pursued the enemy with sufficient rapidity to prevent their barricadoing the gate of the inner wall, forced it open and entered the body of the place.

The slaughter which must have ensued would have been dreadful, if great numbers of the inhabitants had not effected their escape over a low wall on the other side. To this circumstance in some degree, but still more particularly to the humane exertions of Captain Robertson, who, seeing the place was carried, made every exertion to save the effusion of blood, may be justly attributed the smallness of the loss on the part of the enemy.

The principal people and fighting men taken, were sent prisoners to Vellore; the women and Brahmins were conducted to a small hill fort about six miles from the scene of action.

For this gallant affair, the consequence of which was the immediate surrender of Cummeldroog, a hill fort dependent on Nundy Droog, the troops concerned, received the thanks of Lord Cornwallis.

CHAPTER VII.

SIEGE OF SAVENDROOG-LIEUTENANT-COLONEL BAIRD COMMANDS A BRIGADE-CAPTURE OF THE FORT-LORD CORNWALLIS CONCENTRATES HIS FORCES-MARCH OF THE ALLIED ARMIES FROM HOOLEADROOG-ARRIVE BEFORE SERINGA PATAM-ACCOUNT OF THAT ISSUED FOR THE

PLACE-ORDERS

MARCH-DETAIL-COLONEL

BAIRD ATTACHED TO THE THIRD COLUMN-GALLANT ATTACK AND PURSUIT OF THE ENEMY-PERILOUS SITUATION-JOINED BY COLONEL STEWART-GENERAL MEDOWS DECEIVED BY HIS GUIDES-FAILS TO EXECUTE LORD CORNWALLIS'S DESIGN-HIS FEELINGS ON THE OCCASION-COLONEL BAIRD ORDERED TO RE-CROSS THE RIVERARRIVAL OF THE BOMBAY ARMY.

EVEN after the fall of Nundy Droog, and the other Droogs which we have enumerated, there yet remained another more important object to be attained—namely, the reduction of Savendroog, the enemy's possession of which, appeared to Lord Cornwallis to be one of the most serious obstacles to the reduction of Seringapatam. It was a place of immense strength-one huge mountain rising to the height of half a mile from a base eight or ten miles in circumference, enclosed by a wall on every side, and defended in every possible way, wherever it seemed to have been left vulnerable by nature.

It had the peculiar advantage of

being divided, towards its summit, into two hills, both of which being strongly fortified, formed, in fact, two citadels, capable of holding out, independently of the lower works, and naturally affording shelter and security to the garrison, even in the very last extremity.

Situated eighteen miles west of Bangalore, its position, in a military point of view, was formidable and commanding. It was no less celebrated for its strength and age, than for its noxious atmosphere, whence it derived its fearful name of Savendroog-the rock of death. The garrison to whose care it was entrusted, at the period of which we are speaking, confided greatly in this combination of defences, more especially as the rock itself was surrounded on all sides by a bamboo jungle. Indeed, Tippoo is said to have been very highly elated when he was apprised of Lord Cornwallis's intention to attack it, and even congratulated his army on the rashness of his enemy's undertaking an affair which must end in their discomfiture, seeing, as he expressed himself, that half the Europeans who besieged it would be killed in the attack, and the other half destroyed by the noxiousness of the climate.*

* The labour of penetrating such a jungle or wood, can only be appreciated by those who are acquainted with the peculiar character of that shrubby bush, the bamboo, which grows in clumps, from the corners of rocks, and more effectually, perhaps, any other tree resists the influence of fire, or the operation of the axe. A jungle, or "bound hedge" as in this case it was

than

The preliminary measures of this memorable siege, having been taken under circumstances of inconceivable difficulty, (the troops being in many places obliged to drag the guns over rocks of considerable height, and nearly perpendicular,) two batteries were opened on the 17th of December, one at a thousand, and the other at seven hundred yards. On the 19th, another battery was opened, which had been advanced to within two hundred and fifty yards of the wall; and in the course of that and the succeeding day, made a practicable breach; whereupon Lord Cornwallis ordered the assault to be made on the 21st.

The storming party was entrusted to the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Nesbitt, and directed to four different attacks. Captain Gage, with the grenadier and light infantry of the 76th, to gain the eastern hill on the left; the Honourable Captain Monson, with the light company of the 52d to scour the works towards the western hill; and the Honourable Captain Lindsay and Captain Robertson, with the flankers of the 71st, to attack whatever works or parties they might discover in the hollow or ravine between the eastern and western peak of this military Parnassus. The 52d and 72d regiments were to follow the flankers.

termed (and the word will be found hereafter to recur frequently in the account of the sieges of Seringapatam), surrounded the whole of the lines of the stupendous fortress of Savendroog.

Lieutenant-Colonel Baird, with his brigade of Sepoys, was directed to proceed, very early in the morning, to the opposite side of the mountain, to make his way through the jungle, and shew himself in force just at the time that the assault was made on the other side, in order, in the first instance, to draw off the attention of the garrison, and, in the second place, to be prepared to cut them off, should they attempt to escape on that side.

This service Colonel Baird most successfully executed, notwithstanding the difficulties which 1 the nature of the ground opposed to him; and made good his entrance into the fort on one side, at the very moment the storming party had carried the place on the other; and such was the ardour of the attack, that Captain Monson, with his own company of the 52d, and a serjeant and twelve grenadiers of the 71st, entered the different barriers, mingled with the retreating enemy, and killing a considerable number (amongst whom was the second keeladar), they never relaxed their exertions, till they got possession of the top of the mountain, when the head keeladar was captured. Some idea may be formed of the boldness and rapidity of the pursuit, when the reader is told, that the man who was shutting the first gate against the assailants, was shot by Serjeant Leary, of the 71st.

The promptness and gallantry of our troops need little eulogy on this occasion, further than