R a y a c o t t a ,
P o n d i c h e r r y .
B e s i e g e d b y
A d m i r a l
B o s c a w e n .
Tippoo had cruelly ordered to be murdered at the approach of
our army, regretted and refpedted by the inhabitants. Raya-
cotta, the key to the Myfore, furrendered after fome refiftance.
This, and feveral others lefs important, being taken, left free
accefs from the Carnatic, through the Odcagurgam pafs, which
,was found more convenient for the invafion of the Myfore than
the Muglee, which we ihall find was taken by Lord Cornwallis,
and found to lie too far north.
A bout twenty miles to the north of Cuddalore ftands its potent
neighbor Pondicherry. The fite and territory, in 1674, belonged
to the king of Vijiapour. Am. Martin, after the retreat of
the French from St. Thome, purchafed a village from the king.
From that time, the little colony flouriihed and increafed till
it became the moft magnificent city in India. I ihall not
.enter into the checks it received, its being plundered by the
Mahrattas under Sevatjee, and its being taken by the Dutch
in 1C93, and ceded by them in the peace of Ryfwick, I will
take up its ftory in the celebrated fiege of 1748, when Admiral
Bofcawen commanded the moft powerful fleet ever feen in the
Indian {y.as. He alfo appeared in the charadter o f general; and,
quitting his proper element, marched from Fort St,. David's at
the head o f a great army. He was a brave and experienced
naval officer, but totally ignorant o f the conduit of a fiege, or
the-operations in the field: he was notorioufly prefumptuous,
and fuffered for his prefumption. Unprovided with intelligence,
he made a fruitlefs attack on a neighboring fort; a fortunate
explofion foon after made him mailer of it; he loft many
days about the place. When he reached Pondicherry he began
his
his operations on AuguJi the 30th ; and after a feries of blunders,
on September the 30th, began his difpofition to raife the
fiege. The land army loft a great number of men ; the navaj
only a common failor, and captain Adams, brother to the late
George Anfon, efquire, of Shugborougb, a young man o f high
expectation. The French boafted, that from the incefiant fire
made from our fquadron, they loft only an old Malabar woman
killed in the ftreets.
I t was during this fiege that Lord Clive, then a very young
enfign, firft ihewed thofe figos o f courage and genius, which
foftrongly marked the reft o f his days. It is difficult to fay,
whether he ihewed more intrepidity in the trenches, than prudence
and fpirit in refenting a blow from a fenior officer, and
at the fame time, a cruel afperfion from the fame perfon, whom
he compelled to give private fatisfadlion, or quit the fervice;
which laft, the coward preferred to the meeting jn the field the
youthful hero *.
B u t the fall of Pondicherry was referved for the year 1760,
for abler officers, and more confiderate conduit. Colonel
Eyre Coote, afterwards fo juftly dignified with the order o f the
Bath, one o f the firft commanders of his time, commenced the
blockade of this city in the month o f AuguJi. At that time the
brave, but furious and indifcreet Lally, beaten out o f the field,
was cooped within the walls, with a great and. gallant garrifon.
The tyranny and infolence o f the general alienated entirely the
affeition of the people, civil or military j notwithftanding which
* Life of Lord C u r e , Br, Biogr. ill. p. 646, laft Ed. '
V ol. II. F they
Sir E yr eC o ots.