did belong to the induftrious Dutch, and grew very confiderable
by the weaving bufinefs, carried on moil fuccefsfully in feveral
villages in the adjacent diftrift. The Dutch took it from the
Portuguefe in 1658, and we took it from the Dutch in November
1781, in our univerfal war. Ayder Ali took iliare in the defence;
it was an inlerinto his country, and he was interefted
in preventing it from falling into the hands of his formidable
enemies. After a Ihort but vigorous defence, it furrendered to
thé fpirited attacks of our commanders. Sir Edward Hughes
had the conduit o f our fleet. General Monro that of our land
forces. The garrifon confifted of eight thoufand men, of which
only five hundred were Europeans, the reft Myforean .troops.
The molt honorable conditions were granted *. JH}e .Dutch,
on the peace, malicioufly gave this city and its appeçààsgêT up
to us, to increafe the over-powering weight of territory of the
Britijh empire. The Portuguefe found a town here on tliei'r
firft arrival ; it probably had been a place of great antiquity,
the Nicama or Nigama of Pt.olemy.
T r a n u e b a r Pranquebar is the next place of note, it is feated in Lat.. 11°,
and belongs to the Danes, who firft made a fettlement here in
1617, and have, after various failures of later years, carried on a
flourilhing trade in the manufaaures of the country. They
were once reduced fo low, as to be obliged to pawn three of the
battions of their fort to fave themfelves from famine t .
I s l r OF S e r i n c - T he various branches of the Delta coalefce as they advance
HAM' towards the eaft : not remote from that fide of Pritchinopoly,
* War in Afia, i. 22$. f Hamilton, i.
they
they unite in a fingle ftream, then divide, and form the illand
of Seringham, noted for its pagoda, and the deluges, of blood
which fteeped in gore the furrounding Delta : we may extend
the bloody fcene much farther. French, Englijh, and natives
fell innumerable viaims to the dire ambition o f European
ftrangers. Pritchinopoly had been an independent Rajajbip;
each party formed defigns on it. The Englijh, under the heroes
Laurence and Clive, poflelTed themfelves of the capital in 1751.
The French, under Duplex, of the illand. Pritchinopoly is a
ftrong city o f the fliape of a parallelogram, feated at a fmall dif-
tance from the' fouthern branch of the Cavery. The ground
about it is in general uneven, and often marked with lofty rocks,
infulated by the plainer ground. At that called the French, fifty
dragoons of the fame nation were cut to pieces by the Mahrattas,
then our allies. The Englijh went foon after to perform the
piety of interment, and found all their bodies devoured by
jackals * . The Sugar-loaf rock t alfo had its ihare of llaughter.
Laurence, by his defeat of the French under AJlruc, at the
Golden rock, enfured the fafety of Pritchinopoly. A body o f ten
thoufand Mahrattas, now changed fides, and endeavoured to
make an irnpreifion on the little Engli/b phalanx, which flood
calm and unmoved, while a well-ferved artillery thinned the
aftonilhed Hindoo fquadrons |, who fled, terrified by Briti/h
thunderbolts, dreadful as i f wielded by the hands of Jove him-
felf.
The city of Pritchinopoly is inclofed within two walls, flanked
F r e n c h r o c k .
S u g a r - l o a f
r o c k .
G o l d e n r o c k ,
B AT T LE OF;
T r i t c h in o -
POLY.
* Orme, i. p. 205. t Same, p. 3,0, j Same, p. 290. 293.
& Ì 1- D with