early six times their superior
in force, the Sepoys behaved with a calmness and bravery that could
not have been surpassed by veteran troops. Maintaining a steady front,
they repulsed every attack, until a brigade, encamped eight miles in
their rear, came up to their assistance; and Tippoo was then forced to
retreat, having suffered a loss of 1,500 men, including many of his
best officers.

This proof of the inferiority of his troops, even when enormously
outnumbering the English, and fighting with all the advantages of
surprise, profoundly impressed Tippoo, and from this time he appeared
to regard the struggle as hopeless, and displayed no signs whatever of
the dash and energy that had distinguished him, when leading one of
the divisions of his father's army. He marched with his troops
straight to Seringapatam, and then moved out with his whole force, to
give battle to the main body of the invaders. The antagonists came
within sight of each other at the village of Malavilly, thirty miles
east of the capital. For some time an artillery fire on both sides was
kept up. Gradually the infantry became engaged, and the Mysoreans
showed both courage and steadiness, until a column of two thousand men
moved forward to attack the 33rd Regiment.

The British troops reserved their fire, until the column was within
fifty yards of them. Then they poured in a withering volley, and
charged. The column fell back in disorder. General Floyd at once
charged them, with five regiments of cavalry, sabred great numbers of
them, and drove the remainder back in headlong rout. The whole British
line then advanced, cheering loudly. The first line of Tippoo's army
fell back upon its second, and the whole then marched away, at a speed
that soon left the British infantry far behind them.

Instead of continuing his march straight upon the capital, General
Harris, learning from spies that Tippoo had wasted the whole country
along that line, moved southwest; collecting, as he went, great
quantities of cattle, sheep, and goats, and an abundance of grain and
forage; crossed the Cauvery at a ford at Sosilay; and, on the 5th of
April, took up his position at a distance of two miles from the
western face of the fort of Seringapatam.

This movement completely disconcerted Tippoo. He had imagined that the
attack would, as on the previous occasion, take place on the northern
side of the river, and had covered the approaches there with a series
of additiona