in the forf, to defend it to extremity, and to the two companies of Sepoys at Trivatore, to repair thither immediately. The baggage of the army was sent off that night to Covrepauk; and in the morning the whole army moved from Chinasimundrum, where they had lain eighteen days, and in the evening pitched anew on the bank of the Paliar, five miles lower down than the ground which the French had occupied on the other side. A strong post of horse and foot was advanced at some distance towards Arcot, and another on the left, with orders to keep up continual patroles. The next day passed without any alarm from the enemy, or intelligence of consequence concerning them, who nevertheless were not idle.
Mr. Lally had formed another project besides that which Colonel Coote suspected; and, to accomplish it, had not suffered his army to advance with half the expedition they might. They were on the 11th, the third day after they quitted their encampment, no farther than Papantanguel, six miles on this side of Trivatore, and halted there the greatest part of the day. Towards the evening, all were under arms, and the stores and baggage loaded; but, instead of marching on he displayed them on the plain, facing to the Paliar, and then exercised them as if for practice, in large evolutions, which were calculated to fling the whole line to the eastward, with all the horse, Morattoes, as well as Europeans, on the right, of whom the outermost, when the exercise ended, were six miles from Papantanguel. Having thus whiled away the time until the close of the evening, he continued all on the ground they stood until it was dark; and then separated the army into two divisions. The horse, excepting some which rejoined the second, filed off, followed by 300 Sepoys, who had formed next to them, and marched on as fast as they could, keeping together; the rest of the army, which consisted of all the European infantry, with the baggage and artillery, were ordered to follow, but without strain. Mr.Lally led the first division himself. After a march of 15 miles, in which they had crossed the Paliar, they arrived at eight in the morning at Conjeveram; expecting to find in the town the magazines of rice which supplied the English army; but they had no such store,
