were cavalry, and ten thoufand infantry. Scarcely two thoufand of the infantry were armed with firelocks j the reft had only that kind of mufket that is called Cailletaux in India. The infantry was, how- ever, commanded by a brave man, named Abderaman Khan, who had ferved under Meflrs. Bourdonnaye and Buffi. This laft caufed him to be promoted to the command he 12 THEHISTORYOF he pdflefled. He was very fenfible of the bad ftate of his troop, which was befides very ill paid. The cavalry was good, but much better for fhew than fervice; every chief 'being proprietor and abfolute matter of his own troop. Fol- lowing the army, for the mofr. part, only as vafTals of the empire, they were very little dif- pofed torifque their life and their cattle in any war, except when animated by the defire of revenge, the hope of plunder, or fome ether paflion. Thefe chiefs were the mofl powerful lords of Decan ; fuch as Ram Schander, a Maratta prince, who bears the name of Alexander, his fuppofed or pretended anceftcr ; the three Na- bobs or Patane princes of Savour, Carpet, and Canour, &c. The army was followed by a multitude of merchants, working tradefmen, women, and fervants, which occafioned the camp to be vaftly extended ; and would have rendered it an eafy matter for the Englifh to furprife it, if Ayder had been poflefled of lefs experience and vigilance. The army of the Suba, though I capable AY.DER ALJ KHAN. IJ capable of doing very little fervice in actual war, added vaftly to the reputation of Ayder, and might have procured him many allies ; but the well-founded fufpicions he entertained againft Rocum Daulla, and even againfl Ni- zam, obliged him to be on his guard againft a ftroke of perfidy,, that would have been of more confequence to him than the lofs of a battle. Befides, an indifference and coolnefs very fooa arofe between the two Subas, by reafon of the continual wants of Nizam and all his chiefs ; and Ayder was not difpofed to comply with their repeated requefts for mo- ney, left he fhould by that means lofe both his money and his allies. He moreover re- pented that he had not previoufly agreed that Nizam, after having given the inveftiture of the Nabobfhip of Arcot to his fon, fhould re- turn to his ftates. It will be feen, in future, that thefe allies very foon feparated from each other. The united army poflefled a very eonfidera- ble train of artillery, confuting of at Jeaft one hundred and ten pieces of large cannon. That of Ayder was more numerous, better pro*. vided 14 THE HISTORY OF vided with ammunition, better mounted, and ferved by good European cannoniers ; but, out of fixty pieces of cannon, he had thirty of iron. The artillery of Nizam, on the con- trary, was all fine European brafs cannon ; and thirty, at leaft, were French pieces, caft in the reign of Louis XIV. ; being the re- maining artillery of the fquadron of M. de la Haye, which was loft in a hurricane in the road of Mafulipatam : this port then belonged to the Kings of Golconda, Subas of Decan, who recovered the cannon of the funken vef- fels, which has by fucceffion come into the hands of Nizam Daulla. This beautiful ar- tillery was ill provided with ammunition, badly mounted, and ferved by Lafcars, or In. dian gunners, who are ufually cowardly and unfkilful. Ayder likewife employed in this war a fmall army of about fix thoufand men, returned from the coaft of Malabar. He entrufted the command of this detachment to Maffous Khan, a man who he knew had no pretenfions to military (kill ; but, in his opinion, able tocaufe the people of Madura, whofe fovcreign he was -? to AYDER ALI KHAN. l to revolt. This able negociator and keen po- litician was, however, unfortunate in the at- tempt to become a warrior; for Colonel Beck, a German in the fervice of the Englifh, pre- tending to fly before him, enticed him into the center of Madura, and fucceeded in taking him prifoner. We do not reckon the fleet of Ayder among his forces: it was then compofed of an old fhip purchafed of the Danes, pierced for fixty guns, but furnifhed with no more than fifty ; three others of twenty-four, or thirty-two guns ; feven or eight palms, veflels both for rowing and failing, and carrying twelve or fourteen guns j and about twenty galivats^ or large galliots, carrying eighty men, and two cannons. Three or four of the Englifh com- pany's frigates, that are always ready armed in the Indian fea, would have been fufficient to have difperfed this little fleet. An Englifh- man, whom Ayder had appointed his admiral, having carried the large veflel to Bombay to refit, it was feized, and declared good prize, as foon as the commencement of hoftilities was * 6 THE HI STORY OF was known : an action that Ayder has- always regarded as perfidious on the part of the Englifh. The power of the Englifh in India was in its meridian in the year 1767. That nation poflefled the whole of Bengal, the richeft, the moft fertile, and the moft populous of all the provinces in the empire j the number of its in- habitants being eftimated at nine millions when it fell into the hands of the Englifh ; but fince reduced to fix millions, at moft, by their vexa- tious and barbarous government. Befides this province, they poflefled all the coafts of Orixa and Coromandcl, having no other limits in- land than the gates, or mountains j the large towns of Surat and Cambaya', the former of which is the moft trading poit of all India ; the ifland of Bombay > and the country of Sal- fete, on the Maratta frontier; the forts of Tillicherry, Mondeli, and Anzingue, on the coaft of Malabar ; befides a number of facto- ries and different eftablifhments, fuch as arc on the ifland of Sumatra, too remote to be of any advantage in the prefent wan The terri- torial AYDERALIKHAN. IJ torial revenues of all thefe pofleffions exceeded two hundred millions of French money *, as the Author of thefe Memoirs is well afiured ; having had in his hands the {rate of the Englifli Company's affairs, which was given to the king of England and his Privy Council. The forces of the Englifli in India were more than ninety thoufand men : namely, eight regiments of Englifli infantry, of one thoufand men each ; three on the eftablifliment of Madras, three on that of Bengal, and two on that of Bombay ; befides twelve hundred men forming the artillery companies on the feveral eftablifhmcnts ; and one thoufand or twelve hundred invalids in garrifon at various places. The Indian troops confifted of fixty- four regiments of one thoufand Seapoys each ; of which thirty were on the efrablifhment of Madras. Their cavalry might be eftimated at about four thoufand horfe, twelve hundred only beiflg on the Madras eftablifliment. Ajl this cavalry was Indian, except about four * In round numbers, about 8, 700,000 /. fterling. VOL. II, C hundred i8 THE HISTORY OF hundred Europeans. General Smith, after leaving the neceflary garrifons, had at his dif- pofal five thoufand Europeans, two thoufand five hundred Seapoys, two thoufand five hun- dred horfe, including two hundred Europeans j twelve hundred Indians, taught the Englifli exercife, and commanded by European offi- cers. The remainder of his army contained the cavalry of Mehemet Ali Khan ; a troop not only much inferior in number to that of Ayder, but even unfit to face the cavalry of that fovereign, by reafon of their want of dif- cipline, and the bad ftate of the horfe. The Englifh have never yet fucceeded in the attempt to form a good troop of European horfe in India. As they have fent a regiment of dragoons from England, it is probable that their arrival may place the affair on another footing. Though it may not immediately be conceived, the reafon of the want of fuccefs in fprming their intended troop of horfe, con- fifted in the good difcipline to which they were defirous of fubjecling them. The excellence of the Englifh cavalry is fuf- -ficiently acknowledged in Europe ; and its ad* 7 vantages AYDE2.ALIK.HAN. 1} Vantages confift lefs in the goodnefs of the horfe, than in the choice of the horfemen. The pay of a horfeman in England is fuch as renders his fituation very eligible ; fo that the fons of rich farmers and tradefmen are very defirous of en- tering into the fervice. This being the cafe, it is in the power of the officers to felect hand- fome, well-formed men, of good character, and to keep them in good difcipline merely by the fear of being difmifled. The officers who were fin! entrufted with the formation of a body of cavalry in India, thought to eflablifii and preferve the fame difcipline among them, without attending to the great difference of time, place, and perfons. The recruits fent from England to India are in general liber- tines, and people of bad character : and, as the Company will not difmifs a foldier, all the punifhrrient inflicted on a hocfeman is, to re- duce him to ferve in the infantry ; fo that a man is no fooner put among the cavalry, than he is fent back again to his former ftation. The French have fucceeded in forming very good cavalry in India, by attending more to C 2 their 2O THE HISTORY OF their horfemanfhip, and lefs to their difcipline and manners. The Englifli at Madras, in addition to all thefe troops, in number above thirty thou- fand *, had the difpofition of the troops of Me- hemet Ali Khan; with thofc of fome Pal- leagars, and of Morao, aMaratta chief; which all together might be about twenty thoufand men. The whole army to be employed in the defence of Arcot was conlequently at leaft fifty thoufand men ; and Ayder was likewife under the neceffity of marching in perfon. againft eight thoufand troops on the Bombay eftablifhment, who attacked him at Mangalor, the centre of his kingdom of Canara. General Smith had the advantage of pof- fefiing an army for the moft part better difci- plined, and more pra&ifed in their evolutions,, than that of Ayder ; with a numerous corps of Europeans, capable alone, as was generally * There is fome error either in this number, or in the enumeration page 18, as they do not agree to- gtther. T. believed AYDER ALI KHAN. 21 believed before this war, of beating the twelve hundred thoufand men which Mehemet Sha, emperor of the Mogols, oppofed againft Na- dir Sha, king of Perfia *. His artillery was ferved by a fufficient number of officers and men, bred up in the fervice : in fhort, he had officers and engineers of every kind to fecond him ; and was himielf certainly much fuperior to Ayder in military knowledge. With all thefe advantages, and a fuperiority of double the number of firelocks, he was certain of * This way of thinking among the Europeans was partly occasioned by the attack of the army of Nazer- zing, above three hundred thoufand ftrong, by eight hundred French, commanded by M. de laTouche. The courage of this finall French army, and ftill more of their general, is not perhaps to be parallelled in any hiftory either ancient or modern. But the fuccefs that attended their attempt, on that glorious day which decided the fate of an empire, is due to the po- licy of M.-Dupleix, and the treachery of the chiefs and minilters of Nazcrzing ; in the fame manner as the fuccefs of Nadir Sha originated in the intelligence he held with Nizam El Moulouc, the Grand Viiir, and other chiefs of the Mogol army. C 3 gaining 22 THEHISTORYOF gaining every battle, in which the nature of the place, or the port he might take, was fuch as to prevent the cavalry of Ayder from ailing to advantage. The advantages of General Smith over Ayder were balanced by very great difadvan- tages : namely, firft, the inferiority of his ca- valry, which obliged him to reduce the theatre of war as much as poilible to the mountainous country: fecondly, the impoflibility of his preventing the cavalry from ravaging the country, and cutting off his convoys : thirdly, the very great difficulty of procuring a fufli- cient number of oxen for the conveyance of his artillery, ammunition, and baggage ; a difficulty of fuch importance, that it reduced him to the neceflity of having an inferior train of artillery, and to fpare his provifions and flores beyond what would otherv/ife have been receffary. But the greateft embarrafTment he fufrered confifled in his dependance on the Governor and Council cf Madras; who, with- out having any well-founded knowledge of the forces of Ayder, either with refpecl to number or difcipline and who, at the fame time AYDERALIKHAN. 2$ time ignorant of the nature of the country, were inceflantly giving orders contrary to his views, and every rational principle of war ; and even went fo far as to reproach him for the ravages made by Ayder's cavalry, though, in his advice to them previous to the com- mencement of the war, he had predicted this confcquence to them. And as thofe gentle- men never loft fight of the occafions for en- riching themfelves, they fupplied the army by means of contractors, with whom they were in league j treating the inhabitants of Madras in the moft vexatious and odious manner, un- der pretence of furnifhing the army with ne- ceflaries *. Though * Two Angular methods of plundering were in- vented upon this occafion. The firft was, that in- kead of Supplying the troops with arrack, an article eafily procured over all the country, it was thought proper to give them rum ; becnufe it could be had only from Batavia, and confequently aiToi cled means of en- riching thofe who were concerned in procuring it. The iecond related to the fupplyir.g the army witli beails of carriage. As no one could be found who C 4 would 24 THEHISTORYOF Though we have fpoken of the departure of General Smith to take poflelfion of feveral places in the dominions of Ayder, we have not hitherto fpoken of his operations ; our in- tention being to unite all the military opera- would engage to furnifh the army with oxen for the artillery, baggage, Sec. they took them by force from the inhabitants } bur, inttead of paying for them at the rate of fix or eight pagodas, their real value, they took them on hire, at a pagoda per month. At the end of the firft month, they paid the owner a pagoda ; but on the expiration of the fecond, they informed him that his beaft was dead. The ox thus obtained out of the hands of its proprietor, was parted to the account of the Company, as purchafed at its full value 5 though, by this infamous manceuvre, it coft no more than a pagoda. If the proprietor had chofen to have fent a fervant with his ox, he muft have paid him five rupees per month, inftead of three and a half, which is the value of the pagoda of Madras. By the operation of this happy project, the country was foon ftripped of all its cattle ; no one chufmg to purchafe any, for the purpofe of feeing themfelves robbed with im- punity. In cotifequence of this, the greater part of the army necefl'aries were obliged to be carried by mn. ticns AYDIR ALI KHAN. 1$ tions of this interefting war in one continued narration. The Englifh General made feve- ral fieges during the time of the preparations and negociations of Aydcr. He took Tripe- tour, Vaniambari, and Singueman, without much difficulty ; that is to fay, each of thefe ill- fortified places held out fome days. He liicewife took Caveripatnam, whofe fortrefs did not yield till feventeen days after the trenches were opened ; and he befieged Kif- nagari, a fortrefs on a deep mountain, where he was obliged to raife the f:ege, after having, made two aflaults j in the laft of which he loft twenty-four grenadiers, befides foldiers. This was the only place defended by an European officer *. It * The name of this officer was Conftantin, a na- tive of Andernac on the Rhine, in the deflorate of Cologn. He came to India with Ficher's troop, in 1754 j and married a Portuguefe, by whom he had a very beautiful daughter : he was ierjeant when M. Hughel commanded the Europeans in Ayder's army. The officers discovered that, together with his wife, he was in treaty with the Nabob about felling his daughter; they regarded this tranfa&ion as an in- famous 26 THEHISTORYOF It was during the liege of this place that the armies of Ayder and Nizam began to move towards the enemy. Kifnagari is twen- ty-two leagues from Benguelour, by the road famous piece of bufinefs, that would difgrace nil the Europeans in the army. M. Hughel fent for him, to enquire concerning the defign laid to his charge, which he denied. A young officer in the army offered to efpoufe the girl j and the father re- ceived the propofal with gratitude. M. Hughel, in favour of the marriage, at the fame time promoted the father: but that very night the parents fold their daughter to Ayder, for fifty thoufand rupees ; and Ayder fent them into the country of Benguelour. Conflantin has ever fince that time lived at a diftance from the army. After the brave defence of the fcnrefs of Kifnagari, the inhabitants of the flat coun- try brought their moft valuable effects, and depofited them in the place for fecurity : he opened the boxes and cabinets, taking out the richeft property, to a vaft amount, and efcaped to Goa 5 from whence he went to Bombay, and afterwards to Europe. Ayder's French furgeon affirms, that the girl has fmce told him that (he efteemed herfelf fortunate in being fold to the Nabob ; as her father and mother might have made a more (hameful traffic with her, if me had ftaid with them. that AYDERALIKHAX. ITf Ojat can be taken by an army ; and, in order to arrive at this latter place, it is neceflary to go through narrow pafles, which are very ea- fjy defended. Ayder directed his march fo that, at the end of the fecond day, he found himfelf four leagues from the foot of the mountains j being oppo- fite the pafs of Vailour, which opens about four leagues from Caveripatnam, a town and fortrefs on the Paler, feven leagues from the pafs of Kifnagari, which was on the right, ajid about fix leagues from the pafs of Ven- tigheri, which is about two leagues and a half from Vaniambari. No precaution was taken to prevent the Englifh general from being advifed of the departure of the army from Benguelour ; and confequently he was foon advifed of that event, as well by his fpies as by fecret informers he paid in the army of Nizam. General Smith, on receipt of this advice, raifed the fiege of Kifnagari, and pofted him- felf to defend the pafs of Vailour ; and that with fo much the more reafon, as it was the only paflage through which artillery could be conveyed j o THEHISTORYOF conveyed ; and being in the centre, with Ca- veripatnam in his rear, he was better fituated to repair to the defence of the pafs Ayder might attempt; or to retire in fafety, if necef- fary. Ayder convened a council of war, at which Rocum Daulla aflifted. Its object was, to decide which of the three pafles they fhould attempt to force ; and in order that every one might form an opinion with fufficient know- ledge of the bufmefs, he produced charts of the different paffages, in which every particu- lar was exactly delineated. The council de- cided, that as the Englifh were pofted with all their forces to guard the pafs of Vailour, it was proper to ifliie forth by that of Ventigheri ; the pafs of Kifnagari being abfolutely im- practicable for artillery : and though the army of Nizam, by reafon of its being encamped to the left of Ayder's forces, was nearer this pafs, yet Ayder, according to the agreement, undertook to form the advanced guard with his army. In confequencc, orders were given to march at two in the morning, in a fingle column, leaving all the baggage in the camp. The AYDER ALI KHAN. 2 The Carnates, and other irregular troops, formed the head of the column j who were followed by all the Seapoys, each preceded by the grenadiers, and followed by the horfe. The artillery came next, led by two thoufand Topafles, their grenadiers, and the European cannoniers. And laftly, two companies of Eu- ropean cavalry clofed the march, and com- pleted the column. Ayder, at the head of two thoufand horfe, marched on the right flank of the column. The Englifh being informed of the order and direction of this march, moved to oppofe Ayder, and to gain the pafs of Ventigheri be- fore him : a thing eafily done, as they had but three leagues to pafs over. But it was an un- expecled manoeuvre to them, when, after an hour's march, the Europeans, the grenadier Topafles, and fucceffively the artillery and all the other Topafles, made a turn to the right, and marched for the pafs of Vailour with the utmoft celerity. As this troop was fuppofed to have no other deftination than to efccrt the artillery, it was contrived, in the courfe of the march, that there 30 TIIEHISTORYOF there fhould be a confiderable interval between them and the cavalry that preceded the To- pafles, in order that this counter-march might be lefs perceived ; the chief of the Europeans, who had the command of this part of the army, being alone entrufted with the fecret *. The ftratagem fucceeded perfectly well. The hufihrs and dragoons pafied full fpeed through the pafs, which is long, narrow, and winding, but very even ground. They were followed by the European cannoniers, and the grenadier Topafles, who ran with great expedition, * When the army was commanded to haften its march, on the news that the Europeans had taken pofTellion of the pafs of Vailour, a furgeon of the army, thinking to do wonders, took the opportunity of a Palmar going from Mahe to Pondicherry, to write to the governor of that place : " We are in full ' march to defcend to the coaft. Our commandant, who ferves as a guide to the armies, has forced a paffage by the ftrait of Vailour." The Palmar having no reafon to avoid the Engiifh army, General Smith took this paper from him, and fent it to the governor of Madras. It has fmce been ufed as an authentic piece to mew the connection between the French governor and Ayder AH Khan. though AYDER ALI KHAN. 3! though they had already marched quickly over an interval of four leagues. General Smith had been careful to leave fome of the in- fantry of Mehemet Ali, and a party of Indian horfe, at the entrance of this pafs ; but a body of Ayder's cavalry, that had patted the ftrait of Kifnagari, having appeared in the plain, followed by the garriion of that fortrefs, the troops left by the Englilh abandoned the pafs, and retired with great hafte to Caveripatnam. At the inftant the European commandant cleared the pafs, he met Bahoud Khan *, commander * Bahoud Khan was a Patane chief, that efcaped the maflacre, caufed by Anaverdi Khan, of the Pata- nes in the fervice of the Nabob of Arcot. All his family periflied ; and himfclf and his brother efcaped only on account of their youth. Their mother having retired with them to Pondicherry, M. Dupleix after- wards gave him a commiffion to raife a body of ca- valry in the fervice of France ; and he became com- mandant of the Indian cavalry. M. Dupleix em- ployed and encouraged this Patane, who has exerted himfelf on all occafions to mew his attachement to the French. He quitted the fervice of Nizam Ali Khan to pafs into that of Ayder. This Nabob one day 32 THE H ISTORY OF commander of cavalry, who came himfelf to acquaint him that he found no oppofition. On this news he gave orders to fire nine cannon, three and three j the fignal agreed day faid to him, " I wonder, Bahoud Khan, that " you, who had above fifteen hundred horie when in " the French fervice, have no more than three hun- *' dred at preient." " My Lord," replied the other, " whenever M. Dupleix faid to me, Bahoud Khan, * you muft augment your cavalry, he always added, " Go to my treafurer, and he will advance the money " you want." Thefe words were directed at Ayder, who never pays any thing to his cavalry till they have patted in review before him : however, he took no notice j but replied, " You are always fo highly at- " tached to the French, who yet are much in your " debt, and do not feem to think of paying you, ' though Pondicherry is re-eftablimed." " If it had " not been for the friendfhip and confidence of the '< French," anfwered the chief, " I Ihould have had 11 nothing, after being robbed of every thing by " Anaverdi Khan ; and if the French have occafion '* for my fervice, I ftiall be ready to facrificc what I *' have left, and my life too." This attachment of him, and many other Indians, has been produced by the great taUnts M. Dupleix poflefies for govern- neat. between AYDER ALI KHAN. 33 between him and Ayder that the pafs was free. On this fignal, the Nabob caufed his whole army to march to the pafs of Vailour, where he arrived himfelf, at the head of his cavalry, and faw the artillery advance, under the conduct of the Topafles. General Smith was foon informed that Ay- der's army was advancing through the pafs of Vailour, and retired as quickly as pofiible to Caveripatnam ; where he did not think it ex- pedient to ftay, but, leaving twelve hundred of his beft Seapoys, fome Topafles belonging to the artillery, and thirty European can- noniers, he retired to Tripetour, to be nearer afliftance, and at hand to receive the convoys he expe&ed from Madras, as well as to join a body of feven or eight thoufand men, com- manded by Colonel Wood, who was then employed in befieging the fortrefs of Ahtour, a very ill-fortified place, defended by Carnates ; againft which, however, he employed fifteen days, from the opening his trenches to the time of its furrender. General Smith, when he retired, left one hundred Indian horfemen, VOL. II. D to .34 THE HISTORY OF to bring him intelligence of the events that might happen in his abfence. The whole army and artillery of Ayder cleared through the pafs in the courfe of the day, but the baggage and provifions came through in the night ; fo that the Europeans in the army, who had marched from day- break till night, and were fatigued, as well by that as by hunting (the country abound- ing with game) were not very well fatisfied, at night, to be obliged to eat their game, roafted as well as they could, without bread or rice, to the great diverfion of Ayder, who in vain advifed them to wait for the cooks. Ayder had no fooner parted the mountains with his cavalry, than he difpatched his bro- ther-in-law, Mo&um, with four thoufand horfe, to purfue the Englifh army, and invert Caveripatnam. This order was executed with fo much diligence and addrefs, that Caveripatnam was invefted, as well as all the avenues leading to the Englifh camp at Tripetour, without it being poflible for General Smith to re- ceive AYDER ALT KHAtf. 3$ ceive any advice by the hundred horfemen left in the neighbourhood of Caveripatnam, who were driven into the town. All the Al- garas * were interrupted, and the letters being carried to Ayder, convinced him that his fuf- picions of the correfpondence between General Smith and many of the chiefs of Nizam's ar- my, were but too well founded. Mo&um, after leaving the care of the in- veftment of Caveripatnam to another com- mander, haftened to the environs of Tripe- tour, and arrived during the night behind the fmall mountains or rocks that lie about a league from that place. General Smith, who arrived at his camp the fecond evening of his march, fuppofed the inactivity of Ayder to be the caufe that he had received no news, either from the commander at Caveripatnam, or his friends in Nizam's army. In this per- fuafion he permitted the fervants, with the greateft part of the oxen belonging to the army, to go in fearch of forage the next * Algaras are cotirierj on foot or on dromedaries. Thofe on foot are ufually Bramjns. D 2 morning. 36 THE HISTORY OP morning. As foon as Medium faw them difperfed in the plain, he detached fome Pan- daris, or irregular cavalry, who quickly threw them into terror and diforder. This was of courfe obferved from the camp and fortrefs, and the piquets of cavalry, confining of about one thoufand horfe, were difpatched to chafe the pillagers ; who, according to their orders, and ufual cuftom, fled, on perceiving the ene- my, and faved themfelves by taking the roaJ near which the ambufcade was. The Eng- lifh cavalry were no fooner within reach than Moftum fell upon them, and, having put them to flight, purfued them with fo much fpirit, that a party being prevented from reaching the camp, and endeavouring to take refuge in the town, the cavalry of Moclum entered with them, and took the place, in fpite of the fire from the fort. General Smith, who, on fight of the enemy's cavalry, had haftened to draw up his forces in order of battle, was apprehenfive of being furrounded by the cavalry of both armies, and confe- quently of being obliged to cut his way through, in order to procure provifions and reinforcements j AYDER ALI KHAN. 37 leinforcements; he therefore colle&ed as ma- ny oxen, and as much baggage, as the cir- cumftances would permit, and marched in three columns, his artillery and baggage form- ing the middle column ; and, leaving the for- trefs of Tripstour, haftened to Singueman, fituated at the beginning of a chain of fmall mountains, tranfverfal to the great moun- tains pafling by Tirnmale and abutting at Gingi. He arrived in fafety, though much harrafled by Moclum, who took many oxen loaded with baggage, and about two hundred horfemen, with their horfes, of which fix only were Europeans. This irruption of Mo&um, and the total want of every kind of advice refpe&ing the operations of Ayder, ought to have given General Smith a very different opinion con- cerning the military (kill and judgment of this Indian warrior, in comparifon to thofe with whom he had hitherto fought : but, confidering that Ayder could not come to him without befieging Caveripatnam or Va- niambari, places whofe garrifons might have interrupted his convoys, and being at Singue- D 3 man, 38 THE HISTORY OF man, diftant from Tirnmaly only five leagues, by a road advantageous for infantry, (befides poflefling the advantage of his camp being defended by the fortrefs, a large tank or pond, and the river) he determined to wait the arrival of Colonel Wood ; for which pur- pofe he wrote to the council at Madras, to order the junction of the two armies. Ayder, the evening after he had pafled the ftrait of Vailour, encamped about a league and a half from Caveripatnam, which was in- veiled by his cavalry. He immediately repaired to a mountain at a fmall diftance, from whence he could obferve every thing that pafled in the town. It was eafy to perceive, from the burning of the houfes that would have favour- ed their approach to the fortrefs, that they in- tended to abandon the town, and retire into this laft place. Ayder, in confequence, gave orders to the commandant of his artillery, to get every thing in readinefs for fcaling the walls by the Caleros, the Carnates, and other ir- regular troops, to prevent the Englifh from carrying their effects from the town to the fortrefs. This officer, who had brought thirty AYDER ALI K H A K. 39 thirty pieces of cannon behind the mountain, caufed eight to be drawn acrofs the plain, to the very edge of the ditch, in fpite of the fire of three pieces of cannon the Englifli had left on the ramparts of the town, after car- rying the other pieces into the fortrefs, whofe fire could not incommode them, becaufe mafked by the walls of the town. The Eng- lifli commandant was fo far from expecting this attack, that, in order to fee Ayder's horfe more at his eafe, he had feated himfelf with his officers in a tent on the ramparts, at a table covered with bottles. To engage his at- tention, the eight pieces of cannon, efcorted by three battalions of grenadiers and fome gunners, marched directly to the gate on the fide remoteft from the fortrefs j and, having placed them oppofite the gate, they made their firft difcharge at the tent of the comman- dant, and immediately overthrew it : after which they directed them againft the gate, and the towers that defended it. The troops that had efcorted the artillery laid themfelves flat on the earth behind the hedges and walls, and in the trenches of the gardens. D 4 It 4 THE HISTORY OF It was about two in the afternoon that this cannonade began. During this time, about ten thoufand, and as many volunteers *, out of all the troops of the two armies, ap- peared fcattered in the plain, and hiding themfelves among the gardens and houfes that had been abandoned. The Englifh of- ficers, who had never beheld a fcene of this fort before, fuppofed that this multitude, arriv* ing without mufquets, had no other inten- tion than to rob, or to feek for garden-Muff round the town. They imagined that the attack would be made at the breach, and that there would be fufficient time to retire into the fortrefs at the beginning of the night. * When a place is intended to be aflaulted by an Indian army, it is allowed to all thofe who are not upon duty, to go and rifque their lives in attempt- ing to enter the place, to (hare the plunder. Great numbers, both of cavalry and infantry, go on thefe expeditions 5 and though the huffr.rs and dragoons have thirty rupees, or . 3. 15 -f- per month, many of them went in hopes to plunder Ayder's unfortunate fubjecls, who are afterwards indemnified by him. The AYDER ALI KHAN. 41 The town of Caveripatnam is furrounded by an antique wall and rampart, with towers of hewn ftone : the Paler wafhes part of its walls j but this river, which is very broad, was not then more than a foot deep : the reft of the walls was defended by a dry ditch of no great depth. About three o'clock, the different chiefs of the troops deftined for the attack having given notice that they were in readinefs, two falvos of the eight pieces of cannon ferved as a fignal ; and on the fecond difcharge, from eighteen to twenty thoufand men iflued from all parts, with loud fhouts : fome began to crofs the river ; others entered the ditch with wretched bamboo ladders j others again had only poles with hooks ; and numbers had fattened hooks to their turban-cloths, which they threw on the ramparts, and attempted to fcramble up ; and, laftly, another party were extremely bufy chopping the gates with hatchets : the whole fcene was very ftriking and laughable ; and the activity of the aflail- ants was vaftly increafed by the allonifhment of the Englifli, who made no refiftance, but haftcned 42 THE HISTORY OF haftened to the fortrefs, though not with cc- krity enough to fave fifty Seapoys, an Indian captain, and an European ferjeant, who were cut off in their retreat : thefe were inftantly ftripped, as were alfo the inhabitants, who were but few in number, the more opulent having retired before the Englifh befieged the place. It was not without difficulty that the town was cleared of thefe pillagers, who were flain in the houfes and ftreets by the cannon of the fortrefs. In the night after the attack a battery of twenty pieces of cannon, of eighteen and twen- ty-four pounds, was conftru&ed, which an- nounced itfelf at fix in the morning by a full difcharge, all the embrafures being unmafked at once. The conftru&ion of this battery was facilitated by a wall of earth belonging to a large houfe on an elevated ground, which the Englifh had left {landing after burning its roof. It is to be obferved, that there is no trouble, in Ayder's army, to make platforms of wood for the batteries ; the earth is fuffi- ciently folid, and nothing is to be feared from AYDERALIKHAN. 4$ rain during the fine feafon : the pieces are al- ways mounted on their carriages, and confe- quently ready to be placed in battery ; the carriages are very folid, and the fellies of the wheels very broad, fo that they do not cut into the earth. It muft likewife be owned, that in fieges of no great confequence, as well to fatisfy the impatience of Ayder as to quiet the murmurs of the gunners, and de- ceive the enemy, the pioneers often give the earth an appearance only of folid ity : but, what will appear moft aftonifhing, and per- haps incredible, is, that the battery was partly conftru&ed with the fame gabions employed in the battery made ufe of by General Smith, which was ftill in good condition, and ready to have mounted cannon, if it had not been judged proper to place another to better ad- vantage. The Englifh commandant had raifed two cavaliers of earth upon the baftions that fired on the battery, from whence he plunged with four fmall pieces of cannon, which killed and wounded many men, exclufive of thofe who fuffered from the mufquetry j the battery not being more than feventy paces from the body 44 THE HISTORY OF body of the place : but the officer of Aydcr, who conduced the attack, recollecting that the ancient Flibuiliers took places without any other fire-arms than their buccaneers, Which are long mufquets of a large caliber, caufed about two hundred of them, with their guns, to place themfelves in proper portions behind fome ruins. We have already obferved that they are excellent markfmen ; and their fire was fo well directed, that in lefs than an hour it filenced that of the ramparts and ca- valiers : ten or twelve cannoniers and a num* ber of Seapoys were killed the firft difcharge ; fo that in a fhort time it became impoflible for their officers to compel them to appear on the rampart : every difcharge of a great gun from the place coft at lead a cannonier, who was either killed or rendered incapable of fighting. It was this deftruftive fire that *, according to the account of the Englifh, com- pelled them to hoift the white flag at nine in the morning, after three hours cannonade at mofr, without any breach, except a few ftones * This is e-aflly conformable to the account given by the Englifh thcmfclvcs. 3 that AYDER ALI KHAN*. 4$ that began to be loofened. Ayder was fo fur- prifed that he could not perfuade himfelf of the truth of the fait, but went out of his tent to- a rifing ground to fee the flag : beftowing a difgraceful appellation on the Englifh, he or- dered the commanding officer, who had waited on him for inftruiSHons concerning the capi- tulation, to refufe nothing that might be de- manded. In confequence of this, captain M obtained, that himfelf and his troops fhould march out with the honours of war : that the Europeans fhould retire to Madras by the way of Tripetour, Vailour, and Arcot : that the Seapoys fhould be at liberty to go where they, pleafed, or to enlift in the army of Ayder ; which they almoft all did, as well as the horfe- men : that all the officers and foldiers fhould carry away what belonged to them ; but that the arms, ammunition, flores, horfes, and every thing belonging either to the king of England, the Eaft India Company, or Me- hemet Ali Khan, fhould be faithfully put into the hands of Ayder. Captain M ob- ferving the facility with which Ayder allowed all 46 THE HISTORY OF all his demands, was not afraid to afk payment for the provifions, which he faid he had pur- chafed with his own money, and was not fure of being repaid by the governor of Madras : this propofition was fo much the more ab- furd, as all thefe provifions had been taken by force from the inhabitants of the country ; which, however, did not prevent the Englifh adminiftration from paying him the value : befides which, as a recompence for his brave defence, the command of the garrifon of Ma- dras was beftowed on him. This facility of Ayder to fuffer the Englifh to enjoy the fruit * of their rapines, has apparently ferved greatly to facilitate the capture of places. Ayder having caufed the Englifh garrifon to evacuate the place, the day after the cap- * It appears, that in the prefent war Ayder findi much more difficulty in taking places; which perhaps may arife from the artillery being neither fo numer- ous nor fo well ferved, or from the prefence of Ge- neral Coote, who, after the former war, was fent tc India as commifiary, and caufed fome officers to be punifheJ. This cannot, however, be decided fo fai from thefcene of action. jo true AYDER ALI KHAN. 47 ture of Caveripatnam, marched his army the following day about two in the morning : at noon he pitched his camp on the banks of the Paler, where the camp remaining under the guard of the irregular troops, the army pafled the river, and refumed their march in feveral columns, with the cavalry at their head, followed by the grenadiers and artillery, the reft of the infantry forming the rear. The army marched in this order till ten at night, at which time they refted about two hours in fields of carbi, a kind of pulfe that horfes and cattle are very defirous of, and which they were fuffered to eat at pleafure. At midnight the moon rofe, and the army proceeded ; and at the break of day the hufTars and European dragoons joined the ca- valry of Moftum, that was difperfed in the woods at a fmall diftance from the Englifh camp. This cavalry had been feven days in the open air, without tents or baggage, and Moclum fared like the reft. It may be feen from this circumftance, how far Ayder's troops are from being infected with that want of hardinefs the Indians have been fo con- tinually 48 THE HISTORY OF tinually reproached with. The five thou- fand grenadiers, as well as the artillery that followed the cavalry, arrived at the fame time, having traverfed feventeen leagues in a march of twenty-eight hours, without taking more than four hours reft : the fatigue thefe grenadiers had been fubjecled to, in the ex- ercifes and evolutions at their formation, had put them into a condition of making fuch long and extraordinary marches. The reft of the infantry remained in the fields of carbi, and did not begin their inarch till day-break. It may, with juftice, be a fubject of admi- ration, that fo numerous a train of artillery, drawn by oxen, could follow the troops with fuch rapidity. This furprifc will vanifh, when it is known, that the oxen of India are very ftrong ; and that thofe who are praclifed in drawing almoft always go on a full trot : it is alfo known, how fure-footed this animal is : the elephants aflifted in cafes of need, and a multitude of pioneers, that went before the artillery, made the roads practicable, and even eafy. General AYDER ALI KHAN. 49 General Smith, as we have already ob- ferved, fuppoied he might remain without moleftation in his camp at Singueman, till the arrival of Colonel Wood ; being perfuad- cd that Caveripatnam would hold out at lead as long againft Ayder as it did againft him- felf : but Ayder, who he believed to be at Caveripatnam, was already clofe upon him with his cavalry, his artillery, and his beft infantry. Modum had diftributed his ca- valry and Caleros with fuch judgment, that they poiTefled all the avenues to the Englifh camp. It was Ayder's project, when the reft of his infantry Ihould arrive, to convey his forces to a fmall plain between Singueman and Tirnmaly, and to take his poft on the banks of a fmall river, of confiderable depth, that General Smith would be under the ne- ceflity of paffing in his way to Tirnmaly. By this pofition, Ayder would have prevent- ed the junction of the two Englifh armies, which muft have thrown General Smith into the utmoft embarrafirnent j becaufe it would have fubje&ed him to the neceflity of taking the road through Tripetour, Ami, and VOL. II, E Arcot, O THE HYS TORY OP Arcot, and of traverfing plains where he muft have fought to difadvantage, on account of the numerous cavalry of his enemies. But, contrary to expectation, Rocum Daulla arrived about ten in the morning, at the head of a large body of cavalry, announc- ing his arrival by the grand timbals, doubt- lefs for the purpofe of advifing the Englifli ; befides which, after his junction with Ayder, he fent advice of the capture of Caveripatnam, and the arrival of the army in the environs of the camp. This is confirmed beyond con- tradiction by the manoeuvre of the Englifh, who raifed their camp a little before noon. On the advice of this, Ayder mounted all his cavalry, and the infantry repaired to arms, The huflars and dragoons having orders to iflue out of the wood, and fhew themfelves to the Englifh army, found them in full inarch in a fmgle column, coafting the river, and covering their baggages : their cavalry was at the head and rear of the column, and appeared dcfirous of gaining a hill that was before them. The AYDER ALI KHAN. 51 The European commandant, who had been at the head of the European cavalry to re- connoitre the Englifh, gave advice of what he had obferved, and of the apparent defigns of the enemy. Ayder, in confequence, gave orders to his grenadiers, fupported by his cavalry, to attack the Englifh army j commanding the reft of his infantry likewife, who began to appear, to advance as quick as poffible. To judge of the difadvantages under which Ayder's army fought, it will be dif- fident to confider how much his infantry muft have been harrafled and fatigued by the prodi- gious march they had madewithout taking any repofe. This did not, however, prevent the grenadiers from marching with fuch order and rirmnefs to the attack, as aftonifhed the Englifh general. The Englifli army had gained the hill. It was ccinpofed of three thoufand Europeans, ten thoufund Seapoys, and two thoufand -horfe : all the infantry was in a fingle line, the Englifh being in the centre ; except fix hundred grenadiers or volunteers, feparated into E 2 two 52 THE HISTORY OF two bodies, and clofing the line with twenty- four pieces of cannon, that compofed the whole of the Englifh artillery. The artillery was placed in the centre and flanks of the line : every regiment had its own field-pieces. The cavalry, divided into two bodies, was at the front and rear of the baggage ; it formed the two fides of a triangle, of which the infantry conftituted the third ; whofe fire, as well as that of the artillery, would have flanked any cavalry that might have attacked them. The Hope of the hill was gentle, but it was co- vered with underwood that impeded the march of thofe Indian battalions who approached to attack the Englifh. Notwithftanding this ob- ftacle, they advanced to the diftance of twenty- five paces, and fought many hours without lofing ground, in fpite of the enemy's mufquc- try and cannon ; giving the reft of the infantry time to come up, though not with the fame courage and ardour as the grenadiers $ except eight or nine hundred volunteers from the different corps, who, led on by the Euro- pean ferjeants, attacked the left of the Eng- lilb line, and took two pieces of cannon. But a body AYDER ALI KHAN. 53 a body of Englifh, immediately fent to afllft, repulfed them, and recovered the cannon, a little before night ; which alone put an end to the firing on both fides : the two armies refting on the field, as if intending to continue the aftion. The difadvantages under which Ayder's infan- try fought in this battle, and the good conduct of his grenadiers, muft appear furprifing to Europeans, who are accuftomed to entertain a bad opinion of the bravery of the Indians : it appeared fo to General Smith, who fpeaks in high terms of them, as well as of the Euro- pean officers that commanded them. But to fay the truth, this infantry was fuftained by fixty pieces of large cannon, pointed by able gunners, who made great ravages among the Engliih infantry, that was uncovered from, head to foot ; while the Englifli artillery did little injury to Ayder's infantry, on account of the difficulty of aiming well in pointing down- wards. -This difference of advantage com- penfated, in fome refpet, for the advantage of pofition, and in the number of mufquets, that were more than double thofe of the grena- E 3 diers. 54 THEHISTORYOF diers, before they were joined by the reft of the infantry. In this battle Ayder loft nine hundred of his grenadiers j a lof's fo much the more con- fiderable, as they were brave men, accuftom- ed to fatigue, and who never gave way. The Bacfi, or minifter of war, who has the right of marching at the head of the infantry, though he does not command them, was killed by a cannon-ball : and the cavalry, which was of no ufe in this day's fervice, neverthelefs loft feme men and horfes, the Englifh artillery having good play among fo- numerous a troop. It was perceived, about eleven at night, that the Englifh retired in filence. Ayder gave orders to his troops not to attempt to moleft them, the cavalry not being able to attack the Englifh infantry in the night; and he was defirous of giving fome repofe to his infantry, who had diftinguifhed themfelves, and had need of reft. Before day-break, the cavalry, headed by the huflars and dragoons, fet out in purfuit of the Englifh army, who had abandoned their baggage ATUER ALI KHAN. $ baggage for the fake of carrying off their wounded. General Smith himfelf fet the ex- ample : the dragoons finding part of his kitchen utenfils, and two valuable trunks belonging to Major Bonjour, a Genevan officer, ef- teemed by the Englifh, and who did the duty of major-general of their army, thefe bag- gages afforded the buffers and dragoons ex- cellent plunder. In order more effectually to fecure a conveyance for their wounded, the Englifh threw their ammunition and ftores into the river, from whence the Indians re- covered the balls and facks of rice j and, in order to conceal their lofs, they buried their dead : bat the night, and their hafte, caufed them to perform this duty with fo little care, that the bodies were many of them partly uncovered. The avidity of the foldiers for plunder, when it is permitted, induced them to dig up the dead, in order to get the clothes they were wrapped in. In fpite of the hafte employed by Ayder's cavalry in purfuit of the Englifh, they gained Tirnmaly, with no other lofs than two frnall iron three-po.unders they themfelves left be- E 4 hind 56 THE HISTORY OF hind ; and there was only one fkirmifh in fight of Tirnmaly, between the grenadiers, who formed the rear-guard of the Englifti, and the huflars and dragoons, one of whom only was wounded. Thus it was that Ge- neral Smith efcapcd the rifquc he would have run, if Aydcr, with his army, could have taken his pofl beyond the river, as he had proje&ed. AH the irregular troops had been left in the camp at Paler ; becaufe this kind of troops being without difcipline, it would have been difficult to have kept them out of fight of the Englifh ; and becaufe the enemy's fpies are generally of this body of troops. Ayder, elated with the glory of having caufed the Englifh to fly before him, ad- vanced, and encamped a league and a half from Tirnmaly, in a place full of large rocks, and feparated from Tirnmaly by a plain ; and, as he was encamped very near the enemy, to whofe method of beating the Indians by at- tacks in the night he was no ftranger, he took every precaution that could be required to fe- cure his camp from any furprize. A large AYDER ALT KHAN. 57 A large opening between thefe rocks, that might have been taken for a work of art, and behind which his camp was fituated, was for- tified by a redoubt. All the heights were oc- cupied by guards, whofe centinels continu- ally called Cabordor ! which fignifies Take care ofyourfelf! Guards of cavalry and Ca- leros were difpatched clofe to Tirnmaly, with rockets to make fignals; fo that the Englifii could make no movement to attack the camp of Ayder, without his being immediately ad- vifed. But General Smith had no intention to run any rifque till Colonel Wood mould join him with his army, which had been augment- ed, and was eight or nine thoufand ftrong, exclufive of a body of Caleros from Tan- jaor. Ayder, who ought to have fent a ftrong de- tachment, or the whole of his army, to prevent this junction, fuffered it to take place, in fpite of all the advice that was given him on the fub- je that his army might be lefs confined, Ayder, AYDERALIKHAN. $<} Ayder, informed of the defign of the Eng- lifli general, was defirous of laying a fnare for him, that he communicated to no one, and which might have been attended with fatal confequences. The fa r , where they had no other ftores than rice. Their troops therefore fuffered much, as Ayder was well inftrucled by the capture of patmars or couriers pafiing between the army and Ma- dras, and likewife by the reports of inJividu- als. The governor of Madras blarrrj Gene- neral Smith for having given the folciiers their rations of arrack in money; faying that money, being fcarce, ought to be fparingly oiflribut- ed, and that it would have been fufficient to have promifed the men their due from the council of Madras. In a letter to the pay- mafter, he blamed him for having refufed to pay the troops their money in lie-,: cf arrack, at the orders of the general ; obferving, that no one . in the army can refufe obedience to the general, who is alone refponfible for the confe- AYDER ALT KHAN. 6$ confequences of his orders and difpofitions. The governor like wife wrote to the doctor, who was commhTary to the army, to continue to inftruc~l him of all that pafled, &c. This knowledge of the inconvenience fuf- tained by the Englifh ought to have deter- mined Ayder to continue the plan of invert- ing the army, and ravaging the country. The Englifh, impatient, no doubt, and defirous of extricating themfelves out of their difagree- able fituation, either by a night attack or by removing their camp, began to march about ten at night, after having ftruck their tents as ufual. Ayder was foon informed of this un- expected march, by the repeated fignals of rockets ; and a fhort time after was apprized that their courfe was directed to the camp of Nizam Daulla. The news was extremely embarraffing to the Nabob. He had the beft founded fufpi- cions of_ a fecret correfpondence between Ro- cum Daulla and the Englifh, and had fuffi- cient reafon to believe that Nizam himfelf had not the beft intentions towards him. If Nizam was in concert with the Englifh, his army* Vol. II. F which 6 THE HISTORY OF which was without defence on the fide of his ally, was very much expofed to danger j and on the other hand, without confidering the probability of actual treachery, if the Englifti fliould attack Nizam, the little order that prevailed in his army might be dangerous to his own, where the fugitives would not fail to fly for fhelter and protection. Having called a council in a fmall cafemate where Ayder ufually flept, at the head of his camp, it was refolved, that his army fliould be in readinefs to march and intercept the Englifh in their THE HISTORY OF advancing in one full line, with the cavalry in referve. The artillery of Ayder, diftri- buted along the front of his infantry, made a few difcharges, which muft have flain a number of the enemy ; but as the ridiculous cannonade from the top of the hill had ex- haufted his ammunition, his great guns foon became ufelefs to him : the cavalry that formed the two wings having received or- ders to charge, the right wing, where the huf- fars and dragoons were, made feveral charges, and advanced within piftol-fhot; but could never ftand againft the fire of the Englilh artillery and mufquetry. The left wing, for fome unknown reafon, made only one charge, and afterwards kept at a fufficient diftance from the fire. Ayder feeing very little hope of beat- ing the Englifh, who had the advantage of artillery, and the night clofing in being in fa- vour of their infantry, yielded the field of battle, and retreated in good order ; the Na- bob himfelf forming the rear-guard at the head of his cavalry. He withdrew his army in- to their camp, without leaving the Englifh any mark of their victory, except one of the iron three- AYDER ALI KHAN. 8l three-pounders they themfelves had loft be- fore, whofe oxen were killed, and might have been eafily replaced by the oxen from; the empty ammunition waggons, if Ayder would have confented. The Englifh made no prifoners, except a Portuguefe officer of the Topafies, who, being wounded, was given to be carried by four of his foldiers, and thrown by them into a ditch ; and a Pandari, who was likewife wounded : all the other wounded were brought off. The num- ber of killed in the army of the two Subas, did not exceed four hundred men. The Englifti followed Ayder to his camp ; but his fituation between two mountains, a large pond, and two redoubts, between which they muft have pafled, prevented them from think- ing of the attack. They contented them- felves with firing fome cannon acrofs the pond, none of which reached the camp ; and- pafled the night in the open air, a good can- non {hot diftant from the redoubts. Upon the arrival of Ayder in his camp, he found it in confufion ; the greater part of the fervants and other people in the fuite of tho VOL*, II,. G army > . 8-2 THE HISTORY OF army, terrified at the flight of Nizam and his troops, having ran off, leaving the camp all {landing. After placing his infantry in the redoubts, and behind a retrenchment haftily thrown up, he ordered all his heavy artillery and baggage to march : the execution of this order was attended with great diffi- culty. Ayder has a particular talent in chuf- ing places where his camp can be in fecu- rity, as well from the nature of the ground, as from the defences that art can add ; in which particular he has gained the praifes of General Smith, who himfelf poffeflcs this talent in a fuperior degree. The continual wars of Ayder with the Marattas, who' arc far fuperior to him in cavalry, have no doubt obliged him to make a particular ftudy of the art of encamping in advantageous pofitions, which are without number in his dominions j all the country being interfered by moun- tains and vallies, and covered with towns, fortrefles, ponds, and woods. But he has the fault of not projecting eafy forties to his camps ; though the inconveniencies have been often reprefented to him, efpecially on the 5 occafion A YD EH ALT KHAN. 8j occafion of the retreat after the battle of Tirnmaly ; his camp having no other way out behind, but by a pafs filled with rocks and underwood, through which was a wind- ing, narrow road, fcarcely practicable for a fingle carriage. This road was very foon choaked up by the number of beafts of bur- then, whofe owners had anticipated the order for raifing the camp. The pafs was divided into two, one leading to the camp of Nizam : all the baggage marched at their own dif- cretion ; a confiderable number took the right hand road, and crofled the immenfe bag- gages of Nizam's army, that marched in the greateft diforder, intermixed with artillery. The confequence of all this diforder was, a ftoppage, that prevented the march of Ayder's artillery, in fpite of all the pains that were- taken to get forward by the light of more than a hundred torches* ; for, as they com- * Thefe torches muft appear very extraordinary in Europe, on account of the many rifques they muft be productive of : but the Indians have rot yet been induced to fubmit to reafon, with regard to their im- prudent ufe of torches and fires. G 2 polled 84 THE HISTORY OF pelled the loaded beafts to walk on the bor- ders of the road, they fell and overthrew their burthens ; which occafioned cries and a dread- ful tumult, the noife being repeated by the mountains : fo that nothing better could be done, than to difpatch fome troops to flop the march, and give orders for every one to remain where he was till morning. When the day appeared, regularity was foon re- ftored, as Nizam's army was already in the plain. If General Smith had detached a fmall party of his infantry, by a circuit of two leagues, they might have entered the. camp of Nizam; and by a few fhot among the fugitives and conductors of baggage, they might have occafioned fo much difor- der, as would have rendered the confequences of the victory of the greateft importance : for, though he met with, no moleftation after his defeat, he left feven or eight pieces of large cannon in his camp * : Ayder caufed the * The Englifh have published, that they took many pieces of cannon belonging to Nizam on the day AYDER ALI KHAN. $5 the carriages to be repaired, . and fent them to him with the harneis. Even the filver plate, and other valuable effects of Nizam, were found in the roads. Ayder, inftead of imitating the cowardice of Nizam, appeared at day-break, with his troops drawn up in order of battle, at the entrance of his camp : all his infantry being in the firft line, and part of his cavalry in the fecond. In this pofition he made the Englifh refpect him. When his artillery and baggage had gained the plain, he retired with his army, himfelf forming the rear- guard with his grenadiers, who did not quit that poft of honour to the cavalry, till after the whole army had reached the plain. The Englrfh, who followed them, durft not make any attack, but fired a few cannon, which day of battle, which they afterwards returned when they made an accommodation with them. There are ftron reafons for doubting this fact j becaufe thefe pieces were not conducted in triumph to Ma- dras, where they would have been exhibited, if it were for no other reafon than becaufe they were or- namented with fours de lis. G 3 flew 86 THE HISTORY OF flew four men, including a quarter-mafter of dragoons, who was ftruck by the laft re- bound of a ball *. It will readily be fuppofed, that General Smith haftened to forward the news of this victory to Madras, which extricated the go- vernment of that fettlement out of the moft tormenting embarraffment. The unexpected incurfion of Ayder's fon had thrown them into the greateft confternation : the garrifon of Fort St. George confifted only of two hun- dred Europeans, and fix hundred Seapoys; fo that the Black Town, which is properly the town of Madras, was at the difcretion of Tippou Saeb, a youth of eighteen. This town contains a great number of inhabitants, not lefs than four hundred thoufand, accord- ing to the Englifh valuation j and their num- The contraft of Ayder's army with that of Ni- zam, both in the battle and retreat, may ferve to fiiew what kind of armies thole were that were beat by a fmall number of Europeans; and likewife what the Englifli and other Europeans, who flatter themfelves with conquefts in India, may expert in future. bet AYDER ALI KHAN'. 87 ber was then vaftly augmented by the fugi- tives from the country. Though it bears the name of the Black Town, it is inhabited by great numbers of Europeans of all nations, who have warehoufes furnifhed with the richeft products of every country. Among others, there is a large colony of very rich Armenians, pofiefled of immenfe riches j and great numbers of Guzerats, or wealthy bank- ers, dealers in pearls, precious ftones, and co- ral : in fhort, this town is always one of the richeft emporiums in the world, and was then defended only by a wall of earth breaft-high, and entirely without any troops whatever. The terror that fpread itfelf among this im- menfe people, when they faw the fugitives from the country enter, was fo great, that they imagined the whole army of Ayder, headed by himfelf in perfon, was on the point of entering the town. Men, women, and children all ran to take refuge in Fort St. George, abandoning their houfes and all they poflefTed. As the governor, counfellors, commandant, &c. were not yet arrived, no cne gave orders to fhut the gates j fo that in G4 a fhort 8 .THE HISTORY OF a fhort time the fort was crowded with a mul- titude of people, that filled the ftreets, the ditches, and even covered the glacis. The governor, on his arrival, could with difficulty force a pafTage to his houfe ; where he en- tirely loft all fortitude, and remained two days with his head refting on a table, fuffering Colonel Call, the chief engineer, and a man of abilities, to take the charge of every thing. This gentleman did his utmoft ; but has fince confefled, that if Ayder's fon had entered the Black Town, and purfued the fugitives, no- thing could have prevented his taking Fort St. George. But this young prince was with- out experience ; and his cavalry having ap- proached the Black Town by the road from St. Thomas, pafled of neceflity under the cannon of the fort, a few difcharges of which ferved to impofe on him. Tippou Saeb con- vened a council, where the advice of the grand almoner*, who had been fent with him in * This grand almoner was the friend of Ayder. -He will be mentioned in the portraits of the great men, AYDER ALI KBAN. 89 in quality of Mentor, was, that it was not proper to run the rifque of entering the Black Town : but that the orders of Ayder ought ftri&ly to be followed, namely, to ravage the environs of Madras : and more particularly, not to hazard the life of the prince by ex- pofing him to the cannon of Fort St. George, or any other fortrefs. Every one was obliged to fubmit to this opinion, which, it may be affirmed, was the caufe of faving the Eng- lifh, and other inhabitants of Madras, the fum of more than one hundred millions of French money, that might have been loft to them by burning the Black Town, or forcing the governor and council to accept of peace on the hardeft terms, by threatening them with this confequence. The Author of thefe Memoirs had advifed Ayder to befiege and take the Black Town of Madras, and to burn it ; though he did not men, and efpeclally the friends and confidents of Ayder. Nothing can ferve more effectually to difplay the true character of a prince, than accurate portraits of the people that enjoy his favour, imagine ^O THE HISTORY OF imagine the thing to be fo eafy ; yet his ad- vice was partly the caufe why he did not ac- company the young prince, for fear of ex- pofing him ; and it is this advice alone that was the ground of the perfecutions of Gover- nor JB . . . . againft him, as well as the foun- dation of a legal procefs, in which no other evidence was brought than that of the Eng- lifh fpies, who affirmed that they heard him give it. But this proceeding, contrary to every notion of juftice and the laws of nations, was an ordinary act of that defpctifm the Englifh have arrogated and exercifed in India. Though the town of Madras fuffered no damage, becaufe Colonel Call, having armed all the Europeans he could collect, difpatched fotne Seapoys and volunteers to defend the en- trance of the Black Town, who prevented the pillagers from approaching ; yet the damage fuftained by the Englifh was, neverthelefs, very confiderable. They have fuperb houfes in the neighbourhood of Madras, richly fur- niihed : and all the villages, which are very numerous and full of people, are inhabited by painters and manufacturers of every kind, who were AYDER ALI KHAN. 91 were all pillaged, or affirmed they were in or- der to take advantage of not reftoring the works that were entrufted in their hands, or paid for in advance. An Englifh merchant, named Debonnaire, of French extraction, was the only one of the inhabitants of Madras who did not fuffer by the ravages made by Ayder's troops round that city : not by way of grati- tude for the fervices he had done Maffous Khan, the friend of Ayder ; but by the effecT: of chance, which led Caki Saib, grand almo- ner of Ayder, and his real friend, to fix his re- fidence in the country houfe of this merchant, which was fituated at St. Thomas's Mount, a league and half from Madras. On the ap- pearance of Ayder's cavalry feen from the mount, the fervants of Mr. Debonnaire made their efcape, with his children ; leaving all the moveables and effects to the mercy of the enemy. The fituation of the houfe was agreeable to Caki Saib, who chofe it for his refidence during the timeTippou Saeb remain- ed in the environs of Madras. On his enter- ing the houfe, he told the gardeners that he was .a man of peace, and that his prefence would fecure 2 THE HISTORY OF fecure the houfe from infult. He forbade his people either to take or fpoil the fmalleft thing j and having aflured himfelf that his or- ders were not infringed, he enquired the name of the proprietor, and fent one of his gardeners, accompanied by one of his own people, to carry him his children's clothes, with fruits and herbs ; afluring him that nothing in his houfe fhould be either damaged or ftolen, but that he himfelf would overlook the gardeners, and fee they did their duty ; and would take care to fend him the neceflary produce of his garden every day, which he pun6lually performed. The young prince, in a vifit to the grand al- moner, was defirous of taking a microfope ; but that nobleman would not confent, but wrote to Mr. Debonnaire to fet a price upon the inftrument ; and it was not till he had received the merchant's fecond letter, that he confented to offer it as a prefent, on his part, to the fon of Ayder. The fugitives from the environs of Madras having fpread themfelves all over the coaft, carried the news of the capture of that town by Ayder Ali Khan ; and^ it came to Europe JO by AYDER ALI KWAN. 93 by the way of Pondicherry, Tranquebar, and the other European fettlements. The cara- vans, and every poflible conveyance, diftributed this news with pleafure ; for the jealoufy and hatred that other nations have conceived a- gainft the Englifli, fmothered the account they themfelves had given of their victory at Tirnmaly. The confequence was, that the price of the Company's ftock, at London, fell at -once from 275 to 222. General Smith, to convey the news of his vi&ory with readinefs and expedition to Madras, dif- patched a courier mounted on a dromedary, who, inftead of avoiding the troops of Ayder, ad- drefled himfelf to them, to demand news of the Schazade, or king's fon, faying, that he was charged by his father to inform him of the lofs of the battle at Tirnmaly, and to order him to rejoin him. By means of this frratagem he fucceeded in gaining accefs to the town of Madras, though the fon of Ay- der was not above half a league diftant. The governor, on receipt of General Smith's let- ters, announced the victory to the people by one hundred and one guns 3 and diftributed the 94 THE HISTORY OF the moft exaggerated accounts of the advan- tages gained over Ayder. The young prince, aftoniflied at fo unex- pected an event, confulted his council, who unanimoufly advifed him to rejoin the armies of the Subas as early as pofiible ; which he executed in good order, carrying with him four monks, and a prielr, grand vicar of the bifhop of St. Thomas, who was then at Pon- dicherry. On the reputation of Ayder's leni- ty, thefe priefts did not think proper to follow the example of the other inhabitants of St. Thomas, by abandoning their habitations. But as Ayder had recommended to his fon to bring away fome perfon of diftin&ion, who might inftru& him concerning the forces of the Englifh, and the fuccours they expected from Europe or elfewhere, for want of more important perfonages, he engaged thefe monks to accompany him ; and conducted them with all poffible care and attention, though by a difagreeable carriage ; having caufed them to mount two and two on the backs of camels, a beaft whofe pace is very fatiguing. Their journey AYDER ALI KHAW. 95 journey having lafted five days, they arrived worn out with fatigue, and in the moft de- plorable condition ; efpecially the Jefuits, who wore their fquare bonnets, and who, to re- tain this head-drefs, and at the fame time to defend themfelves from the heat of the fun, had been under the neceflity of wrapping their heads in painted filks given them for that purpofe. The battle of Tirnmaly happening in the month of November, which is in the rainy feafon in that part of India where the theatre of war then was, General Smith thought proper to fend his army to quarters, as they had already fuffered greatly. He diftribut- ed it into Vailour, Arcot, Cangivaromarni, Gingi, &c. after having ftrongly garrifoned Tirnmaly, Vaniambari, Ambour, and other advanced places. The lofs of the battle of Tirnmaly, though of fo little importance, fpread itfelf over all Indoftan with the greateft rapidity j and was varioufly related, according to the difpofi- tions of the narrators. Ayder was very little concerned at an event that he attributed folely 96 THE HISTORY OF to the fault of Nizam ; whofe alliance, m- ftead of producing advantage, was a real bur- then to him. Nizam, on his fide, perceiving that the conqueft of the country of Arcot was by no means fo near a conclufion as he had flattered himfelf, was defirous of returning to his own dominions ; but he was defirous firft of extorting money from Ayder, as well as from the Englifh and Mehemet AH Khan. The different motives and intentions of the two Subas augmented the diftruft that was between them j but, inftead of its becoming apparent, they were both careful to redouble the public teftimonials of mutual friendship. Nizam Daulla, on the return of Tippou Saeb, invited Ayder, and all the great men, of his court, to a fuperb fcftival. He ren- dered the higheft honours to that fovereign ; and, among other things, caufed him to fit on a kind of throne or fopha of mafTy gold, with cufhions of cloth of gold, which he pre- fented him with in the evening, when they parted. He likewife gave a name. of honour to Tippou Saeb, relative to his expedition againft Madras - 3 and beflowed honourable tU ties AYDER ALT KHAN. 97 ties on feveral of the retinue *, who were moft in Ayder's favour. A few days after, Nizam was invited by Ayder in his turn; but, inftead of caufing him to fit on a throne of wrought gold, a fopha was prepared with facks of pa- godas and gold rupees, covered with fine car- pets, and cufhions of velvet, with a gold ground ; all which was likewife prefented to him on his departure. It was agreed, at this laft interview, that the two armies fhould fe- parate, and that Nizam fhould return to his own dominions. This feparation was not, however, to take place till after Ayder had taken poflefiion of Vaniambari and Ambour, which he had refolved to befiege. It was like- wife fettled that Ayder fhould continue the * They who have charges in the palace that place them in the houfehold, never fit before the fovercign, however high their dignity (as do the generals, and other perfons of diftinclion) till a prince, the friend and equafof their mafter, gives them a title. Nizam gave a title to Ayder's high-fteward 5 and Ayder re- turned the compliment by giving an honourable title to the fon of Nizam's nurfe, who pofTefTed an employ in his palace. VOL. II. H war 98 THE HISTORY OF war againft Mehemet All Khan and the Eng~ lifh ; and that Nizam fhould attack the Eng- lifh on the fide of Mazulipatam, to oblige them to divide their forces. To fliew the intimacy between Ayder and his family, as well as his manner of conduct- ing himfelf with refpecl to his relations, it will not be amifs to defcribe an interview he had with his mother about this time. This lady, who in quality of queen-mother has the right of commanding in the feraglio or palace, having received information of the check her fon had experienced and which no doubt (he fuppofed more confiderable than it really was, departed from Ayder Nagar to fee her fon in the army, notwithftanding the inconveni- ence of travelling an hundred and fifty leagues in the rainy feafon. She made long journies, and arrived at the camp in a few days. When the Nabob, who had been apprized of the queen's departure, was informed of her ap- proach, he left the camp with his whole army, in Savari, or parade. The army met the head of the queen's retinue at a league diftance from the camp, at which time they halted ; and Ay- 5 but, as the proverb fays, we can never think of every thing ; and there was, befides, a * General Smith did not fire on this troop; and faid, that in keeping the fecret, he had forgot to give an order for that purpofe to Colonel Linn, who commanded the column to the right. f This man, whofe name we conceal on account of his family, has, by his bad conduft, attracted the notice of government, and i now in confinement. wifb. 122 THE HISTORY OF wife to get rid of a worthlefs man, front whom there was no reafon to fear any thing. Nothing lefs than an unforefeen chain of circumftances could have given him the power of doing milchief. This furgeon came to Ayder at Coilmou- tour, where he announced himfelf a Chevalier de St. Louis, and ancient captain of artillery, travelling to Pondicherry. He found credit with the commandant of Ayder's Europeans,, to whom he addrefled himfelf; becaufe he had been recommended to that officer by. the chief of the French factory at Calicut, who, in forwarding European news, added, Thefe things may be Depended on, as they come from good hands : I have them from M. le Chevalier de *****, who is arrived from Europe by the caravans, and is on his way to Pondicberry^ fcff. &c. This commandant did not indulge a doubt refpe&ing the good qualities of the chevalier, who, together with the crofs he had the audacity to bear, pof- fefled likewife, to the misfortune of many, an engaging and fedu&ive exterior. On this falfe appearance of candour and rectitude, the commandant AYDER ALT KHAN. 12J commandant of Europeans received him in the beft manner, and prefented him to Ayder, who gave him the command of a battalion of Seapoys, with appointments to the value of four hundred rupees, or jT. 50. per month. The man was abfolutely without common Decenaries ; and the French commandant fup- plied him with lodging, fubfiftence, a car- riage, and every thing becoming a gentle- man. After thefe fervices, it may naturally be fuppofed that he would have felt the ut- inoft gratitude and regard for his benefactor : but, on the contrary, his perfidy and want of principle were fuch, that in lefs than three months he was difmifled from all his em- ploys. Being on the point of being reduced to beggary, he had the confidence to requeft permiliion to exercife his bufmefs as afurgeon. This requeft was made by the mediation of Ayder's furgeon, who had been a fellow- foldier jvith him in Lally's regiment, and had recollected him perfectly on his arrival ; though, at the requeft of the other, he did not expofe him. Our gentleman, thus be- coming a furgeon, found himfelf to be a Che- valier 1 24 THE HISTORY OF valier de Chrift *, by the affiftance of a crofs that ferved every purpofe : it was, how- ever, a Teal crofs of St. Louis, that fide be- ing untouched on which are the fword and laurel crown, with the motto Bellicts vir- tutis premium ; but on the other, the enamel that reprefents St. Louis was taken off, and a fmall crofs fubftituted in its place. He affirmed, that he had caufed this crofs to be made in this manner when in Portugal, in or- der to give it a French appearance. However, he was forbade to wear it - y but he adorned himfelf by an embroidery on his clothes, that was permitted him. A fpecimen of his ufual tricks having procured him to be confined, he obtained his enlargement by means of his comrade, with leave to repair to the coaft of Coromandel, in company of fome Eng- lifli officers who were to return to Madras. * He affirmed, on the fecond day after his arrival, that he was a knight of this Portuguefe order. Th facility with which he conferred thefe dignities upon, bimfelf, and a long ftay at Lifbon, whence the fear of hanging had induced him to make his efcape, and a patent fince affirmed to be forged, were the caufes why this quality was not called in quefHon. Our AYDER ALIKHAN. 12$ Our adventurer fpoke good Englifh, and un- dertook to court the favour of Captain M * * * * *', by a firing of narrations to which that gentleman either gave credit, or pretended to do fo. Among other things, he told him, that all the Europeans in Ayder's fervice, who conftituted his chief force, were much difgufted with the fervice they were engaged in, and ftill more with their commandant ; and that if the government of Madras would employ him, he would en- gage to caufe them all to defert j in the exe- cution of which project, his friend, the furgeon of the Nabob, would engage to lend every afllflance in his power. The Englifh officer, charmed at the dif, covery of a method of turning the attention of the Madras adminiitration from the cow- ardly defence he had made, prefented our chevalier to Colonel Call, engineer in chief, and a man of great influence in the council. He had" great abilities ; but, confidering the extent of his mind, he was blameable for attending more to the purpofe or end he aimed at, than to the difficulties that might prevent his arriving at it. This colonel, who, like 126 THE HISTORY OF like many others, was bigotted to the opi- nion that the Indians can do nothing with- out the help of the Europeans in their fer- vice, was delighted with the project of the chevalier ; and prefented him to the governor and Mehemet Ali Khan, by whom he was received as a guardian angel. Thus it was that this man, from being a furgeon driven out of Ayder's camp, fuduenly found himfclf the friend and confidant of the governor and Mehemet Ali Khan. He was nobly entertained, and loaded with prefents, in fpite of the railleries of fome Englishmen, who knew him from the reputa- tion he had acquired by exhibiting his tricks at Bengal. While the gentlemen at Madras were de- liberating on the means of carrying their plot into execution, an ancient French officer, of the Eaft India Company's troops of that na- tion, arrived there. He fuppofed himfelf to have been unjuftly treated by that Company; and came to offer his fervices to the Englifn againft Ayder Ali Khan. The project of the chevalier furgeon wns communicated to him. He did not hefitate to undertake AT D E R A L I KHAN, I 27 undertake the talk of carrying it into effe&. His offer was accepted, with a promife of making him lieutenant colonel, with the com- mand of a corps in the pay of the Englifh Company ; the bafis of which was to be com- .pofed of the deferters from Ayder. To engage the confidence of the Englifh government, this officer caufed his trunks and valuable efFedts to be carried to the houfe of the governor, who placed them in his ca- binet. Not to make hi.nfelf fufpccled by Ayder, this new emiffary repaired to Pondi r cherry, where he communicated in confi- dence to all his acquaintance his defign of go- ing into the fervice of that Nabob. A number of officers and young men offered to accom- pany him. He was careful to tranfmit their names to the governor of Madras ; and left Pondicherry fecretly, at the time he expected the complaints of the Englifh governor would arrive. The French governor, on receipt of the letter of complaint, fent for thofe who were nominated, and demanded their word of honour, that they would not leave Pondicherry without his confent. * The 128 THE HISTORY OF The informer, who had the utmoft facility in making his journey, becaufe the country he had to traverfe was entirely under the government of the Englifh, repaired to the camp of Colonel Wood in the environs of Ahtour. He remained there two days j when that army departing to join General Smith, he went to Ahtour, and declared himfelf to be French : guides and every thing he de- manded were confequently allowed to con- duct him to Ayder's camp. He arrived, ac- companied by a fingle fervant; and affirmed, that having met the army of Colonel Wood, he had pafTed two days in the forefts, at the rifque of being devoured by tygers ; and that he had made the journey from Pondicherry to Ahtour on foot. The reputation he had acquired, probably in confequence of the virtues and talents his re- lations had exhibited in India, prejudiced the commandant of Ayder's Europeans in his favour. That officer thought himfelf happy, in feeing him arrive, fuppofmg that he had found a companion to fhare his labours j and confequently endeavoured to render him every mark AYDER ALI KHAN. Ily mark of friendship and refpeft. The emiflary at firft feemed to meet the advances of the commandant with cordial regard. He wait- ed afterwards on Raza Saeb,. whom he had long known, and who repofed the utmoft' confidence in him on account of his family, which had always been highly attached to that prince's father. Raza Saeb undertook to intro- duce him to Ayder, who, to the furprize of all prefent, received him with evident marks of chagrin : which was fo much the more ftrange, as that Nabob always received the commoneft French foldier with pleafure. But he had been informed pofitively by Medium, his brother-in-law, who had feen the officer at the head of the French cavalry, when he efcorted the convoys from Gingi to Pondi- cherry, that the man was a coward. It was not poflible to perfuade Ayder to receive hint with any mark of refpedl:; as he had too much efteem and friendfhip for his brother- in-law, not to give credit to his report. By this prevention he could not obtain the com- mand of a company of buffers, that was with- out a captain and was commanded by a lieu- YOL. II. K tenant J JO THE HISTORY DT tenant who could neither write nor read. The European commandant, not having the leaft idea of its being poflible that a man of family and reputation, as the newly arrived officer was, could deferve fuch a character, was firmly perfuaded that Moclum had pre- judiced Aydcr againft him without reafon. To convince him of his efteem, he commu- nicated to him, in confidence, the fecret of the expedition againft Godelour ; believing that he could give him good advice, becaufe he had lately arrived from Pondicherry, which is not more than two leagues diftant from Gode- lour j and expedting that the fuccefs of the expedition would be productive of advantage to him. We have already {hewn how he made ufe of Raza Saeb, to fruftrate this un- dertaking ; and how he prevented the gover- nor, and the major part of the council, from being made prifoners : for as he knew of the intended expedition of Tippou Saeb by means of Raza, who had an entire confidence in him, he fent off his fervant among the Pan- daris that Tippou Saeb took with him, be- caufe, having no other intention than that of 2 ravaging AYDER AH KHAN. IJI ravaging the country, he could not take a fet of men more capable of doing it. The battle of Tirnmaly happened a few days after the arrival of this Engllfh emiffary ; and the officers of cavalry, with the permiffion of their commandant, who attended his duty as gene- ral of the artillery, offered to place him at their head during the battle. But he refufed, and kept conftantly behind Ayder, who feeing him mounted on a horfe of one of the huf- fars, as he knew by the harnefs, caufed a horfe to be prefented to him that belonged to one of the Pandaris that had been flain, which was the greateft affront he could ihew him. When the army marched from Singueman to encamp between Caveripatnam and Vani- ambari, and had pafled the Paler about three leagues from their new camp, the commandant remained with the artillery, on account of the paflage being rendered difficult by the rainS that had Cwelled the river. At this time Ayder Tent to him, on account of a fedition among the huflars and dragoons, who refufed the pay that was offered them as ufual, infifting on being paid in filver rupees inflead of gold pa- K 2 godas; IJ2 THE HISTORY OF godas > which would have made a difference of' about five fhillings a month in their favour. As this difficulty had never been made before, the commandant had not much trouble in per- fuading them to receive the money that was offered them ; and taking occafion of the bat- tle lately loft, in which their attack, and ftill lefs that of the other cavalry, was not fup- ported fo well as might have been expected^ he reproached them for railing difficulties about their pay, without {hewing any great readinefs to deferve it. They who fecretly ex- cited them to murmur, were doubtlefs eager in urging them to refent this affront ; for that very evening they went off in a body, with their regimentals and fabres, and repaired with offers of fervice to, the camp of Ram Schander,-a Maratta prince, who had received into his pay the Europeans that Ayder had formerly difgraced and cafhiered. On the news of their departure, the commandant pur- fued them at the head of a body of grenadier -Seapoys. Ram Schander, cautious -of giv- ing offence to Ayder, and probably inform- ed that the Europeans were purfued, ordered them AYDER ALI KHAW. 133 them to quit his camp. Being then totally at a lofs what fteps to take, they waited for the commandant, grounded their arms at his com- mand, and fuftered themfelves to be conducted hack without refiftance. They were kept bound and expofed to public view for fome days ; but at length were reinftated, apparent- ly at the interceffion of Ayder ; who did not think it beneath him. to pretend to fpeak in their favour. All this njay not feem very pru- dent in Europe ; but it is neceflary tc- attend to the fituation of Ayder and the command- ant. Ayder efteemed the Europeans perhaps far beyond their value, and the other exifted only by their means. This fedition was thought to be a kind of bufmefs that would not be attended with any confequences j more efpecially as they did not know where to direct their fteps, or to fituate themfelves better. This affair happened fome days before the capture of Vaniambari ; and every thing feem- ed quiet, when advices came to the Nabob from Vailour, and from St. Thomas to the commandant, that fome treachery was carry- K 3 ing 134 THE HISTORY O t ing on, and a defertion projecting, among the Europeans in Ayder's army. Not being able to build any thing upon fuch general advice, and the agents being fuch as were leaft fuf- pe&ed, the commandant fuppofed he could do nothing better than to aflemble ail the Euro- peans, and to require an oath on the crofs and the holy gofpels, by which they fhould promife to ferve Ayder AH Khan with fidelity j to ad- vif the prince and the commandant of every thing they might hear to his prejudice j and not to quit his fervice without afking for permiffion. Before the oath was adminiftered, every individual was afked whether he had received his pay ; and was offered his difmif- fion, if he requefted it. This precaution was thought fufficient ; and would have been fo, if the government of Madras had not employed means to prevent its effect. The Englifh emiffary found an excellent coadjutor in the furgeon, the friend of the Che- valier de Chrift : for this man had a natu- ral inclination for hazardous undertakings, and fought to render himfelf the fubjecl: of difcourfe Atr KHAN. 13$ difcourfe at any rate *. He offered to under- take every thing, on the aflurance of being appointed furgeon-major in the Englifh fer- vice. But the confpirators not fucceeding with the foldiers, on account of the oath they had * To give an unequivocal proof of the character of this furgeon, it may be recollecled, that in 1776 there appeared, in the different journals, a letter pretended to be written by a phyfician in Sweden, which an- nounced that a man had been delivered of a child, or was at the point of delivery. The fmguiar and ri- diculous difputes, on the fubjeft of this phenome- non, are frefh in the memory of every one. The true inventor of this tale was no other than our fur- geon, who in 1766 tranfmitted from Coilraoutcur to the Sieur de la G. firft counfellor at Pondicherry, the hiftory of this monltrous pregnancy j affirming that Ayder had employed him to aft the part of midwife in the bufinefs. To his hiftory were added the ana- tomy and defcription of the parts, entirely refembling that faid to be from Sweden j and as the inventor is in a double capacity the favourite of Apollo, the god of medicine and poefy, he adjoined a poem on the wonders of nature, relative to the prodigy he an- nounced. This hiftory is tao well known to admit of the leait doubt of its truth. K 4. taken, Ij THE HISTORY OF taken, wrote to Madras ; informing their prin- cipals that it was neceflary they ihould have the co-operation of the two Jefuits then in Ayder's camp ; and that it would be expedi- ent to forward a letter from the governor of Pondicherry to thofe fathers, ordering the French to quit Ayder's fervice, by patting over to the army and through the country of the Englifh, who would receive them, and fuffer them to join their own ftandard at Pondicherry. The Jefuits were in the moft abfolute ftate of dependance on the Englifh ; and having no other exiftcnce in India than they were pleafed to grant, they thought themfelves obliged to ferve them according to the directions tranf- mitted to them. They obtained pafTports from Ayder for their domefrics paffing to and from their houfes at St. Thomas's ; and by that means became the agents of the correfpondence of the Englifh with their emifTaries. They were provided with a fictitious letter from the go- vernor of Pondicherry, who had already writ- ten to Ayder in their favour, fuppofing them to be prifoners j though they received every .-kindnefs, and only waited a favourable oppor- tunity AYDER. A LI KHAN. 137. "tunity to return. To perform the commif- fion they had from the Englifh, they privately Ihevved the Europeans the pretended letter, affirming that they were forbidden to fhew it to the commandant ; but that the governor had fent to them to excite the Chriftians to leave the fervice of a Mahometan prince ; at the fame time that, as divines, they in- formed them that their oath given to an infi- del was. null, and ceafed to be obligatory, by reafon of the order of the king's reprefenta- tive. The producing a letter of this kind to the foldiers of Ayder cannot be denied ; as the fact is notorious, and can be proved by many witnefles now in Paris. The letter was falfe, becaufe the governor of Pondicherry could have no reafon for concealing it from the commandant : on the contrary, that officer being in pofleffion of letters entirely written in the governor's hand, it would have been in his power to have prevented any fufpicion of its forgery, if it could have ftood that teft : and as the governor was not ignorant that a counfellor of Pondicherry had a correfpon- tlence in cypher with the commandant, by which 138 THE HISTORY OF which all difpatches were communicated to. him, he would certainly have informed him of the contents of this letter, which was ad- drefled to all the French in Ayder's army. The Jefuit fathers who ferved the Englifh in this bufinefs, as well as the three Portuguefe priefts, were fent back in company with the Englifh factor, who went to Madras with pro- pofitions of peace. When the Portuguefe priefts arrived at Vailour, and faw the Jefuits give their letters to General Smith and the governor of the- place, they were in the higheft aftonifhment to find that thofe reverend fathers had charged themfelves with a mifllon of fuch a nature ; and fo much the more, as the news they brought appeared to be not cafual, but early and im- portant. The priefts never fpoke of this event without trepidation and fear ; protefting they were innocent, and totally ignorant of the in- trigues and manoeuvres carried on againft a prince who had loaded them with favours. In fa&, Ayder had given each of them, at part- ing, the fum of three hundred rupees to bear their travelling charges ; a fum which is equi- valent AYDER ALI KHAN. 139 valent to thirty guineas ;, and if he had been fo difpofed, it was in his power to have in- fli&ed on them the punifhment the worthlefs- jeluits had fo \vcll deferved. Ayder having retired to Caveripatnam, Ge- neral Smith took pofleflion of Vaniambari,, which had been left without a garrifon ; but he could no longer follow Ayder, becaufe he was obliged to wait for the convoys of ammunition and ftores that had a great dif- tance to travel : and the difficulty of col- lecting a fufficient number of oxen for draught and carriage was fuch, that he was under the neceffity of detaching a part of his army to bring forward the convoy. The capture of the ftores and ammunition laid up at Am- bour, was the caufe of all thefe delays in General Smith's operations. The government of Madras, according to their promifes, formed a body of light troops, rompQfed of cavalry and infantry, under the name of the foreign corps j of which their French emifiary in the camp of Ayder was made commandant, and the Chevalier de Chrift commiflary. To put a finifh to the relation of 140 TJHE HISTORY OF of thefe deferrable proceedings, we think it neceflary to mention, in this place, the fate this new troop experienced in fpite of the intrigues of the commiflary, who employed not only fubornation but aiTaflination. To augment the foreign corps, he was always reduced to little or nothing ; thofe who were fent to Pondicherry and elfewhere to enlift men, were difcovered j almoft all the horfe- men deferted, and took refuge either at Pon- dicherry or with Ayder, who paid them for horfes they brought, as if they had not ftolen them from himfelf. The commandant of this unfortunate corps was puniflied, accord- ing to his deferts, by thofe very men whom he had ferved at the expence of his honour. An Englifh court-martial declared him a coward, and unworthy to continue in the fervice ; and condemned him to be degraded from his rank, and expelled from the army. We have already mentioned the fate of the Chevalier who firft projected this fcheme. Nizam Ali Khan, who, as we have before obferved, quitted Ayder, and departed for the country of Carpet, was no fooner arrived there. AYDER ALI KHAN. 14! there, than his Divan and worthy minifter Rocum Daulla wrote to Mehemet Ali Khan, his brother-in-law, to acquaint him that he had at length prevailed an Nizam to aban- don Ayder ; and that if he and the Englifh cleared it, he would repair to Madras, with full power to make fuch a treaty as they might wifh for or expert. The governor and council of Madras haf- ter.ed to fignify their defire of feeing fo great a perfonage in their capital : and, in confe quence, Rocum Daulla and Ram Schander, a Maratta prince, one of the principal con- ridants of Nizam, repaired with great pomp to Madras, where they made a magnificent entry, being faluted by the cannon, and the Englifh troops lining the ftreets they paffed through. They were every day entertained with new fpeclacles, and conducted to fee the fhipping, and every thing that was deferving their attention: but what, gave them the moft fa- tisfa&ion was, the valuable prefents that were made them. Nizam had the leaft fhare ; the prefents fent to him were of inconfider- able 142 THE HISTORY OF able value ; but the deficiency was made up by promifes of vaft magnitude : and, on the other hand, thefe great and magnificent mi- nifters figned a treaty, by which Nizam Daulla confirmed Mehemet Ali Khan in the Nabobmip of Arcot, and in all the country he poflefied or might obtain. Nizam Ali like- wife ratified the gift to the Englifh of the four circars or provinces to the north of Ma- fulipatam, as well as the gift of that great city. Two counfellors of Madras afterwards de- parted, in quality of ambafladors, to Nizam, Ali, who fent them back with the greatcft honours, and loaded with prefents for them- ielves and the governor. Thus it was that this Suba, who, twenty years before, held the deftiny of India in his hands, became a kind of beggar among other powers, and daily loft that credit and confideration which gave him his fuperb titles. Morarao, a Maratta prince, pofleflbr of a frnall territory beyond Scirra, joined the English army, bringing with him about two thoufand AYDER ALI KHAN. 143 'thoufand five hundred horfe, and three thoufand foot, the whole in bad order j but the Eng- lifh fought for fuccours from all parts,. General Smith, perfectly acquainted with the nature of the country, and the kind of war he was to carry on, endeavoured with- out fuccefs to prevail on the council at Madras to accept the offers of peace held out by Ayder. He therefore offered it as his opinion, that it would be more advantageous, inftead of lofing time in making fieges, to purfue and prefs Ayder's army as much as pofiible ; and, if he could not be. come up with, to befiege fome place of confequence. He propofed, for the objetft of their efforts, Bengueioar, the capital of a fine country. But the government of Madras, determined to conquer all the country on the exterior fide of the grand Gates, obliged the general to divide his army into two parts, and to give the command of one part to Colonel Wood, for the'purpofe of befieging and taking all the {mall places that lie in the vallies, Awhile General Smith was employed in "keeping -Ayder's army in employment. General T44 TH ' E HISTORY OF General Smith having complied with thefe orders, the project appeared to be attended with the greateft fuccefs. Colonel Wood took a great number of places, and that with fo much the more facility, as three fourths of them had no other garrifon than the mili- tia of the country. Thefe conquefts won* derfully elated the governor and council, who, as the crowning ftroke of their fuccefs, re- ceived the news that an armament of about eight thoufand men from Bombay had land- ed at Mangalor, and taken that city ; whofe feeble garrifon, not being aflifted by the in- habitants, had made their efcape. Ayder's vefiels, being then at Goa, were not cap- tured ;' but -three hundred pieces of cannon were found in the place, including a quan- tity of very indifferent iron guns, defigned for the Shipping, and for the moft part imferviccable : but this is of no confequence, as the number of guns is always a great ornament to a relation. The commandant of this army wrote word, that he intended, as early as poffible, to march to Ayder Na- gar, not imagining he fhould find any diffi- culty AYDER AL1 KHAtf. 145 culty in penetrating fo far, and ftill farther from indulging a doubt of taking it, together with the immenfe treafures Ayder had laid up in the place. This important piece of news was announced to the people by one hundred and one can- non Fred from Fort St. George ; and the re- lation of the capture of Mangalor was fpread into all the European fettlements, and every other part of the country. The news of the landing of the Englifh at Mangalor had been inftantly forwarded to Ayder : he was consequently under the ne- ceifity of haftening to oppofe this army, that had taken footing in the centre of Canara, a kingdom lately fubjected to him, and which he fuppofing, from its fituation, to be out of the reach of infult, had not provided with any confiderable number of troops. The troops that had been left at Bif- nagar, Scirra, and Syrmgpatnam, received or- ders to march immediately for the kingdom of Canara. The fon of Ayder had the advanced guard, at the head of three thoufand cavalry ; and Ayder himfelf marched with three thou- VOL. II. L fand 146 THE HISTORY OF fand of his grenadiers, part of his artillery, and about twelve hundred of his cavalry, leaving the reft of his army under the com- mand of Mo&um, with injun&ions to harrafs the two Englifh armies for the purpofe of re- tarding their operations, but to hazard no- thing. General Smith, as foon as he was apprized ol the departure of Ayder, propofed again the fiege of Benguelour. The council, elated with the high expectations they had built on 'the news from Mangalor, were for once of his opi- nion : but as they regarded the fiege of Bengue- lour as an affair of the greateft importance, it was refolved that Colonel Call, chief engineer, ihould have the direction ; and to emanci- pate him from the orders of General Smith, it was ordered that there fhould be a commit- tee in the army, compofed of the Nabob Me- hemet All Khan, Colonel Call, and Mr. Mackis ; the two laft being of the council. This committee were, conjointly with Gene- ral Smith, to decide on all the operations ; and in order that fuch grave perfonages might not have the mortification to fail in an enter- prize A'YDER ALT KHAN. 147 prize of fuch importance for the Englifti na- tion, it was determined that the greateft pre- parations fhould be made. In confequence, they were furnifhed with fixteen mortars of different calibres, thirty-three two-and-thirty pounders, fifty fmaller cannon, with a profu- fion of powder and ball, and every other am- munition : and fmce all thefe things had a tract of eighty leagues to pafs over before they arrived at Benguelour, and the original difficulty cf procuring oxen ftill remained, fe- veral ftations were appointed to be waited at tiii every thing was in fufHcient forwardnefs to begin the fiege. General Smith employed himfelf in fecuring a pafiage for the convoys, by the capture of a number of fortrefles he found in his way. He even fucceeded in talc- ing one fmall place by.ftratagem. His fcouts had taken an Algara belonging to Alo&um, who carried a letter, advifmg the commandant of that place, that at the clofe of the nighrhe would receive a reinforcement of five hundred- Seapoys ; at the fame time informing him, that he was in danger of being beiieged. Ge- L 2. nerd 148 THE HISTORY OT neral Smith having an Algara * who was perfectly acquainted with the court and army of Ayder, gave him the charge of this letter of Mo&um, with orders to carry it to the com- mandant, and afTure him of the arrival of the fuccours. The letter produced its defired effect. At the clofe of night they received a body of Englifh Seapoys, who did not fail to take poflefiion of the place. Medium being informed of this event, had his revenge a few days after, and retook the place by another ftratagem. He caufed fome Indian horfemen to appear on the plain, among whom were a number in blue uniforms, like the Englifh dragoons. One of them was detached to advife the commandant of the place, in good Englifh, that they were pur- fued by a large body of Ayder's cavalry, and that he was fent by the commanding officer of * All thefe Algaras are Bramins ; a circumftance that ought to diminish the idea the Europeans have of thefe men, who are fuppofed to be all priefts and men of learning. They are chiefly employed as couriers of fpies. 2 the AYDER ALI KHAN. 149 the detachment, to defire the gates might be kept open for their reception. This man was an Englifii dragoon, who had newly deferted with his horfe, which prevented any fufpicion from arifmg. A large body of ca- valry appeared, and the pretended Englifh detachment came full fpeed into the place, took pofTeffion of one of the gates, and admit- ted the whole troop. The horfemen in blue were clothed with the habits of Ayder's cannoniers. Colonel Wood befieging great numbers of places, according to his inftruclions, found himfelf very foon in a confiderable embarraff- ment for want of troops. He accordingly wrote to the council at Madras for reinforce- ments, obferving that his troops were dif- perfed in garrifoning the different places he had taken ; adding, that, if it was their plea- fure that he fhould deftroy thefe places inftead of garrifoning them, it would be necefiary to fupply him with a large quantity of powder for that purpofe. While he was in expectation of the anfwer of the council, he befieged Darmapuri, a place fomewhat more L 3 confiderable I5O THE HISTORY OF confiderable than thofe he had hitherto at- tacked. The commandant was a brave man, named Pinda Khan, highly efteemed by Ayder, and formerly in the fervice of the French. This active commander made a vigorous defence, and did not hoift the white flag till the breach was made, and the ditch filled. His deputies having waited on Colonel Wood, he offered them no other capitulation than that of furrendering at difcretion. The deputies not being authorized to accept fuch hard terms, without confulting the command- ant, returned to the place j almoft all the garrifon being then on the rampart and in the breach. When they faw the deputies return, they crowded about them, to enquire what fucccfs they had met with ; and at the fame inftant the Englifh grenadiers leaped out of the trench, mounted the breach, fol- lowed by the Seapoys who had been com- manded for the aflault, and all the garrifon, the commandant, his fon, and every officer, were inhumanly maflacred ; except twelve European cannoniers, who were faved by the ngli(h grenadiers. This aflault was made while AYDER ALI KHAN. 15 I while the white flag was on the breach. It is reported that Colonel Wood's army was enraged to find no plunder in all the places they had taken : for Ayder had commanded all the inhabitants of any place in danger of being befieged, to leave the fame with all their effects ; and had ftri&ly forbidden the officers and foldiers from having any plate or valuable property, but only the fmall quan- tity of linen which is abfolutely necefTary in India. In this order he obferved, that the Europeans make war on the Indians only in hopes of plunder ; and that it was not pro- per to indulge their avidity. It is not eafy to determine why Colonel Wood and his officers did not reprefs the cruelty of the foldiers, fmce they avowed that the grena- diers made this attack without their orders. To revenge the fafferers at Damapuri, Moclum afterwards maffacred a confiderable body of Seapoys in the plain of Ovilour: and as for Ayder, he conceived fo violent a ha- tred for Colonel Wood, that he always af- terwards endeavoured, in preference, to at- tack his army, and to lay fnares fcr him ; L 4. ar.J 152 THE HISTORY OF and it is probable that the confequences would have been very difagrceable to that gentleman, if he had unfortunately fallen in- to the hands of Ayder. After the capture of Damapuri, Colonel Wood joined his army to that of General Smith, according to the orders he had receiv- ed from Madras. That general, after fecur- ing the paflage of his convoys, marched to- wards Benguelour, and took feveral neigh- bouring places : among others were Colar znd Ofcota ; and with the intention of mak- ing this laft place the frorehoufe for the fiege, he caufed it to be fortified. On his approach to Ofcota, General Smith received a deputation from the inhabitants of Divanelli, who came to offer him a contribu- tion. They informed him that the fmall town, and its fortefs or caftle, were the places that had the good fortune to fee the birth of Ayder AH Khan; a circumftance that had afTured them of the favour of that prince, who had beftowcd many privileges on the town and territory. General Smith replied that he fhould be the firft in givipg the example of AYDER ALT KHAN. IJ of refpecting the birth-place of fo great a fovereign ; and granted fafe-guards as well for the town as the territory of Divanelli. He refufed to accept their contribution, and ftri&ly forbade any individual of his army from entering the place without his per- mifiion. This proceeding augmented the efteern Ay- der had long conceived for General Smith : and on this occafion that fovereign fent two fuperb horfes to him, as a prefent he begged him to accept. The commander of the army from Bom- bay, who fuppofed, after the capture of Man- galor, that nothing now remained, as he wrote to Madras, but to march to Ayder Nagar, found his expectations not a little abated, when he was informed that he had fixty leagues to travel in a country interfered by woods, mountains, and rivers, and more efpecially that the approach to Nagar would be attended with the greateft difficulty. He did not, however, give up his intention ; but continued his preparations, though very flowly. His army was then encamped with- out 154 THE HISTORY OF out the gates of Mangalour, in the greateft fecurity. The fon of Ayder marched from Bengue- lour with all the ardour of a young man, who burns with a defire for glory. He quickly arrived in the kingdom of Canara, whofe people, alarmed, but full of confidence in the ion of their king, ran before him as to the man on whom their fafety depended. Ani- mated by the acclamations of the people, the young prince continued his way to Man- galor, caufing all the troops to follow him that he found in his way, and who aflembled from all parts. His march was fo rapid, and the fidelity of the Canarins was fuch, that he came in fight of the Englifh. camp before they had received any advice. He perceived the tumult and fear his fudden appearance had made. Without waiting for repofe af- ter his fatiguing march, he advanced, drove back the guards, attacked the army, totally routed and purfued them to the gates of Mangalor, where his cavalry entered pell- mell with the fugitives. Three thoufand in- fantry,' juft come up, were aflonifhed to find the AYDER ALI KHAN. IJ the Englifh camp abandoned. They plunder- ed the camp and the town of every thing they found ; which the prince allowed, to punifh the inhabitants for refufmg to aflift in the defence of the city. The route of this Eng- lifh army was fo great, that very few had time to make their efcape on board the (hips, to which they communicated their fears. Their flight added to the ardour of Ayder's Europeans and Scapoys, who immediately embarked and took .three tranfports. In this manner was the whole Englifh army taken, confiding of the general, forty- fix officers, fix hundred and eighty Englifh troops, and above fix thoufand Seapoys, toge- ther with all their arms and baggage. This glorious event for Ayder happened the eighth day after the. capture of Mangalor. It is difficult to conceive how a victory of this na- ture could be gained ; or how, during the fpace of thirty days, the Englifh general could "neglecl the taking pofleffion of fome. advanced ports, which would have given him advice of the approach of the enemy* Ayder 156 THE HISTORY OF Ayder arrived the evening after the vic- tory j and his fon had nothing to fay but, with Caefar, veni, uld'i^ vici. It is faid he wept for joy when he embraced his fon. Some Portuguefe merchants, eftablifhed for feveral generations at Mangalor, entertained the opinion, that from the fortunate difembark- ment of the Englilh army, and the great fuc- cefTcs that the Englifh attributed to General Smith and Colonel Wood, it was probable that the Englifh would conquer the greateft part of Ayder's dominions, or at leaft remain matters of Mangalor. They had therefore the imprudence to treat with the Englifh gene- ral, and to contract with him for fupplying the army with provifions. As foon as Ayder was informed of this circumftance, he caufed thefe merchants to appear before him, with the chief of the Portuguefe factory, and fe- veral Chriftian priefts belonging to the three churches at Mangalor. He then demanded of the Portuguefe chief and the priefts, what punifhment the Chriftians inflict on thofe who Ihould prefume to betray their fovereign, by giving afliftance to his enemies. The Portu- guefe AYDER ALI KHAN. 157 guefe officer having without hefitatton anfwer- ed, that fuch a crime deferved death j Ayder re- .plied, " I do not judge in that manner, for our laws are milder. Since they have made them- felves Englifh by engaging to ferve them, their property fhall be adjudged to belong to Englifhmen ; and themfelves {hall be thrown into prifon till I make peace with that na- tion." Ayder, after this decifion, haftened to return to the kingdom of Benguelour, taking care to leave a ftrong garrifon at Man- galor. During Ayder's expedition and return, Ge- neral Smith had fufficient time to receive his artillery and ammunition. Mehemet Ali, and the other corrimiffioners of the council, were likewife arrived with a numerous fuite, and with a new kind of luxury, unknown till then even in the armies of the Indians : this, how- ever, confifted in nothing elfe than a number of large covered waggons, loaded with a pro- vifion of all forts of wines. But after all thefe preparations, it was difcovered that the rice and provifions were in fo fmall a quan- tity, that they could not poifibly hold out the 158 THE HISTORY OF the time the fiege might probably laft j while Ayder and his troops would not fail to re- cover part of the fortrefies that were to fe- cure the convoys from the country of Arcot; And it was, befides,.impofTible to fend efcorts ftrong enough to defend them againft the ar- my of Ayder j General Smith having need of all his troops, as well for the fiege, as for tha defence of Ofcota, where his ftores were de- pofited, and to keep an open communication between the two places. Morarao propofed to make the fiege of Ciota Ballapour, otherwife Little Ballapour, a ftrong fortrefs about ten leagues fromBenguelour, and three leagues from the country of the Patane Na- bobs ; as he affirmed that, when they were maf- ters of Ballapour, he could obtain, either from his own dominions, or from Sanour and the neighbouring countries, any quantity of rice or fheep that they might defire. This advice being approved of by the committee, Gene- ral Smith left Ofcota with his army, and every neceflary for making the fiege of Bal- lapour. He left a ftrong garrifon in Ofcota, where AYDER ALT KHAN. 159 where Mehemet All Khan, Colonel Call, and Mr. Mackis were to remain. Ayder, who had followed General Smith, and continually harrafled him with his ca- valry and fometimes with his artillery, per- ceived that he could not prevent his opening his trenches before Ballapour : he therefore raifed his camp, and marched for Ofcotaj where he arrived a little before day. As foon as dawn appeared, he attacked and carried the fuburb of the place, which was defended by a fingle retrenchment of earth, and a ditch the Englifh had made : he took a confiderable number of foldiers and Seapoys the Englifh had placed in an hofpital there ; and, defirous of intimidating Mehemet Ali Khan, whofe pufillanimous character he was well apprized of, he ordered his troops to prepare ladders for fcaling the ramparts of the place, him- felf animating and giving money to the work- men, and promifmg the higheft rewards to his army if the town fhould be taken, and Mehemet Ali ,Khan made prifoner. The view of all thefe preparations, and the re- ports of fome prifoners who were fuffered to 7 efcape l6o THE HISTORY OF efcape for that purpofe, terrified Alehemet Ali Khan in fuch a manner, that, in fpite of every thing that Colonel Call could urge, it was decided that an order fhould be fent to General Smith, to raife the fiege of Balla- pour, which was already far advanced, and come to the relief of Ofcota. The general, to whom the danger of Ofcota had been magnified, was obliged to comply with this order, though fo very prejudicial to his ope- rations. Mehemet Ali Khan was encouraged by the return of General Smith ; but was de- termined to run no more rifle of falling into the hands of Ayder, but to return without delay to Madras. Colonel Call's colleague was of the fame opinion ; and General Smith alone not being a committee of the council, was obliged to follow them j and that more efpecially, as nothing lefs than his whole army was necefiary to efcort them. They were under the neceffity, at their departure, of leaving at Ofcota all that immenfe quan- tity of artillery and ammunition that was in- tended to overthrow Benguelour. Avder AYDER ALI KHAN. l6l Ayder gave himfelf very little trouble to retake the number of places that were gar- rifoned by the Englifh, but contented him- felf with following their army, and harraffing it ; which he did in fo vigorous a manner, that the terror of Mehemet Ali was not a little augmented. It was during the time that General Smith marched againft Ballapour, that Ayder had the fatisfaction of beholding the return of his brother-in-law, Mirza Ali Khan, whofe de- fection had fa fenfibly affliaed him. This young man, whether from the natural good- nefs of his heart, or from the contempt fhewn him by Madurao, the Maratta general, and die other chiefs of that nation, was continually agitated by remorCe for his pad conduct ; and had long reflected on the means of regaining the friendfhip of his brother - in - law. But when he faw him abandoned by Nizam, at- tacked by General Smith on the fide of Ben- guelour % -and obliged to haften with his fon to defend the centre of his dominions, attack- ed by another Englifh army ; when he re- fle&ed that all the misfortunes of his brother- VOL. II. M in-!aw, l62 THE HISTORY OT in-law, the friend and protector of his youth, might with juftice be attributed to his ingra- titude, his remorfe was too keen to admit of longer deliberation. He made levies of troops, quickly placed himfelf at the head of twenty thoufand men, and traverfing the kingdoms of Scirra and May-flour, arrived within two leagues of Ayder's camp. Attended by a few horfemen, he advanced to the outpofls, where he announced his name, and requefted to fpeak with Medium. Medium, aftonifhed at ib unexpected a meflage, haftened to meet him. " What has brought you here ? " demanded Medium with an earneft emotion, when he faw the young prince. " Repentance," replied Mirza ; " I come to repair as much as is in my power the injury I hatfe done to our brother. I bring a much better army than I deprived him of; and I offer my head to his mercy : bring me to him." It was in vain that Moclum reprefented that it would be proper to advife Ayder of his arrival. *' No," exclaimed Mirza ; " bring me to my injured brother : I fear no confequences but thofe of not feeing him." Moclum told him AYDER ALI KHAN. 163 him to follow him, and they foon arrived at the tent of Ayder. The young prince threw himfelf at Ayder's feet, who raifed him, and embracing him " This is no furprize to me, Mirza, " faid Ayder ; " I have long ex- peeled thee." The two armies joined ; and every one efteemed this return of Mirza as a happy prefege of the return of Ayder's good fortune. Ayder, after following the army of Ge- neral Smith as far as Vailour, changed en- tirely his manner of making war. He divided his cavalry into three bodies ; of which he himfelf took one, and gave the command of the other two to Moclum and Mirza, his bro- thers-in-law : he kept no other troops but his grenadiers, his Caleros, and Carnates, which he likewife divided into three, between himfelf and his brothers-in-law, fo as to form three flying camps. Thefe light armies traverfed the whole country, fpreading terror and dif- order -every where, and throwing the coun- cil and all the Englifh fettlements into the greateft confternation. This was a fubjet of great pleafantry and fatisfa&ion to all the M 2 other 1 64 THE HISTORY OF other Europeans in India, moft of whom they had infulted in the fhort period of their pro- fperity *. By their quick movements the three armies feemed to be multiplied j and the news of their appearance arriving from all parts, it was impoffible to determine which way to face) and General Smith's army made a number of ufelefs movements, that harrafled his troops without finding the enemy. The council determining to divide their army after the manner of Ayder, a body of troops under Colonel Frichman, a Swife, who had never yet been engaged in fervice againft the Nabob, was entirely cut offj he himfelf, * They had demanded that the French deferters, who had arrived at Pondicherry, fhould be given up, together with the horfes they had ftolen from Ayder. They had threatened the government of Tranque- bar; and had forced them to give up an emiflary they had fcnt'to eutice away the men of their gar- rifon. They had compelled the governor of Paliacate, a Dutch fcrt, to deliver up a Frenchman who had taken refuge in that fortrefs, and had obtained their pro- teflion. AYDER ALI KHAN. 165 as it is faid, alone efcaping by the fwiftnefs of his horfe. This colonel was marching in a plain, furrounded on three fides with wood: his army, at moft about four thoufand men, of which fix hundred were Europeans, march- ed in a long column, when fome horfemen appeared at the bottom of the plain. Several of the officers reprefented to the colonel, that Ayder's cavalry was habituated to make fud- the governor and council were drawn on their knees, holding out their hands to the Nabob. On one fide of the council, was a large maftifF growling at Ayder, the letters J. C. (for John Call) being marked on his collar ; and behind the maftifF ftood a little French dog, bufily employed licking his pofteriors. This laft animal was adorned with a ftar,. fuch as the Chevalier de Chrift, Colonel Call's confi- dant, wore. At a diftance were feen the Englilh camp, and General Smith holding This gentleman is dignified with a nofe of an enormous magnitude. the AYDER ALI KHAN. 177 the treaty of peace in his hand, and break- ing his fword. By this peace, Ayder Ali Khan glorioufly finifhed a war, which all India fuppofed would terminate in his ruin. When Ayder quitted Madras, he march- ed by the way of Ofcota and Benguelour, to difpofe of all the artillery and ammunition which the garrifon of the former place were commanded to deliver to him. After taking poffeflion of the whole, he difperfed his troops into good quarters, that they might refrefh themfelves, and be of good fervice to him in the approaching war with the Marattas, which he knew to be inevitable. The Marattas fuppofe they have a legiti- mate right to one fifth part of the revenue cf certain parts of Indoftan, by virtue of a gift made them by Aurengzebe. Ayder, as we . have already obferved *, does not acknow- ledge this claim. He gives money to the.. Marattas when the neceflity of his affairs does not permit him to refufe it j but he * See the note, vol. i. p. 191. VOL. II. N re-. :r 178 THE HISTORY OF never makes any other treaty with them than a truce for three years, not chufing to own the legitimacy of their demand ; and the Marattas themfelves are better fatisfied with this mode of adjuflment, than to continue the war at the rifque of being forced to abandon their claim. Madurao, who was not then arrived at his two-cnd-twentieth year, and already poflefled all the qualities that form the hero, was far from wifhing to confent to any thing that could prejudice the honour and interefts of his nation. He burned with the defire of oppof- ing himfelf alone againft Ayder. In confe- quence of the different fentiments of the two warriors, the greateft preparations were made on both fides ; and the Marattas, as ufual, came into the field in November, and ap- proached Scirra in the month of December. They found Ayder Ali Khan encamped near that city ; and in fpite of all the ardour and courage of Madurao, the pofition of the Na- bob appeared fo refpe&able that he durft ot attack him. But the Marattas being in pof- ftflion of Maggheri dnd Mark Scirra, places acquired AYDER All KHAN. 17^ acquired by the defection of Mirza, had the facility to fpread themfelves in the plain of Mayflbur. Ayder was obliged to follow them, and to encamp on the ifland of Syringpat- nam, which he had newly fortified, and put under the command of Mirr Fefoulla Khan, with a good body of infantry. As he re- turned from Scirra by Bifnagar, and kept near the mountains that cover the kingdom of Canara, he covered that kingdom, and could not be furrounded in his march to Syringpat- nam, though the Marattas harrafled him con- tinually. Very early in the year 1770, Ayder arrived in the ifland, and was in perfect fecurity from the Marattas. He fuffered them to traverfe the country, which he had not laid wafte as he <3id when their nation had joined the Englifh and Nizam AH. He had no apprehenfion that the Marattas would employ themfelves in fieges like the Englifh ; and he relied on the generofity of Madurao, whom he knew to be incapable of deftroying for the fole pleafure of doing mifchiefj that general fufferwig his N 2 troops l8O THE HISTORY OF troops only to forage, and plunder the flat country, according to their cuftom. The Maratta army was compofcd of two hundred thoufand men, of which above one hundred thoufand were cavalry. Again't fuch an army Ayder rifqued much if he loft a bat- tle, and could gain little by deftroying a part of them. The Nabob therefore continued in his camp, notwithstanding many feints and temptations that were held out to him by the Maratta general. At length this young war- rior pretended to retire, and take the read to the kingdom of Benguelour. Ayder thought he might with advantage follow the enemy in * country that was very favourable to his in- fantry, who were much fuperior to thofe of Madurao. He had already marched nine leagues, and hoped that very evening to gain a covered country, where it would be in his power to gain advantageous pofitions, as well for the purpofe ofharraffing the Marattns in his turn, as for the eafy fubfiftence of his army. But the Maratt:.s having brifkly re- turned, obliged him to encamp in a place, where AYDER ALI KHAtf. l8l where indeed he was in no danger of being attacked, but where the enemy entirely in- verted him, and cut off his communication and means of fubfiftence from all fides ; fo' that he was obliged to quit his camp, and re~ tire towards Syringpatnam. The Maratta army appeared to direct their care and atten- tion to prevent him from following the road to the kingdom of Benguelour and the neigh- bouring mountains, while they left the road to Syringpatnam free. Ayder chufing the night, as the moft favourable to his infantry, depofited the greateft part of his artillery and baggage in a fortrefs, againft which he had pitched -his camp * ; and at about eleven at night he began his march in a fquare batta- lion. His infantry was formed into two co- lumns, and his cavalry at the head and rear clofed the fquare, in the centre of which was the baggage, and the artillery at each end. * The Author of the prefent Hiftory was in India at the time of this event ; but was not a witnefs of this ftratagem of the Marattas. He gives the recital as he had it from an officer of diftin&ion in AyJer's army on the fpot. N 3 This 182 TTHE HISTORY OF This Order of marching did not admit of much expedition ; but he had already advanced more than fhtee leagues by four in the morning, when it appeared that they were not purfued, md that probably the Maratta army was un- fppriaed of their march. There were not wen more than two leagues to be traverf- ed, before they would arrive at a camp where they might fafely remain till night j and one fingk ni-ght would have been fuffi- eient to have brought them to Syringpatnam. Every one fuppofed that nothing was to be feared, when a numerous corps of cavalry, confifting of about twelve thoufand horfe, ap- peared drawn up in order of battle, not be- hind them as expected, but in front to oppofe their march. Ayder ordered the march to be continued, making ufe of the artillery only to oblige the enemy's cavalry to give way. The cannonade appeared to fucceed, and the army marched forward, though flowly ; when at day-break the whole Maratta cavalry ap- peared, and in a fliort time furrounded Ayder's army. The enemy made fevcral charges, which were well fuftained and repulfed : but Mirza, AYDER A LI KHAN. 1 83 Mirza, who commanded the cavalry in the van, fuffered himfeif to be hurried away by his eagernefs to follow the enemy he had re- pulfed. He quickly attempted to return, for fear of leaving the infantry without defence j but the cavalry he purfued were clofe at his heels, and entered the battalion with him. In an inftant every thing is in the greateft diforder ; the army is beaten and difperfed j Ayder Ali Khan is himfeif wounded, and ma- ny of his friends flain, and among others All Jami Khan, Nabob of Vendevachi. Almoft all the troops threw down their arms. A fingle battalion of grenadier Topafies formed themfelves into a clofe column, and made way by their fire to an eminence, where their commander * died of his wounds. This bat- talion He was a native of Weftphalia, who hail ac- quired alrnoft all the languages of India. The Au- thor of this Hiftory took him into his fervice as an interpreter. He was after\vards made captain of gre- nadier Topafies, at the formation of that body of troops. He died glorioufly at the head of his batta- lion. 184 THE HISTORY OF talion was led to Syringpatnam by a young officer, who was wounded in the (houlder, and was the only furviving officer of the corps. Ayder, after running the greateft rifques, arrived at his camp with the entire lofs of his army, artillery, baggage, ammunition, and colours. As it is not cuftomary in India to make prifoners of common foldiers, or even fubaltern officers, the greateft part returned to him, though without horfes or arms ; but, by means of his refources, Ayder eftablifhed his army, in a iliort time, in a better ftate than before. It will fcarcely be credited that he purchafed again of the Marattas them- felves the greateft part of the arms and horfes they^had. taken from him : but this arifes from the nature of their government, which is pure- ly fcodal, every man having a right to dif- pofe of his ; .fiiare- of -the plunder as he thinks proper. lion. His name was Lene. The young officer Is a Maltefc ; his name is Mammou. The Author in- troduced him to Ayder, Madurao, AYDER ALI KHAN. l8$ Madurao, however, embraced this occafion to begin the formation of a body of Seapoys, with the mufquets that fell to his {hare after the defeat of Ayder's arm.y. Many French officers lately arrived were; prefent at this battle, fimply as volunteers : they were almoft all wounded, and one was killed. M. Hughel, who had formerly ferved Ayder as commander of the French cavalry from Pondicherry, was wounded, and after- wards died at Tranquebar in confequence of his wounds. There were likewife feveral Englifh offi- cers prefent ; and among them Colonel Stew- art, who arrefted Lord Pigot, and who was reported to have been flain in the prefent war, in the firft battle between Ayder and General Coote. After this battle Ayder -kept conftantly within his camp at Syringpatnam ; and the greater number of the Maratta chiefs having left the army, on account of their fix months fervice being expired, Madurao renewed the truce with Ayder, who was obliged to open his purfe upon the occafion, though he had j>romifed 186 THE HISTORY OF promifed himfelf the contrary. This truce was made in July 1771 ; but it was for no more than a year. Mirza,, Ali Khan, who, as we have ob- ferved, was the caufe of the lofs of this bat- fle, was taken prifoner, and conducted to Ma- durao, who addrefled him thus, " Since you have made war upon us with the power we have given you, we fhould aft properly if we were to take every thing from you, and confine you for life ; yet, however, if you will fwear never to bear arms againft the Ma- rattas, I will reftore your dominions and your liberty." Mirza took the oath without hefi- tation ; and Madurao having fet him at li- berty, he departed to his fmall ftate, where he made an abfolute donation of all his pro- perty, dominions, and troops to his brother- in-law Ayder ; and a few days after became a Fakir, which in Perfian fignifies a mendi- cant, a man who voluntarily embraces po- verty. This clafs of men make no vows, in which refpe& they differ from monks, who cannot quit their ftate ; neither do they, like them, live in communities. He wrote to. his brother- AYDER ALI KHAN. 187 brother-in-law the reafons that induced him to take this resolution, informing him that he faw no other means of preferving what he had confecrated to his fervice j and alluring him that if circumftances fhould in future point out occasions for him to be ufeful, he fhould always be ready, however dangerous the fervice. And, in fadt, when Ayder is ^t war with any other enemies than the Ma- rattas, Mirza takes arms and follows the camp, as he does in the prefent war againft the Englifh. Ayder employed this fhort time in produc- ing divifions among the Marattas ; and from thence arofe the cataftrophe that deprived young Madurao of life, to the extreme grief of Ayder. Raguba, uncle of Madurao, having per- formed the functions of general during the minority of his nephew, beheld himfelf, not without great pain, reduced to the ftate of an individual, after he had fecured the dignity that devolved of courfe to his nephew. Du- , ring his regency he had filled all India with' his fame, and obliged the emperor of the Mo-.- gols l88 THE HISTORY OF gols to fly from Dehli, his capital, which he had deftroyed and plundered in fuch a man- ner as perhaps never to recover its former fplendour ; while the emperor himfelf, by that event, became reduced to a mere phantom, poflefling no more than the fhadow of the power, the riches, and the grandeur of the ancient emperors. Madurao,. young, ambitious, and elated with his increafing reputation, difdained to liften to the counlels of his uncle Raguba and the other chiefs of his party, which in- duced the old general to contrive plots for his deftruclion. Madurao having determined to carry the war into the environs of Dehli, and on the Ganges, found much oppofition in the national council : his opinion however pre- vailed, and he .marched with a powerful army at the end of Ncvember 1772, leaving a con- fiderable force in the hands of a Maratta ge- neral, named Goupalrao, to carry on the war with Ayder Ali Khan. The army of this general was not at all comparable to that of Madurao when he made war in Mayfibur ; he therefore fuffered Ayder to recover Mark Scirra AYDER AH KHAN. 189 Scirra and Maggheri, which produced a fuf- picion that he was either intimidated by the arms, or gained by the bribes, of that poten- tate. Madurao did not meet with all the fuccefs in the north of Indoftan that he had expect- ed, and marched his army back into the Ma- ratta country. During his march there were many feditions among his troops, mofi: pro- bably in confequence of a plot contrived a- gainft the young prince : he was found aflaf- ilnated in his tent in the year 1773, before his arrival at Poni, the ufual refidence of the general of the Marattas. As he left only one fon, an infant, his uncle Raguba a/Turned the regency by his own proper authority. The cruel and unexpected death of the young Ma- durao, who was beloved by his foldiers, gave rife to fufpicions among the principal chiefs that Raguba was either the author or accom- plice of the aflaffination of his nephew. A confpiracy almoft univerfal being formed a- gainft him, he attempted to collect and form an army of the troops in which he could place moil confidence j but ha had fcarcfely began is 190 THE HISTORY OF his march againft his enemies, when the great- eft part of his foldiers left him. Perceiving himfelf abandoned, he had only time to take refuge among the Englifh at Bombay, who received him with open arms, and promifed him afliftance. In return for this fupport, he thought proper to make a treaty, by which he granted very advantageous conceffions to the Englifh nation ; and among others, never to demand the Chotay, or one fifth part of the revenue of all the lands the Englifh might poflefs in Indoftan. On the news of this treaty being forward- ed to the government at Bengal, General Goddard was difpatched from the banks of the Ganges with an army of eight thoufand men, twelve hundred being Europeans. With this force he crofled the peninfula, marching about fix hundred leagues, in fpite of all the petty princes whofe dominions he traverfed, and at length arrived at the banks of the Sindi or Indus. He found that the Marattas, after having furrounded the Bombay forces commanded by the governor of that ifland^ had forced him to capitulate 5 and that the 3 governor AYDER All KHAK. 191 governor had promifed to abandon Raguba, to interfere no more in the affairs of the Ma- ratta nation, and had annulled the treaty made with the fugitive general. This laft event happened in 1774. General Goddard, without waiting for any orders, declared the capitulation, as well as the confequent treaty figned by the governor of Bombay, to be null and void. Thus the war commenced again ; and this general, who if he had belonged to any other power would have been criminated, had the good fortune to fee his audacity crowned by many victo- ries, which however finifhed by obliging him to act only on the defenfive, his fuccefles even deftroying his army, and the Marattas feem- ing to multiply in confequence of their de- feats ; becaufe they were defending their own homes, and their country is exceeding popu- lous. Ayder, who, as wp have before obferved, had fomented the troubles that agitated the Maratta nation, took, at the beginning, the part of Raguba (which afluredly he would not Ip2 THE HISTORY OF not have done, if he had had only that war to fupport). In confequence of this proceeding, after the defeat of the regent and the Bombay army, feveral Maratta chiefs, who fupported the party of Raguba, and among them Gou- palrao, were forced to throw themfelves into his protection. He furnilhed them with troops, and taking advantage of the diftracYion of the Maratta nation, in confequence of the victories of General Goddard, he took a num- ber of their frrong place?, which now form a fecond barrier beyond Scirra, Maggheri, and Mark Scirra. Though the greateft number of thefe places are of great ftrength," and advantageoufly ported, yet the moft part were taken by fimple blockade; which occa- fioned Ayder to employ feveral years in this war. He did not think proper to take more vigorous meafures, for fear of obliging the- Maratta nation to accommodate their differ- ence with the Englifh ; which, however, was a very difficult thing to be brought about, on account of the horror and averfion that people had conceived againft Raguba. In AYDER ALI KHAN. Ipj In the year 1775, Ayder, profiting by the employment the Englifli gave the Marattas in the defence of their own poflefllons, em- braced the opportunity of fending a fniall army, under Cina Serrao, a Maratta lord^ who had ferved him from his infancy, to punifh the Samorin, and other princes of the Malabar coaft. This prince refufed to pay the tribute he had confented to give, when Ayder, in 1767, reftored his domi- nions. The Samorin, fearing the anger of the Nabob, thought to fecure himfelf by of- fering to become a vaflal to the crown of France. The commandant of Mahe accept- ed the gift of the Samorin, and came with a few troops to take poflefiion of the fortrefs of Calicut, where he hoifted the French ftan- dard. This was a moft imprudent and in- confiderate ftep, for many reafons. Firft, the commandant of Mahe had not forces fufficient to fullain the confequences of this aclr ; the number of troops on the Mahe eftablifliment not being more than one hun- dred and fifty men. VOL. II. O Secondh\ 1 94 THE HISTORY OF Secondly, he ought not to have made an agreement in the name of the French king, without firft being authorized by the com- mandant general of the French eftabliftiments in India. Thirdly, he could not but "know that Ayder Ali Khan was reputed the natural ally of France ; and that the Nabob had claims on the whole country of the Nayres, by an authentic treaty, concluded by the me- diation of his predeceftcr at IVIahe. Cina Serrao, Ayder's' general, paid all the refpec~l to the French colours which his pofi- tive orders to take pofleflion of Calicut per- mitted him to fhevv. But he gave advice to his mafter of all that had patted j and the lat- ter having written to the commandant-gene- ral at Pondicherry, the commandant at Mahe was recalled, and Ayder's troops took pof- feflion of Calicut, which, as well as the reft of the Malabar coafl, has ever fince remained under the power of that prince. Ayder being informed, in the month of Au- guft 1778, that hoftilities had commenced be- tween England and France, made a truce of AYDER ALI KHAN. 195 of fix years with the Marattas, by which they buffered him to retain all his conquefts. The time required for the conclufion of this treaty, and the great diftance between the Maratta frontier and the Nabobfliip of Arcot, did not permit Ayder to arrive in time to prevent the capture of Pondicherry, which furrendered in the month of October. The Nabob not having arrived on the frontiers before the month of November, laid fiege to Chiteldrouc, whofe lord or Paleagar being a vaflal of Mayf- four, was encouraged by the promife of fup- port from the Englifli to refufe obedience to the orders of Ayder. This place furrendered at the beginning of January 1779. During the fiege, Ayder announced to all India the project he had formed of attacking the Eng- lifli. His principal invitation was to induce Nizam Daulla to attack them to the north of Mazulipatnam, in order to recover the four provinces they had extorted from him. Ths Suba- promifed to make the attack that was propofed to him ; but, whether from timidity or the intrigues of the Englifh, he did not keep his promife, but calmly fuffered Ayder O2 to 196 THE HISTORYOF to bear all the dangers of the war, and to enjoy, without the participation of any other fovereign, the glory of being the liberator of India. We can give no details of the operations of Ayder in the prefent war, having no other materials than the relations of the Englifli ; and on thefe we can place no dependance, be- caufe they are fabricated in India to deceive the Englifli government, and afterwards ar- ranged in Europe according to circumftan- ces, and the neceflity of impofing on the peo- ple. So that the only thing that bears the appearance of truth, is a letter from General Coote, in which we fee that Ayder is mafter of the Company ; that in November 1781 he blockaded four places at once ; that General Coote marched with his army from Madras to fupply thofe places with provifions, without accomplifhing his purpofe as effe&ually as the neceflity of the cafe demanded ; that the diffi- culty of fubfifting his army obliged him to bring it back into the environs of Madras ; that in his marches his troops had always been harrafied by the cavalry and artillery of 2 Ayder ; AYDER ALI KHAN. 197 Ayder ; that he had fought four obftinate battles with Ayder, and gained the field, without fpeaking of his having taken either prifoners, colours, or Standards : to all which he adds, that he fends Colonel Crawford, who will, explain the true ftate of affairs. It may be concluded from this letter, that the Englifh are engaged in a moft ruinous war, and that, with the afliftance of the French, it may be hoped this prince will fucceed in tak- ing pofleflion of the whole NaboWhip of Ar- cot, to which his fon has fo juft a title by the gift of Nizam, as has been mewn-. The direct news from Ayder's army gives an account of the capture of Chiteldrouc, and the particulars of a council held before they entered the country of Arcot. It was deli- berated whether he fhould attack the Englifh, or wait till the landing of the French forces. The latter it feems was the general opinion, and even that of the European officers ; but his fon Tippou Saeb was of the contrary opi- nion, and remonftrated that the Nabob had threatened fo much to attack the Englifh, that his reputation neceflarily required him to pro- ceed. Tippou 198 THE HISTORY, &TC. Tippou Saeb fpoke with fo much fpirit and animation, that he was joined by the whole council. It was this young prince who de- cided the battle that was attended with the