Paliar, as the rains were approaching, unexpectedly turned from Chittapet to the south, and went against Trinomalee.
During these operations and alarms in the Carnatic, the arrival of the French squadron had created equal apprehensions in the southern countries. Calliaud received the intelligence from Devi Cotah and Fort St. David several days before the advices from the presidency could reach Madura, and without delay began his march back to Tritchinopoly, with all the Europeans; but left Mahomed Issoof with the Sepoys and the rest of the camp, to defend Madura and its dependencies, and to recover and protect, as far as the force and occasions allowed, the districts of Tinivelly: for the timidity of Modilee could not stand the field; and dreading still more to be left alone with Mahomed Issoof, he again accompanied Captain Calliaud; who the day after he left Madura, met at Nattam the first letters of the presidency ordering both himself and Mahomed Issoof to return immediately to Tritchinopoly; nevertheless several arrangements, necessary on a new acquisition of such importance, induced him to continue Mahomed Issoof ten days longer at Madura. On the 20th, he himself arrived with the Europeans, 250, at Tritchinopoly, where he was soon after informed, that the whole of the French force had taken the field; and although in the interval he received orders countermanding the return either of himself or Mahomed Issoof, he now preferred the first idea of being ready to make head at Tritchinopoly, with a strong force, until the season, intelligence, or the chance of war, might determine what might justly be apprehended from the opperations of the enemy. Accordingly Mahomed Issoof with a thousand Sepoys, followed him and arrived at Tritchinopoly on the 8th of October. In the mean time Berkatoolah had been sent with proposals to induce Maphuze Khan to quit the Tinivelly country, but the arrival of the French force had elevated him with such hopes, that he rejected all terms excepting the government both of Madura and Tinivelly at certain tributes, which he never intended to pay. This answer Mahomed Issoof received before he left Madura; as also certain intelligence that Hiderally, the Mysore general, was at length arrived with a considerable force at Dindigul: and, as the
