rn end of the island.

The sultan found that his army was much reduced in strength, no less
than twenty-three thousand men being killed, wounded, or missing. Of
these, the missing were vastly the most numerous, for ten thousand
Chelahs, young Hindoos whom Tippoo had carried off in his raids, and
forced to become soldiers, and, nominally, Mohammedans, had taken
advantage of the confusion, and marched away with their arms to the
Forest of Coorg.

Tippoo made several determined efforts to drive Colonel Stuart's force
off the island, and to recapture the redoubts, but was repulsed with
such heavy loss that he abandoned the attempt altogether, evacuated
the other redoubts, and brought his whole army across on to the
island.

Tippoo now attempted to negotiate. He had already done so a month
before, but Lord Cornwallis had refused to accept his advances, saying
that negotiation was useless, with one who disregarded treaties and
violated articles of capitulation.

"Send hither," he wrote, "the garrison of Coimbatoor, and then we will
listen to what you have to say."

Lord Cornwallis alluded to the small body of troops who, under
Lieutenants Chalmers and Nash, had bravely defended that town when it
had been attacked by one of Tippoo's generals. The gallant little
garrison had surrendered at last, on the condition that they should be
allowed to march freely away. This condition had been violated by
Tippoo, and the garrison had been marched, as prisoners, to
Seringapatam. The two officers had been kept in the fort, but most of
the soldiers, and twenty-seven other European captives who had lately
been brought in from the hill forts, were lodged in the village that
Colonel Knox had first occupied, on crossing the river, and had all
been released by him. Some of these had been in Tippoo's hands for
many years, and their joy at their unexpected release was unspeakable.

Preparations were now made for the siege. General Abercrombie was
ordered up, with a force of six thousand men, but before his arrival,
Lieutenant Chalmers was sent in with a letter from Tippoo, asking for
terms of capitulation. Negotiations were indeed entered into, but,
doubting Tippoo's good faith, the preparations for the siege were
continued; and upon the arrival of General Abercrombie's force, on the
15th of February, siege operations were commenced at the end of the
island still in British possession.

A few days afterwards, the army was astounded at he