But, to return— when the Nawaub proceeded towards Arnee, and encamped there, the General encamped at Dhoby Gurh, and on the second day he marched to Alíabad. The troops of the Nawaub, however, still vigorously attacked the General’s army on all sides; and, by suddenly charging them, and plying them with rockets, they carried away strength and stability from the feet of the infidels. After the General had encamped at Alíabad, the Nawaub thought he perceived that his views lay towards the Ghaut of Chungum, and the Barh Mahl; or, that he was preparing to march to Trichinopoly, under cover of the hills and forests. He, therefore, marched from Arnee towards Bagmar Peenth, where he displayed his victorious standards, and intimated to his Kuzzaks, and rocket-men, that they should have free liberty to plunder as much as they pleased; and eager for the spoil of their enemies, they came upon the heads of the English, like a black thunder cloud, and rained a perfect storm of musketry and rockets on every side of their army. Many of the men and women from Bengal, and the Sameris,* (a low tribe from the Karnatic), with loaded camels and bullocks, were taken prisoners and made slaves. The English army was, in consequence, thrown into confusion, and sought the cover of the river Anumungalum, where they halted till the evening. In the course of the night they marched on to the front of Hydur’s outposts;* for, in the way of protection, several Risalas of Musketeers, and four or five pieces of cannon, had been posted near Arnee, to command the road. Night, however, had drawn the veil of sleep and for­getfulness over the heads and faces of their courage, when, all at once, the English made an attack, and two of the guns were taken. The battalion of Hydur Alí Beg, Risaldár, who was then advancing, met and mixed with the troops of the enemy and a furious battle followed, in which a great number of men were killed and wounded, and the remainder drew themselves off to one side from the contest. The General, therefore, pressed on and surrounded the fort of Arnee; and determined to take that fort; and, certainly, several regiments of the British exerted themselves nobly; for, keeping up a con­tinual fire, they advanced even to the gate. Never­theless, the Killadár, whose name was Sidi Imám, behaved like a hero, in repelling his enemies; and, by a continual fire of cannon, musketry, rockets, hand-grenades, and stones, he beat back his assail­ants. Indeed, he himself, with a few good swords­men, leaving the fort by a postern gate, fought with so much intrepidity, that the stories of the prowess of Roostum and Isfendiar were thrown into the shade by his actions, and a river of blood flowed from the field of battle. But, to return— Even the General himself, for the sake of justice, was com­pelled to bestow a thousand praises on the bravery and devotion of the garrison; and, suddenly retiring from the fort, he forthwith proceeded on the road to Wandiwash. The Nawaub although he quickly followed him, could find no opportunity to attack him to advantage; he, therefore, encamped on the plain of Turwatoor, and the General, after halting two days at Wandiwash, marched towards Madras. The Nawaub then moved towards Timri, where he cantoned his troops for the rainy season.

About this time, spies reported that in conse­quence of the oppressions of the magistrates and petty officers of Trichinopoly and Tanjore, all the towns and villages of Koimbetore, Dindigul, and Paulghaut, were deserted and left with a lamp,* i. e. an inhabitant; that the Peasantry had been ruined, and the idolators* had set fire to the mosques and houses of the people of Islám, and had raised the standard of rebellion in those provinces, far and near; that, promptly seizing the opportunity, the Naimars of Kalikote had also trodden the path of deviation, or irregularity, had raised the head of pride and insolence, and had filled the country with terror; and that they had sent for a body of English troops, from Mudhura, and with their aid continued to plunder, and spill the blood of God’s people.

When this news reached the Nawaub, he des­patched the Prince, (Tippoo), with a large force and artillery, to reduce that country to order; that is to say, Koimbetore, Paulghat, &c.; and four thousand horse, under the command of Lala Chu­beela Ram, with the Risala of Sultan Singh Silladár, were sent to ravage the district of Nelloor, and to collect grain and bullocks. Maha Mirza Khan Bukhshi, and Noor-ulabsar Khan, with two or three thousand horse, were sent to take possession of the districts of Kalistri, Vinkut Giri, and Bimraj, &c., the territory of the refractory Poligars. A Firman also, in the name of Mukhdoom Sáhib, who was Governor of the country south of Puttun,* and other officers of the frontier, was issued to the effect, that the Nawaub had heard that the infidel Naimars had withdrawn their heads from the collar of obedience and service, and did not consider them­selves restrained, or held back, from plundering their own country, and it was therefore necessary they, (the officers), should, in future, to the utmost of their ability, prevent those pagans from doing any injury to the peasantry or the poor inhabitants. When this Firman was received by Mukhdoom Sáhib, he assembled his troops, and, with the officers of revenue, and pioneers,* marched to that quarter.

The victorious Prince, after quitting his father’s presence, had proceeded by forced marches to Oontatoor, by the route of Tyag Gurh, when spies arrived with news, that a body of troops from Trichinopoly and Tujawur, (or Tanjore), had joined, with an intention to reduce the forts of Turkat Pilli, Shah Gota, and the Ghaut of Munniar Koodi; that, although Syud Sáhib had exerted himself to the extent of his power to repel these troops, he had been unsuccessful; for, from want of experience, the officer commanding the troops with him, had fre­quently been shamefully defeated by the Kullurs* of Tondiman, and the regular cavalry of Tanjore; and was so cowed or disheartened, that it was probable all that part of the country had by this time been overrun and conquered.

Immediately on receiving this information, the Prince galloped his horse* towards that quarter, and arrived there, swift and sudden as the stroke of fate, but, before the period at which the Prince could arrive there, a circumstance accidentally occurred, which doubtless may be considered as very surprising. It appears, that one night a party of English troops marched from Trichinopoly to assault the fort of Turkat Pilli, and that a detach­ment, (also English), marched at the same time from Tanjore, for the same purpose; and that, without the knowledge of each other, both these parties at the same time, arrived and raised ladders, and at one assault scaled the walls and towers of that fort. The garrison not being able to oppose their assailants, escaped by a postern and hid them­selves in some place near the fort. On one side, one of the parties having mounted the wall, fired a volley; the party on the opposite side, conceiving the fire proceeded from the resistance of the gar­rison, and that they were approaching, also advanced keeping up a continual fire. In this way, these parties fought, without knowing each other, for more than ten minutes, and displayed their courage among themselves, until near six or seven hundred men on both sides were killed or wounded. At this time, one of the officers called out to his men, in the English language, “forward, and charge your enemies.” The officer on the other side, hearing his own language, called out aloud, “Hold your hands, we are Englishmen,” and (the firing being therefore discontinued), the two officers, advancing, shook hands with each other, and felt ashamed of their bad look out, and want of caution. Then, taking whatever stores were in the fort, they marched towards Shahgota. The next morning the infantry of the garrison returned into the fort and remained there until the Prince arrived, who, when he heard the adventure of the night before, smiled like the dawn of the morning. He, however, withdrew the garrison, and left the fort empty.