5th of February the Governor-General began his march, and on the 11th passed through Vellore towards Amboor, as if he had meant to ascend the mountains by some one of the passes directly opposite to Madras. Tippoo, meantime, was lingering near Pondicherry, in hopes of concluding his French negotiation, and being thereby reinforced by six thousand troops. He trusted, too, that with his light cavalry he might reach the passes towards which the English were advancing, in time to place himself in their front. Cornwallis, however, suddenly wheeled to the right; and, by a circuitous march of four days, attained the pass of Mooglee, where he found no preparation on the part of the enemy to dispute his passage. In a similar period he entered without resistance the table land of Mysore, and was now in the heart of the Sultan's country. This able movement, with which the Commander-in-Chief opened his career, struck his antagonist with consternation, and inspired the most favourable anticipations as to the manner in which the campaign would be conducted.
Tippoo, taken completely by surprise, hastened to the defence of his dominions; but he acted on no distinct or effective plan. He lost much valuable time in superintending personally the removal of his harem from Bangalore; and though he made several attempts to harass the British, he scarcely opposed an obstacle to their taking ground before that stronghold, which they did on the 5th of March. The siege was immediately begun with the utmost vigour, yet under peculiar disadvantages. The fortress was too extensive to be invested; operations were therefore carried on solely by breach and battery; the garrison received all the reinforcements and supplies of which they stood in need; while the Sultan, with the whole of his brave and active army, well skilled in desul-
talions serving in Mysore, such was the spirit of emulation evinced by the Bengal troops that more than the required number turned out forthwith, and reached Madras in eight days from the requisition." – Auber. "Rise of British Power in India."
