drew the artillery along at a quick pace, through" a deep and heavy fand, for above a mile. The molt admirable order was preferved through the whole. pour in upon them. Thefe, with their ufual guard, confifting of about 150 Sepoys, those few Paligars who had joined the company's forces, and a small Mahratta corps, were judiciously placed in the opening between the right of the army and the fea; and the detachment now unavoidably drawn off from the line of action for their fupport, confifted of two regiments of cavalry, and a battallion of Sepoys, with feven pieces of light artillery. The country in about an hour's march, opened an extensive plain to their view, and as the enemy's cavalry appeared drawn up in great force on their way, Sir Eyre Coote formed the army in two lines, and proceeded on his march in order of battle. The grounds which Hyder occupied were naturally strong and commanding; and he had already rendered this pofition truly formidable, by the judgment and difpatch with which he had ftrengthened and fortified the molt advantageous spots with well conftructed front and flanking batteries. Indeed, it would have afforded no fmall demonftration of his military abilities, if other effential proofs of it were wanting, that he had formed fuch a body of pioneers, as had never before been known in India. The army had not advanced far, when the enemy's pofition and works were clearly difcovered, and their batteries feen to lie directly upon the intended line of march. Hyder's principal force, was drawn up in order of battle in the rear of his works, and extending farther on the plain, than the eye could command; large bodies of cavalry caught the fight in every direction, and an infinite number of rockets were unintermittingly thrown, as well to prevent and confound the obfervation, as to diforder the march and impede the movements of the English army. At the fame time they were expofed to a warm though diftant cannonade; the enemy's artillery were well ferved, and did execution; while the English general could not afford to return many hot, as he was fenfible that every round he poffeffed, would, in the courfe of a day, be wanted to take the most decisive effe&t. Critical and dangerous as this fituation was, a paule, little thort of an hour, became abfolutely neceflary; not only to afford time to the general to examine the enemy's immediate pofon, but farther to difcover, whether the country on the right, might not admit of his taking fuch a sweep, as would enable him to turn the enemy's left; and thereby to fall upon them rather obliquely, than to be obliged to make his attack in the full front and fire of their works and batteries. The country on the right fortunately anfwered his hope; and nothing was ever more boldly and happily executed, than this daring and maiterly movement, in the face of fuch an enemy, and under the fire of a numerous artillery. The troops had endur. ed the galling fire of the enemy, during the paufe we have mentioned, with the utmost conftancy and compofure; in the fubfequent march and movement, they were obliged to pafs as it were in review, ander the heavy flanking fire of al the enemy's batterier, while the Sepoys unLarnefied their wretched ox which were totally unequal to the celerity of the eccalion, and This prompt and happy movement, which was performed by the first line only, decided the fortune of the day. Nothing lefs could have done the bufinefs, or indeed have well faved the army; for they had only four days provision, which they carried on their backs, and delay, or even a drawn battle, would have been no lefs ruinous than a defeat. The general in filing off to the right, had been necessarily obliged to contract his front and break his former order; but as foon as he had gained the point he aimed at, and the ground would admit, he inftantly formed anew, about nine o'clock, in order of battle, being within reach of, but partly covered from, the fire of the enemy's cannon. He then looked eagerly back, to fee whether the heights in his rear were occupied by the fecond line; for on the fuccefs of that part of his defign every thing fill depended, as the poffeffion of them, would not only have enabled the enemy to leparate the two lines, but entirely to enclofe and furround the first, as foon as it ventured into action. General Stuart, who commanded the fecond wing, performed that fervice with fuch activity, as not to keep him long in fufpence; and as foon as he faw they were covered, he advanced with confidence on the enemy. The fudden and unexpected evolutions, performed with an alertnefs of which Hyder himfelf had yet feen no example, obliged him to a new arrangement of his army. His guns were withdrawn from the batteries to the line with equal order and expedition; he inftantly formed a new front to receive Sir Eyre Conte; and feeing at once the consequences which would attend the poffeffion of the high ground, be detached a strong body of his difciplined infantry, with a fuitable artillery, befides a number of irregolars, and a very great force of cavalry, to attack the fecond line; while another detachment, or part of the fame, attempted, by getting into the interval during the conflict, to attack Sir Eyre Coote in the rear. Thus the battle was double; and each wing, feparately, and almost equally engaged. The main battle was long and obftinately fought and it was not until four o'clock, that by dint of courage, the most invincible perfeverance, and an exertion, for fo many hours on the uimos ftretch, that the English at length gained the day. At that time, the fift line triumphing over every obftacle, drove Hyder's infantry, artillery, and cavalry, promifcuoutly before them, and compelled his whole army to seek their fatety in a retreat. During this time, the fecond line, under the conduct of Brig. General Stuart, had not only gallantly repulied the repeated at tempts made by the other division of Hyder's army upon the heights, but attacked, carried and maintained, thofe, of which the enemy had filt gained poffeffion; and while the rear of that line were thus fully occupied, their van most obftinately difputed, and at length totally defeated, the attempt made to attack the general's tear. This poffeffion, and brave defence of the heights, likewife prevented the enemy, notwith landing tr tr tr tr tr "KILKENNY IS A HANDSOME PLACE." Sung by Mrs. SPARKS, in the new Opera of FONTAIN BLEAU. Kil-ken-ny is a handiome place, Asa-ny town in Shamrockshire There first I saw my Jemmy's withstanding their multitude, from being able to make any push towards the fea, or the imalleft attempt upon the baggage. Thus the victory was complete on all fides. Many of its advantages were, however, lost, through the victors being bereft of the means of purfuit. If it were not for that unfortunate circumftance, the whole of Hyder's artillery and ftores would have fallen into their hand, and he would undoubtedly have been obliged to abandon the Carnatic. It was intolerably vexatious to thofe brave men, to behold the ftrong and vigorous cattle of the flying enemy, carrying off their artillery at a full trot, while their own were scarcely able to drag the guns along. Indeed The conduct and gallantry of Major General Sir Hector Munro, who commanded the first line on this day, was highly diftinguished. the behaviour of every individual in the army, from the commander in chief to the meanelt Sepoy, was beyond all praife. Sir Eyre Coote declares in a letter, that every individual of his little army feemed to feel, that all the interefts of the nation and the company were then at ftake; that falling as they already were, the molt extraodinary exertions were neceffary to their fupport; and, to their credit, faid he, " every nerve was exerted to the very extent of poflibility." Hyder left about 3,000 of his men dead upon the ground. His principal and favourite general, Meer Saib, was mortally wounded; and feveral other of his leaders, and beft officers, were among the killed or wounded. Sr Eyre Coote balted just beyond the enemy's ground, from his inability to continue the purfuit faither; and was joined by the fecond line and the baggage about midnight The lofs on his fide was far from being coderable, confidering the nature of the action; and did not exceed 400 men in killed and wounded; nor was there any officer of note in either lift. Nothing could more fully fhew Hyder's conviction of his inferiority in the field, and his determination not to hazard another action under any advantage of ground, than his leaving the frong and important pats of Putavenaur open to the purfuit of the English when he made his retreat through it in the evening. Among the immediate confequences of the victory, Tippoo Saib's railing the ficge of Wande wash was not the least. Hyder withdrew with his army to the neigh-, bourhood of Arcot, where he was joined by Tippoo Saib's detachment. Sir Eyre Coote, having thus freed the fouthern provinces from depredation and danger, marched with his army to the northward, in order to meet the long expected and wished for reinforcement from Ben gal, which, under the favour of Moodajee Boolla, and his fon, had marched through his territories in Oriffa, and were now arrived in the northern circars. This junction was happily effected in the beginning of Auguft; and the general being now enabled to act with vigour, inarched to lay fiege to Trepaffore. This place capitulated after a few days fiege, and nothing Aug. 234. than the furrender; for befides that could be more timely or fortunate the poffeflion was of importance, the advance of Hyder's army (who was in full march to its re lief) appeared in fight, at the moment that the troops were taking poffeffion of the works, and there was then only one day's rice left in the English army. Trepaffore afforded fome immediate relief, and the general finding that Hyder was in full force at about fixteen miles diflance, determined to attack him; but was under a neceflity of waiting to draw fome rice from Poonamalla. This fupply being obtained he marched, to feek the enemy, and Hyder upon his approach fell back a few miles to the very ground where he had defeated Colonel Baillie. There he took a very ftrong pofition; but was more influenced, as it is reported, by a fuperftitious confidence in its being a lucky fpot, than by the strength of the ground, in his determination to try the fortune of a fetond battle. Sir Eyre Coote arrived in fight of the enemy about eight o'clock in the morning; 27th. and discovered him to be in great force, his army drawn up in order of battle ready to receive him, and in poffeffion of feveral very commanding and advantageous pofts. This fituation was rendered ftill more formidable, by the nature of the country lying between both amies, which was interfected by feveral very deep watercourses; to that nothing could be more arduous than the approach of the troops to their object. The general, in order to prefent a front to the enemy, was under a neceflity of forming his line under a very heavy cannonade, as well from feveral batteries placed to great advantage, as from the guns in the enemies line. This was an arduous trial of the difcipline and firmness of the troops, and the general declared, that the steady valour which they thewed upon this occafion, 'could not have been furpaffed by the first veterans of any nation in Europe. They had full occafion for the continual exercife of thefe qualities, during the courfe or a very long and hard fought day. The battle laed from nine in the morning until it was near fun-fet. By that time Hyder was cured of his fuperftition; his army were driven fucceffively from all their ftrong potts, and obliged to a bandon the field of battle with precipitation. The lofs fuftained by the English army in this action was greater than on the 1ft of july, and that of the enemy lefs; which, behdes, the caufes we have feen, proceeded from their the!tering themselves under the banks, of tanks, and from their poffeffing in general fuch inequa lities of ground as afforded much cover. feems probable, that their artillery cauled the principal lofs in the English army. General Stuart, left a leg by a cannon fhot. Colench Browne, an old, able, and experienced officer, his life, by the fame means; and Captain Hiflop, one of the general's aid de camps, an active ani fpirited young officer, was killed, close to his fide, by a cannon fhot. Thefe were the only officers of note who fell. It seemed as if defeat had wrought the extraordinary change in Hyder's difpofition, of rendering him enamoured of field battles. For, on the day month of the late action, he waited to be attacked by Sir Eyre Sept. 27th. affair was foon decided. The action did not be Coote, neer a place called Sholingur. gin matil four o'clock, and before night But this army was completely routed. In this battle both his cavalry and infantry fuffered extremely, while the lofs of the victors was fo trifling as not to deferve mention; but the enemy's troops were now used to be beaten. The general then relieved Vellore, which was reduced to the last extremity; and afterwards besieged and took Chittor. The feafon for fome time occafioned a ceffation of action on both fides; but Vellore being again reduced to great diftref for provifions, the general was obliged in the beginning of the year 1782, to march again to its relief. Repeated defeat was not capable of producing any remithon of Hyder's vigour or vigilance. On Sir Eyre Coote's march to Vellore, as the army were pailing through a deep morafs, the Jan. 10th, enemy appeared in force on different quarters, and commenced a diftant 1782. but very heavy cannonade. Their obje was, befides impeding the progress of the army to Vellore, (which was reduced to the Laft day's provifion) to cut off the baggage and convoy, while the troops were entangled in thefe bad grounds. After an action, fuch as we have defcribed, which lafted for four hours, the enemy being foiled in all their attempts, were at length forced to abandon their object, and retire on all fides; the army, which had fuffered very little in this action, pursued its courfe witheut interruption to Vellore. Upon the return of the army, three days after, their indefatigable, and ever watchful enemy, was again prepared for their reception. On coming up to the fame morafs, they found Hyder in full force on the other fide, and determined to dispute their paffage. They, however, paffed the fwamp, under the fire of his cannon, about four in the afternoon, and the general having immediately formed, and fecured the baggage, the troops advanced with their usual alacrity upon the enemy. These made but a faint refiftance; they gave way on all fides, retreated with precipitation, and were purfued with confiderable execution until dark. The vigour of Hyder's exertions was no longer feconded by that of his troops. Such was the furprifing change which the admirable condu& and military abilities of Sir Eyre Coote, feconded by fome excellent officers, and supported by the unparalleled efforts of a Imall but glorious army, had, in a fhort time, produced in the affairs of the Carnatic: and such the events, of one of the most arduous campaigns of which we have any knowledge. During these transactions, an account of the war with Holland having arrived in India during the month of August, it fortuned foon after, that five India thips from China, arrived, in their way home, at Fort Marlborough, on the coaft of Sumatra. The arrival of these ships excited the gentlemen of that factory, to an enterprize against the Dutch fettlements on that ifland. Mr. Botham, one of the council, was appointed to conduct this expedition, and Captain Clements, commodore of the five fhips; the fort could only spare capt. Mandeville, with a hundred men for the fervice. The addrefs and good conduct of these gentlemen so effectually fupplied the want of force, that the governor of Padang, being artfully impofed upon with refpect to their ftrength, was terrified into a furrender, not only of that place, but of all the other Dutch fettlements on the western coats of Sumatra into their hands. The Dutch fettlement, in the town, port, and fortrefs of Negapatam, in the Tanjore country, could not even in time of peace, but be confidered as fome eye-fore to the company; but in the prefent state of things, its being in the poffeffion of an enemy was full of danger. The confequences of fuch a fortrefs and port being open for the reception of the French fleet and army, and of its becoming a great naval and military magazine, for Hyder's conftant fupply, as well as theirs, were indeed eafily understood; but the immediately dangerous state of affairs, and urgent demands for every poffible exertion in the Carnatic, feemed to render the application of a timely preventive remedy, a matter of the greatest difficulty. The fuccefs of Sir Eyre Coote's arms, having happily leffened the difficulties on that fide, this new evil and danger became an object of the first confideration; it was, however, fome time before the defign against Negapatam could be carried into effect; but during that interval, Sir Edward Hughes had, from his first knowledge of the rupture with Holland, clofely blocked up the place by fea. Major General Sir Hector Monro was appointed to conduct this enterprize in concert with the admiral; and the troops already ftationed in the Tanjore country, were the only land force affigned to this fervice. The difficul ties which they had to encounter, required all the abilities and exertion of both commanders. The fortifications had already been confiderably ftrengthened by new works; the garrifon re-inforced by a large detachment of Hyder's troops; and what was ftill a matter of more ferious confideration, the season was far advanced for military operations, the shift of the monsoon being at hand. But the great importance of the object warranted rifque, and reduced the difficulties to nothing in the minds of the affail, ants. 1781. The troops being arrived at Na- Oa. 21st, gore, a place on the fea coaft, near Negapatam, Sir Hector Monro was immediately landed to take the command; and at the fame time, all the marines of the fquadron, amounting, with their officers, to 443, were likewife landed, and joined the company's troops. On the following day, a detachment of 827 feamen, with their proper officers, and commanded by three naval captains, were landed, under orders from the admiral, to co-operate with the general to the utmost, in every meafure for the attack of the place. The great difficulty lay in landing the arrtillery (which were fupplied by the iquadron) through a great and dangerous furf. This difficulty was furmounted, though with incredible labour, fatigue, and no fmall danger, by the courage and activity of the feamen. Catamarans, or rafts, were made with wonderful expedition, and with the aid of the boats, 16 eighteen pounders, 2 twelve pounders, with 2 heavy mortars, and 6 lighters together, with their carriages, shot, fhells, powder, and all neceffary artillery ftores, were, on the fame |