Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/539

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Book XI
The Squadrons.
515

killed, and 40 wounded; the Cumberland 8, and 30; the Yarmouth 10, and 27; the Grafton 13, and 37; the Tiger, which suffered the most of any, 37, and 140; the Newcastle 26, and 65. The Elizabeth four, and twenty. In all 114 killed and 360 wounded. In, the Newcastle, the captain, Michie, an officer of distinguished gallantry, was killed; as were Mr. Jackson, the first lieutenant of the Tiger, captain More, who commanded the marines in the Elizabeth, and the master of the Yarmouth. Brereton, captain of the Tiger, Somerset of the Cumberland, the second lieutenant of the Grafton, and the fourth of the Salisbury, were wounded. None of the English ships, after the engagement, could set half their sail; and the Newcastle and Tiger were taken into tow by the Elizabeth and Weymouth. The loss-of the French crews was supposed to be equal; but when they went away together at sun-set, all, excepting the Centaur, carried their top-sails

The uncertainty of the number of troops which the French squadron might have brought for Pondicherry, determined the presidency of Madrass to suspend for a while the attack they had resolved to make on Vandiwash; but to send a part of their troops to Tripassore to support that part of the Country against Bassaulut Jung. But no arguments could prevail on Major Brereton to desist from the enterprize, from which he expected to acquire distinguished honour; and the presidency, unwilling to check his ardour, refrained from giving him positive orders to desist.

Heavy rains had rendered the roads and rivers impassable until the 26th, when the whole army marched from Conjeveram; it had been reinforced with 40 men from Chinglapet, under the command of Preston, and with 100, of 158 released prisoners, which had arrived at this garrison on the 11th from Pondicherry. The whole force was 1500 Europeans, 80 Coffres, and 2500 Sepoys, infantry; 100 Eurepean, and 700 black cavalry; 10 field-pieces, and two eighteen-pounders: and two more eighteen-pounders were to join from Chinglapet.

On the 27th in the morning, the horse before the line, when within three miles of Trivatore, fell in with 50 of the French hussars,