C20 JliSTORY OF IM>JA. [Bijok III.
A.D. 1709. averse to undertake any operation of importance. Major Brereton, on the contrary, Iiaving only an interim command of the troops, was anxious to signalize himself before he should be superseded, and by great urgency obtained] a wjnsent to attempt the capture of Wandivviwli. His whole force, consisting of 4080 in- fantry and 800 horse, 1 500 of the fc^niier and 1 00 of the latter European, marched from Conjeveram on the 2Gth of Septemljer, and arrived with little interruption
Breretonun j,^ ^lie viciuity of Waudiwasli on the 28th. The French having obtained intelli-
successfiil at o
wamiiwabh. gence of his motions, had considerably augmented their force; but he was not aware of the fact, and in the belief that they were only expecting, and had not received reinforcements, thought it good generalship to ad^ance to the attack with the least possible delay. Their Europeans he believed to be only 900, whereas they were in fact 1300. Confident in his supposed superiority, he deemed caution unnecessary, and the very next day after his arrival prepared to attack the enemy at midnight. Not only were their numbers greater, but their position within the forts and inclosures of a large town, and under the protec- tion of the guns of the fort, was far more formidable than he imagined. In these circumstances failure was almost inevitable, and a severe repul.se, which the enemy magnified into a great victory, was sustained, ilajor Brereton main- tained his position at Wandiwash till the ith of October, and then retired upon Conjeveram. Bussy, who arrived the day after and took the command of the French force.s, now amounting to 1500 European foot and 300 cavalr-, besides native troops, advanced to Conjeveram to offer battle, but Brereton, now as dispirited as he had previously been confident, had no inclination to risk a new disaster. Eussy, thus unopposed, sent back the main body of the arm' to Wandiwash, and proceeded with an European detachment of 400 horse and 150 foot to Arcot.
Fiench Basalut Juug, Salabut Jung's brother, who held the government of Adoni,
negotiations , , . ,
with Basa- had amved on the northern frontier of the Caruatic, and made overtm-es which "°^' the French deemed so hopeful, that Bussy was on the way to join him and concert an alliance. With this view he had proceeded to Arcot, and continuing his journey had left it a day's march behind him, when his fui-ther progress was arrested by the intelligence that the army at Wandiwash had broken out in open mutiny. More than a year's pay was due to them, and they had a belief, well or ill founded, that much money which ought to have been employed in discharging their arrears had been intercepted and embezzled. The mutiny, at first only pait-ial, increased by the discipline employed to suppress it ; and the whole troops, leaving their ofiicers behind, marched out and encamped on the height which Major Brereton occupied before he made his ill-fated attack. The soldiers eventually carried their point, and did not return to duty till they received half a year's pay in hand, a promise of the rest in a month, and a general pardon. Bussy, by halting till the mutiny was suppres.sed, lost some precious time, and, on reaching Basalut Jung, had the mortification to discover
