(;;3'2
IIISTOltY OF INDIA.
[Look III.
Captuiv of Ciirrioal
A.D. 1760. found in j)rocuring hucIi a force as was judged ade<juate. To Buj^ply the defi- ciency 300 marines were obtained from the fleet, J 00 European firelock.s, foity artillerymen, 1000 sepoys, and six field-pieces were l^rought from ^'ricliinf^ixdy, and the King of 1 anjore was refpiested to .send his army, and eveiy kind of assistance. Major Monson, who was again to c<^;mmand, having emljarked with a party of troops from Alumparva, anchored in the road of Can-ical on the 28th of March, and was joined, in the course of the same evening, by a squadron which had sailed from Madras with the artillery and stores. Considerable di.s- appointment was felt when it was discovered that the King of Tanjore had paid no attention to the request made to him, and that none of the expected rein- forcements had yet arrived. It was determined, notwithstanding, to effect a landing, and commence the nece.s.sary works. It sopn appeared that the means of defence had been greatly oveiTated. The fort, in the form of a parallelogram, was regularly constructed, but was of such limit'ed dimen.sions as to be rather a foii in miniature than one for actual service. Its whole length was 100, and its breadth only 50 yards. This, indeed, was exclusive of the bastion.s, one at each angle, but these admitted only three guns in their faces. To compensate this defect each of the four curtains was covered by a ravelin mounting six guns. On the 5th of April, ten days after the landing, a considerable breach had been effected ; and though much remained to be done before acce-ss to it could be obtained, the governor was summoned to suirender. Contraiy to expectation he expressed his readiness to do so, provided he were allowed to march out with the honours of war. "When this was refused he made no further objection, and resigned the place without firing another shot. The besiegers could scarcely credit their success. Only three men had been killed in the attack, and five in the defence. "Never, perhaps," says Orme, "was .so great an armament prepared to succeed with so little lo.s.s, excepting when De La- bourdonnais took Madi'as in 1746." French Tlic Capture of these maritime places was followed by that of Yaldore and
treaty witii '■ ^ ^
Hyder Aii. others, SO that Pondicherry was in a manner hemmed in on eveiy .side ; and no places of any consequence, not in its immediate vicinity, I'emained in the French ]iossession, except the forts of Gingee and Thiagur. These, however, could not be any obstacle to the siege of Poudicheny ; and this task, which if accomplished would give the finishing blow to French power in India, was now to be com- menced in earnest. Lally on his part was not idle, and turned his attention to every quarter from which it seemed possible that aid could be drawn. Among other quarters, he thought of Mysore. Hyder AJi, destined to make an impor- tant figure in Indian warfare, had succeeded in u.snrping the whole power of the government. With him Lally opened a communication through the interven- tion of a Portuguese monk, who bore the title of Bishop of Halicarnassus, and was not unwillmg to employ the influence which he acquired in his religious cliaracter for political purposes. Through him the bargain which enlisted the
