with a reinforcement of a few Europeans of the corps, attacked two other fortified places with success; but having placed all his Europeans, officers, sergeants, and privates at the head of his column as a forlorn hope, the loss was very severe; in the latter attack 300 officers and men, (a great proportion of whom were Europeans,) were killed or wounded by the enemy's spearmen. On Colonel Braithwaite's recovering, and a reinforcement having arrived, he attacked the strong position of Mahadapatam, defended by the elite of the enemy, with eight guns; these were completely dislodged and routed with very great loss, leaving two guns behind them. The superiority of the Rajah of Tanjore having been reestablished by this force, it was ordered to march towards Nagore, and ultimately to the reduction of Negapatam.

Colonel Braithwaite, returning to the capital of the province, despatched all his disposable troops, considerably reinforced by Europeans, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Nixon of the corps, who arrived before Nagore on the 21st October, 1781; and, in view of the fleet, the battalion particularly distinguished itself, in a spirited and eminently successful attack on the enemy's troops in the act of evacuating that place; after which the corps proceeded to Negapatam, where the Commander-in-chief, Sir Hector Munroe, came on shore. Admiral Sir Edward Hughes, the same day, landed 400 Royal Marines and 900 seamen, who,

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having joined the land forces, co-operated to the utmost; and, during the siege of Negapatam, were unrivalled in their gallantry, as well as performing most important services in landing, with the utmost difficulty and danger, through the surf, guns and mortars for the batteries on shore. The lines in front of the works having been taken by storm on the 3d November, ground was opened in front of the north face of the fort, and the batteries opened on the 5th. The squadron were anchored near the fort, and up to the 12th a heavy cannonade was kept up, when the Governor, after two determined sallies had been with difficulty repulsed, surrendered. On this occasion, the besieged more than doubled the attacking force.

Soon after the reduction of this important fortress, the European battalion returned towards Tanjore, where, under Colonel Braithwaite's command, they firmly established the authority of the Rajah over all his territories. During this year, portions of the corps had been at the same time employed in all parts of India where there was an enemy to oppose them; two battalions served with Sir Eyre Coote in the Carnatic, and the defence of Vellore; one battalion served with General Goddard near Bombay; and another, besides reducing the Tanjore country, and defending that capital and Trichinopoly, assisted at the capture of Nagore and Negapatam.

Whilst the army were encamped at Tripasore, Hyder conceived the project of cutting off Colonel

Braithwaite's small force, which, in February, 1782, was encamped about forty miles from Tanjore, on the banks of the Coleroon. The want of proper intelligence, and reliance upon the fancied distance of the enemy, as well as the intervention of several large and deep rivers, favoured the movements of Tippoo, who, with Lally's corps of 400 Frenchmen, 10,000 picked horse, and 10,000 infantry, surrounded, before he was aware of their approach, Braithwaite's small detachment of only 100 Europeans of the corps, 1500 Sepoys, and 300 cavalry.

Braithwaite's first attempt was to fall back upon Tanjore; but the overwhelming force of the enemy rendered this impossible. The next resolution was to make a brave defence; and seldom, if ever, have any body of men made so firm and desperate a resistance. For two entire days, the 16th and 17th February, did this little band of heroes meet and repel incessant attacks: the infantry formed square, with their guns interspersed at the angles, and in the faces, and the cavalry were drawn up in the centre. As the enemy's cavalry advanced constantly to the charge, and were as constantly driven back by showers of grape and musketry, the cavalry invariably charged them as they retreated, and with great execution. Tippoo continued with his guns firing upon the square; and as often as he supposed he had disordered it, or made an opening, his cavalry were ordered to charge; but after a few defeats, they became dispirited; and it was only at

length by promises, threats, and even by the slaughter with his own hand of several who hung back, that he could induce his horse to continue in their vain but determined attacks. At last, after twentysix hours of constant conflict, when numbers had fallen, and the rest were worn out with wounds or fatigue, Lally, with his 400 Europeans, supported by all the enemy's infantry, and under a heavy fire from all Tippoo's guns, advanced with fixed bayonets to the charge. The enemy's cavalry were formed upon each flank, ready to sweep down and take advantage of the certain rout. Whilst the enemy's infantry were advancing, the courage of the Sepoys failed, and they were thrown into confusion. The same brutal, cowardly rage that actuated the enemy at Colonel Baillie's defeat was displayed on the present occasion. The humane and firm conduct of the French, however, particularly their commander, Lally, who cut down several of the murderers with his own sword, saved the remnant of this force, few of whom escaped without wounds.

On the 10th of March, the reinforcements so long expected by the enemy arrived, and 3000 French troops disembarked near Porto Novo. On the 8th April, Cuddalore, which had been partly dismantled, and was garrisoned by a few Sepoys, was taken possession of by the enemy; and the French and Mysore forces, having effected a junction in its neighbourhood, on the 11th May appeared before the hill-fort of Permacoil. Sir Eyre Coote

instantly moved from his cantonments to its relief; but, being detained on his march from violent rains and thunder-storms, the place capitulated on the 16th, and the united forces of the enemy advanced towards Wandiwash, where, after several days spent in vain attempts to reduce that garrison, held by Captain Flint, on the approach of Sir Eyre Coote's army, they fell back towards Pondicherry.

On arriving at Wandiwash, the English General found already collected for him by its inestimable commandant, ample supplies of all kinds. Being the anniversary of the victory on 24th May, 1760, the order of the day alluded to that event, and an extra ration and dram were issued to the troops; the General also in his despatch to government on the occasion, mentioned the present being the third time he had had the honor of relieving Wandiwash.

The British were so badly off for cavalry, that in the march towards Wandiwash, which was a constant skirmish, a party of the enemy's light cavalry were nearly carrying off the head-quarter flag after it had been pitched.

The enemy remaining in a strong position covering Pondicherry, were too advantageously posted to be attacked by inferior numbers. Arnee being the place from which most of the enemy's supplies were drawn, the General made a rapid advance towards it on the 30th, and by the 1st of June, had arrived within four miles of that fort. On the