204 | 
Meadows, Tippoo abandoned his 
advantageous position ; but he did 
not relinquish his design: for he 
marched in the most probable di- 
rection to fall in with the Carnatic 
army. His intelligence had been 
extensive, or good fortune uncom- 
mon, for he actually discovered it 
on his road. His hopes, however, 
were instantly quashed on a nearer 
approach, as he found Colonel 
Maxwell so advantageously posted, 
that he could not attack him with 
any probability of success. He 
offered him battle three successive 
days, which, on account of his great 
superiority, was declined; so that 
he was obliged, without effecting 
any thing, to trace back his steps. 
Meanwhile General Meadows, his 
object being the same, had followed 
in the same track without knowing 
that Tippoo had gone before him. 
He had made such expedition to 
join Colonel Maxwell, that the 
march had been extremely fatigue- 
ing to the army. ‘They at last 
conceived that their labour was at 
an end, as they came in sight of a 
large encampment; but on firing 
three guns, the appointed signal, 
the colours were hauled down, the 
tents were struck, and the whole 
army marched off with precipita- 
tion towards the Ghauts. We 
need. not inform the reader that 
this was Tippoo’s army on its re- 
turn. ‘The two English armies 
joined soon after, without opposi- 
tion. © 
The time seemed now at last to 
have certainly arrived for the inva- 
tion of Mysore, Every preparation 
was made; a decided superiority 
was established in the field. Tip- 
poo averted theimpending stormby 
one of those\ daring measures which 
are characteristic of his inventive 
genius, as wellas of his bold and 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1702. 
intrepid mind. He turned to the 
southward, and marched directly 
towards the Carnatic; thus draw- 
ing our attention from conquests in 
his dominions, by alarming us for 
the safety of our own. He was 
closely pursued by the British Ge- 
neral;_ and, notwithstanding the 
celerity of his motions, the rear of 
his army was overtaken at the pass 
of Tapoor, and vigorously attacked. 
By means of his cavalry, however, 
he escaped with inconsiderable loss, 
and soon after distanced his adver- 
sary. Having been disappointed in 
an attempt upon Trichinopoly by 
the sudden swelling of the river, 
and the approach of the British ar- 
my, he marched eastward into the 
Carnatic, laying it waste with fire 
and sword. He at length invested 
Tiagar: a fort belonging to the 
Company. For seventeen days he 
pushed his operations against it 
with the utmost vigour; but the 
garrison baffled all his attempts, 
and he was forced to raise the siege 
in disgrace. From thence he made 
a circuit of devastation through the 
Carnatic by Trincomale, Chitteput, 
Wandewash, and Permacoil; and 
having taken several forts, and 
committed the most dreadful ra- 
vages wherever he went, he took 
up his quarters at the foot of the 
Eastern Ghauts. General Mea- 
dows long followed in Tippoo’s 
track, without being able to over- 
take him. When he reached Tia- 
gar, where he expected to find 
him, he discovered that Tippoo 
had left it for nine days. At Trin- 
comale he gave up the pursuit in 
despair. From thence he proceed- 
ed to Arnee, where he left Gene- 
ral Musgrave with the left wing of 
the army, the sick, and the heavy 
guns; and he returned himself, 
with the right, to the neighbour- 
hood 
