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marches and countermarches the British commander found himself under the painful necessity, not only of destroying the whole of his battering-train and heavy equipments, of immediately retreating himself, but also of stopping the progress of another expedition that was advancing to his support.
Though Madras was the main centre of the English operations, yet the war had extended to the coast of Malabar, where General Abercromby had landed with a large force from Bombay in 1790, reduced Cannanore, and easily made himself master of every other place held by the enemy in Malabar. He soon also met with an auxiliary, who opened for him a passage into the midst of Tippoo's dominions. This was the youthful Rajah of Coorg, who after a long captivity had recently escaped from the Mysorean despot. The greater part of his subjects were groaning in exile; but in the depth of the woody recesses there was still a band of freemen, who rallied round him with enthusiastic ardour. By a series of exploits that might have adorned a tale of romance, the young Prince recalled his people from the distant quarters to which they had been driven, organised them into a regular military body, drove the oppressors from post after post, and finally became undisputed ruler of Coorg, expelling the Mahomedan settlers who had been forcibly introduced.
A common interest soon united the young Rajah in strict alliance with General Abercromby, who thus obtained a route by which he could transport his army, without opposition, into the elevated plain. The conveyance of the heavy cannon, however, was a most laborious task, as it was often necessary to drag them by ropes and pulleys up the tremendous steeps which form on this side of India the declivity of the Ghauts. At length the General had overcome every difficulty, and was in full march to join Lord Cornwallis, when he received orders to retreat, which in this case, too, could be effected only by the sacrifice of all his heavy artillery.
