ns
with Dupleix for the surrender of Trichinopoli. Dupleix agreed to his
conditions; but when Muhammud Ali found that Count Bussy, with the
flower of the French force, had been despatched to Hyderabad, he
gained time by raising fresh demands, which would require the
ratification of the subadar.

"Luckily for us Mr. Floyer had been recalled, and his place taken by
Mr. Saunders; who is, everyone says, a man of common sense and
determination. Muhammud Ali urged upon him the necessity for the
English to make common cause with him against the enemy, for if
Trichinopoli fell, it would be absolutely impossible for the English
to resist the French and their allies. Early this year, then, Mr.
Saunders assured him that he should be assisted with all our strength,
and Muhammud Ali thereupon broke off the negotiations with the French.

"Most unfortunately for us, Major Lawrence had gone home to England on
sick leave. Captain Gingen, who now commands our troops, is a wretched
substitute for him. Captain Cope is no better.

"Early this year Mr. Saunders sent Cope, with two hundred and eighty
English and three hundred Sepoys, to Trichinopoli. Benefiting by the
delay which was caused before Dupleix, owing to the absence of his
best troops at Hyderabad, could collect an army, Cope laid siege to
Madura, but was defeated and had to abandon his guns. Three thousand
of Muhammud Ali's native troops thereupon deserted to the enemy.

"The cause of the English now appeared lost. Dupleix planted the white
flags, emblems of the authority of France, in the fields within sight
of Fort Saint David. With immense efforts, Mr. Saunders put into the
field five hundred English troops, a thousand Sepoys, a hundred
Africans, and eight guns; under the command of Captain Gingen, whose
orders were to follow the movements of the army with which D'Auteuil
and Chunda Sahib were marching against Trichinopoli.

"Luckily Chunda Sahib, instead of doing so at once, moved northwards
to confirm his authority in the towns of North and South Arcot, and to
raise additional levies. Great delay was caused by this. On arriving
before the important fortress of Valkonda, Chunda Sahib found before
it the troops of Captain Gingen, who had been reinforced by sixteen
hundred troops from Trichinopoli. The governor of the place, not
knowing which party was the stronger, refused to yield to either; and
for a fortnight the armies lay at a short distance from each other,
near the