heroic struggle, some 300 officers and men, mostly wounded, surrendered to the ruthless victor, whose French officers alone saved them from being slaughtered where they stood. Munro himself had heard the firing, but with strange perverseness refused to stir a foot. Next evening the hero of Baxár threw his heavy guns into a tank, and, leaving much of his baggage behind him, hurried back to St. Thomas's Mount; while Haidar leisurely proceeded to waste the Karnatic with fire and sword.
Hastings' courage rose to the occasion. His old friend Barwell had sailed for England; the truce he had made with Francis in March had been lately followed by a renewal of strife. But the brave though headstrong Sir Eyre Coote promptly answered the call of manifest duty, and Wheler kept true on the whole to the pledge he had given Hastings on the eve of Barwell's departure. On the 25th September, two days after receiving the news of Baillie's disaster. Hastings carried a vote for the prompt despatch of troops and money to the seat of war in the South. He was also empowered to treat with the Maráthás through the Rájá of Berár, who, after some wavering, had just given signs of returning friendliness. He issued an order of Council removing Whitehill from his post for refusing to restore Guntúr to Basálat Jang. The Company's remittances were kept back for that season, and a war-loan was raised in Calcutta. On the 14th October, 1780, a small but well-equipped force of Europeans and Sepoys dropped down
