declared in his favour, and sent a considerable body of troops to his aid. The siege therefore made little progress; but the enemy having a large disposable force in the province of Arcot, burnt several villages there, garrisoned and repaired the defences of Conjeveram which Clive had dismantled, and even threatened to attack the Company's fort of Poonamalee.
This diverted to another quarter the British reinforcements destined for Trichinopoly; and, in order to check the ravages of the enemy in Arcot, all the force that the British authorities could assemble was required. This, however, did not amount to seventeen hundred men, of whom less than four hundred were Europeans; and Clive being invested with the command, in the absence of Major Lawrence, who had gone to England, marched to meet the enemy, uncertain of their exact position, till near the village of Caverypank the van of the British force was unexpectedly saluted by a discharge of artillery from a thick grove of mango-trees.
Clive made immediate dispositions for action, and, during a fusilade on both sides, repelled several attacks of the enemy's cavalry. The artillery from the grove, however, did considerable execution, and Clive determined to get possession of it. The grove in which it was posted was defended in front by a steep bank and ditch, but in the rear it was reported to be open and unguarded. Two hundred Europeans and four hundred Sepoys were accordingly despatched thither; and these having made a circuit for that purpose, halted at the distance of three hundred yards from the rear of the post, while Ensign Simmonds advanced to reconnoitre.
This officer had not proceeded far before he came to a deep trench, in which a large body of the enemy's troops, who were not immediately wanted, were sitting down to avoid the random shots. The approach of Ensign Simmonds being observed, he was challenged, and the party in the trench prepared to fire. His acquaintance with the French language saved his life, and prevented the
