212] 
voys; Lord Cornwallis, therefore, 
“wished to get possession of it; but, 
‘as if resolutely defended, it was 
‘nearly impregnable, he detached 
Major Gowdie, with a small force, 
to make an attempt upon it; hav- 
“ing ordered him, if it did not yield 
-at the first attack, instantly to return 
to the army. Upon his’ arrival, 
Major Gowdie sent in a flag of 
truce, with a summons; and the 
killidar refusing to surrender, pre- 
“pared to storm the pettah next 
morning, The most brilliant suc- 
“cess attended the assault: not only 
was the pettah taken, but, the as- 
sailants mingling with the fugitives, 
a lodgement was made in some of 
the outworks of the fort. Encou- 
“raged by this success, and having 
reason to believe that the garrison 
was intimidated, Major Gowdie 
‘wequested leave to continue the at- 
tack. A reinforcement was sent 
‘to join his brigade; and ‘his spi- 
~xited measures were enforced by a 
~“movenient of the army towards 
Rayacottah. A breach was soon 
“made in the upper wall,—the killi- 
dlar beat a parley, and agreed to 
surrender the fort, on condition of 
“security to private property, and his 
deing allowed to go with his family 
to reside in the Carnatic.’ It was 
found amply supplied with guns, 
ammunition, and provisions; and, 
as there were several tanks filled 
‘with water within the walls, - it 
might have bid defiance to every 
thing but a tedious blockade. In- 
timidated by the fallof Rayacottah, 
the hill-forts of Anctitydurgum, 
Neclagheri, Rutnagheri, Oodeadur- 
gum, and Chenraydurgum, gave 
up on being summoned, or were 
dtaken after a slight resistance. 
The Polycode pass was now-com- 
pletely open; and the important 
convoy which had been for some 
ANNUAL REGISTER, |1792. 
months collecting at Amboor, was 
ordered instantly to proceed by this 
route. It left Amboor on the 2d 
of August,and by eight easy march- 
es joined the army on the 10th, 
then encamped near Aussoor. One 
hundred elephants, marching two 
a-breast into camp, all laden with 
treasure, on the foremost of which 
was displayed the British standard, 
were a sight fit to have graced an 
eastern triumph; and accompanied 
by six thousand bullocks, all Jaden 
with grain, and many hundreds of 
coolies with baskets’ of private sup- 
plies, formed such a convoy as never 
before joined an army in India. | 
About this time Tippoo, a’ se- 
cond time, made some advances to 
a general pacification. But the va- 
keel whom he sent, being a Mahrat- 
ta by birth, and highly odious to 
that nation, Lord Cornwallis was 
obliged to appoint a guard upon his 
person to preserve him from out- 
rage. Having made’some demands 
which were inadmissible, he’ was 
ordered to depart. , 
The next object which engaged 
the attention of the British General, 
was, to open 2 communication with 
the country of the Nizam; from — 
which important supplies might be: 
obtained. He therefore marched’ 
with the army to the north-east of 
Bangalore, and sent a strong body 
of troops, with several guns and 
mortars, to reduce the forts which 
lay in that quarter. The command 
was again deputed to Major Gow- 
die. His first efforts were directed 
against Raymanghur; which, after 
a vigorous siege of a few days, sur- 
rendered at discretion. At the same 
time Ambagee-Durgum and Chit- 
tum-Cotha submitted to a detach- 
ment under Captain Read. 
The following enterprize afford- 
ed a more ample field for the dis- 
play 
