however, carried off one prize, of which they made an extraordinary use. This was the palanquin of the English commander, which, being carried to Pondicherry, was there paraded through the town in triumphant confirmation of a report, assiduously circulated, that the French had been successful in a battle in which Major Lawrence was killed.
In a few weeks after the British obtained a more brilliant victory, in which Monsieur Austine and ten other French officers were made prisoners, and the whole of the tents and stores of the enemy captured. The fall of Wycondah, a place of some strength, shortly followed; and on this occasion the European and native troops seemed to vie with each other in daring courage and devotedness of spirit. The British Sepoys could not be restrained by their officers from attempting to enter the breach, though assured that it was not yet practicable, and repeated attempts were made to ascend under a most galling fire from the enemy above. Baffled in their efforts, they rushed to the gate, which some endeavoured to force, while others kept up a running fire upon the ramparts. At length an Englishman, acting as sergeant in a company of Sepoys, mounting upon the shoulders of one of the men, succeeded in laying hold of the carved-work of the gateway, and, thus assisted, climbed to the top. Those behind handed up to him the colours of his company, which, unaided, he planted on the parapet. About twenty of the Sepoys following the example of the sergeant, were enabled to join him in a similar manner; and while some of this heroic band were engaged with the enemy, others descended on the inside of the rampart and opened the gate, through which the rest of the attacking party rushed like a torrent.
Further operations of any consequence were suspended, after the fall of Wycondah, during the rainy season, which was only diversified by a few trifling affairs of outposts. At this period an attempt was made by the representatives of the French and English East India
