Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/578

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554
The War of Coromandel.
Book XI.

who were still remaining with Innis Khan on the other side of the mountains. On the other hand, Mr. Lally was likewise negotiating for the same assistance, and still mistrusted the attachment of his European troops, although equal in number to the English; and waited for an addition, by the return of what remained of the detachment which had been sent in April, under the conduct of Mr. Moracin, to reinforce Masulipatam.

Not venturing to land the troops, as Masulipatam was taken, Mr. Moracin sailed away on the 18th of April, and in five days arrived at Ganjam, which is situated at the northern extremity of the Chicacole province on the sea. The French had long kept a trading-house here, and were connected with Narraindeu, the principal Rajah in this part of the province: the fort and wood of his residence is called Moherry, and is situated twelve miles from the sea-shore, and thirty miles w. s. w. from Ganjam. Besides Moherry, he had six or seven other forts, which lie more inland, and farther to the north. His constant force was 3000 men, besides which he occasionally hired from the other polygars. The Rajah Vizeramrauze, during his administration under Mr. Bussy in the province of Chicacole, had by some severities provoked the hatred of Narraindeu; which devolved, after the death of Vizeramrauze, on his successor, Anunderamrauze, who, as we have seen, had invited and joined the English, whom nevertheless Narraindeu had less reason to dislike than the French, under whose authority the vexations he resented from Vizeramrauze had originated. Nevertheless Moracin proposed, "that their forces united should march first against the English settlement of Vizagapatam, and then against Vizianagaram, the principal residence of Anunderauze. If successful thus far, they were to go on, until joined by the French army of observation, which was with Salabadjing, when Masulipatam was stormed: probably Salabadjing would assist in retaking this place, and Narraindeu, in reward for his services, was to be placed in all the advantages possessed by Anunderauze" Narraindeu accepted the terms, but with no intention of prosecuting the expedition, any farther than the continuance of his own advantages.