carrying a motly variety of weapons--bows and arrows, Elizabethan blunderbusses, curved Oriental swords, daggers, lances, and loaded staves. This disorderly crew rushed upon the enemy with yells and screams. Each man acted on the initiative, without any regard to his companions or to his leader. The manœuvres of the army seemed to be comprehended in the one word, 'Charge!' The English withstood the charge, and were left masters of the field with two officers and a dozen of the rank and file killed. The enemy lost a hundred and fifty killed (1711).
Barely half a century after the founding of Fort St. George at Madras the Company's servants decided that a settlement was desirable at or near Cuddalore. The cotton materials manufactured in the villages of South Arcot were greatly in demand at that period in Europe, and commanded a good price. They were not procurable in Madras, and could only be bought at Cuddalore, Porto Novo, and Pondicherry. An attempt was made to open a factory at Porto Novo, but it failed. The French were in possession at Pondicherry, which town they purchased from the native ruler (1672). The Dutch had established themselves in premises which they rented at Cuddalore. The attempt to hire a similar block of buildings in Cuddalore that might be adapted proved ineffectual, owing to Dutch jealousy and intrigue, and the English were obliged to look elsewhere. In their search they discovered an old disused fort near the mouth of the river, on the opposite bank to Cuddalore, but further down.
The fort had been built by a rich Hindu merchant named Chinnia for the purpose of trade. When Aurungzebe advanced southward intent on conquering the whole Peninsula the Hindu merchant gathered together his family and his treasure and sailed away. The fort was left empty and deserted. The reigning Rajah was ready
