Page:Gódávari.djvu/258

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GODAVARI

within shot; on which all the enemy went to the right-about, abandoned their camp, and retreated, seemingly every man as he listed, in the utmost confusion; but the English battalion crossing after them, many threw down their arms, and surrendered themselves prisoners. Mr. Conflans had previously sent away four of the smallest field-pieces and the money of the military chest, laden for expedition on two camels. The spoil of the field and camp was 30 pieces of cannon, most of which were brass; 50 tumbrels, and other carriages laden with ammunition; seven mortars from thirteen to eight inches, with a large provision of shells; 1,000 draught bullocks and all the tents of the French battalion. Three of their officers were killed in the field, and three died of their wounds the same evening; 70 of their rank and file were likewise killed, or mortally wounded: six officers and 50 rank and file were taken prisoners, and the same number of wounded were supposed to have escaped. Of the English battalion. Captain Adnet and 15 rank and file were killed; Mr. Macguire, the paymaster, and Mr. Johnstone, the commissary, who joined the grenadiers, two officers, and 20 of the rank and file were wounded; the sepoys had 100 killed and more wounded. No victory could be more complete; Mr. Conflans, the commander of the French army, changing horses, arrived on the full gallop at Rajahmundrum before midnight, although the distance is 40 miles from the field on which the battle was lost; the troops took various routes, but most of them towards Rajahmundrum.'

Kottapalli: Five miles east-south-east of Pithápuram, Population 1,203. Good muslins are woven here by 200 households of Pattu Sáles. The work is referred to in Chapter VI.

Múlapéta: Seven miles east of Pithápuram. Population 2,002, About 100 households of Pattu Sáles weave good cotton cloths in the village. The Mondi Jaganna temple there is widely known. There are two gods and a goddess in the temple, namely Bála Ráma, Jagannátha, and his sister Subadra. All the images are of wood and are without hands or feet and are therefore called mondi, or 'crippled'. Whence the name of the temple. Popular tradition says the images were washed ashore in the village. It is said that the idols in the great Jagannátha temple at Púri in Orissa are changed once a year, the old ones being thrown into the sea, and that these are a set of the old ones from that place. In Phálguna (March-April) a five-days' festival takes place at the temple and the pilgrims bathe in the sea on the newmoon day. It is declared that married women of the lower classes who are desirous of children are permitted, without discredit attaching to them, to indulge in promiscuous intercourse at this feast, and respectable people consequently resent being asked whether they attended it. A curious feature of the worship is