for the want of provifions. The country to the eaft was laid
wafte by the Sultan. It was therefore impoflible to receive
them in quantities adequate to the great wants of a numerous
army, and its more numerous followers. A convoy of provifions
and flores, and a reinforcement o f troops from the fouthern provinces,
arrived at the head of the Ghauts. The army was alfo
obliged to make feveral excurfions for the purpofes above mentioned
: to Vincatighery weftward, to Deounnelli and Chinna-
balabarum northward. Both the lait were unfiniihed, but
built on an excellent plan. Thefe were defigned as part of a
wife and regular fyftem o f adding great ftrength to numbers of
his fortrefles, which might have flood a regular fiege, and long
M arch to Se- obftruéled the progrefs of any invader. The army began its
wsoAPATiM. march from Bangalore on May 3d, and took the more diflant
route to Seringapatam, that of ninety-four miles, by Cancakelly
to Sultanpetta, where it quitted the mountains, and after that
to Arakeery, not remote from thé capital, which Hands in au
ifland of the Cavery, and bounded to the north by the rude Ca-
rigat rocks. Tippoo quitted the illand, and encamped on a poll
of great ftrength, moft judicioufly chofen, which the Marquis
B a t t l e or. was determined to furprife and force. The attack was made
on the 15th, under his lordfhip. Colonel Maxwel and Colonel
Uoyd were the great charafters of the day. The enemy were
defeated with much lofs, and many trophies added to the vic-
torv. Our flain and wounded moft inconfiderable. General
Abercrombie, who with his army had .furmounted the Ghauts,
advanced as far as Periapatan, twenty miles from Seringapatam,
where he lay. The Marquis intended to form a j unilion with
him :
him : but his evil genius interfered. When his lordfhip intended
to crofs the ford of the Cavery at Kanambuddy, he perceived
it was impoflible to move the heavy artillery from the
place they were. Moft of the bullocks were dead or dying, and
provifions began to fail after the j unilion of the Nizam's army,
on April 13th, which was prefent at the battle, and by its ignorance
obftruiled rather than promoted the attack of ours.
He was obliged to deftroy the whole of the heavy artillery def-
tined to reduce the city, and indignantly compelled to retire,
and to leave the glorious vifion to be realized in the following
year. Mr. Rennel mentions the Angular circumftance of Tippoo
feeing three hoftile armies lying encamped feven miles from
his capital, the Britijh, the Mabrattas, and the wretched cavalry
of the Nizam, which had marched from Hydrabad, a dif-
tance of four hundred and fix miles, eager to partake o f the
prey. General Abercrombie was direiled to defcend the Ghautsr
which he did in fight of Rummer ul Deen, the boalled favorite
officer of Tippooh, without the left impediment, except from
the inceflant rains which at that feafon deluged the eoaft.
I s h a l l not trace our army’s retreat from Seringapatam
farther than Mailcotta, about fifteen miles to the north of that
city, a fpot famed for the bloody defeat o f Ayder AJi by the
Mahrattas, in 1772, under the Paijhwa Madab-row, a gallant
youth of twenty-two. The quarrel was, a clame of the Chout,
or tribute, made by him in behalf of his people, which was
evaded by Ayder. His hiftorian, ii. p. 180, calls the Mahratta
army two hundred thoufand, half o f which was cavalry. The
youthful warrior feigned a r e t r e a tT h e experienced Myjorean
was
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