Eyre Coote had suffered severe loss in
his recent battle, he resolved to seek the enemy, and he pushed forward
with such vigour that he nearly sus-prised the Indians before they could
form their ranks. Hyder was again routed, with terrible loss, and Coote
was enabled by this victory to march on the fortress of Vellore, one
of the keys of the Carnatic, which was besieged by Hyder's troops,
and which he relieved and saved. After this, Coote recovered Chittore,
Palipett, and other places, and then, as the rains, the monsoons, and
the rising of the rivers put an end to further extensive operations, he
went into cantonments.

{GEORGE III. 1786-1787}

In the meantime Lord Macartney arrived from England as Governor of
Madras, His lordship brought intelligence of the declaration of war
between England and Holland, and his first care was to make himself
master of all the Dutch factories on that coast. Sadras surrendered
upon summons; Poulicat submitted on his approach, at the head of some
gentlemen volunteers and Madras militia-men; Negapatam was captured; all
the other Dutch settlements on the same coast fell into the hands of the
British; and Trin-comalee, their principal station in Ceylon, was taken
by storm.

Colonel Braithwaite had assisted in the reduction of Negapatam, and when
this was effected he marched into Tanjore, with the view of recovering
some of the fortresses of that country, which had been captured by
Hyder and his son Tippoo. Braithwaite was deceived and misled by the
Tanjoreans, and while encamped on the left bank of the river Cavery,
on the 18th of February, 1782, he was surprised by Tippoo and a French
corps; and after maintaining an unequal contest from sunrise to sunset,
his whole force were either killed or taken prisoners. This blow was
almost immediately followed by the arrival off the coast of Admiral de
Suffrein, with 2000 French and 1000 Caffres on board, to aid Hyder Ali
in his struggle. De Suffrein had been encountered in his voyage by the
squadron of Commodore Johnstone, and had been pursued by Admiral Hughes;
but he had escaped all dangers, and he now succeeded in landing the
forces which he brought with him at Porto Novo. These forces were under
the command of M. Bussy, and they united with the army of Tippoo,
and besieged and took Cuddalore, after which they advanced against
Wandewash. Coote marched rapidly to the relief of that place, and on the
24th of April he encamped on the very spot