HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



225 



linn and stores, and many guns 

 were found in the fortress, together 

 with tumbrils containing treasure, to 

 the value of twenty-tour lacks of ru- 

 pees.* By this important conquest, 

 tiiat of Delhi, and of Mathura, one 

 of the great proposed olyects of ge- 

 neral Lake's operations was com- 

 pletely obtained, namely, of securing 

 the navigation of the river Jumna, 

 by a line of ])osts along its banks, 

 and the co-operation and alliance 

 of the independent chieftains in that 

 quarter. 



The attention of the commander 

 in chief was now directed towards 

 the pursuit of a force of the enemy, 

 composed of ] 5 of M. Perron's re- 

 gular battalions, (those which form- 

 ed the detacliiiient under M. Doder- 

 naiguc) and of two which had es- 

 ca])ed from the battle of Delhi, with 

 a niuucrous and well-appointed train 

 of artillery. This powerful body, 

 during tJie siege of Agra, occiijiied 

 a position about 30 miles in the rear 

 of the British army, and it was now 

 supposed that its object was to at- 

 tempt the recovery of the important 

 post of Delhi. To frustrate tliis 

 design, and to destroy so formidable 

 a force, gen:_'ral Lake moved from 

 -Agra on the 27th of October, and 

 on the ^^(h, took up his ground on 

 tile north-west of Futtypore Sikree. 

 On the 30th, the army made a march 

 of twenty miles, leaving their guns 

 and baggage behind, properly pro- 

 tected, in order to gain u])on the 

 enemy. On the nevt day, another 

 march of 20 miles was made, and the 

 *ommander in chief encamped near- 

 ly on the ground which the enemy 

 had quitted in the morning. Ani- 

 mated to the greatest exertion by 



this intelligence, the pursuit became 

 now much more eager, and gene- 

 ral Lake determined to push on the 

 whole of the cavalry, in the hope 

 of delajing tlie enemy by a light 

 engagement, until the British in- 

 fantry should come up ; and also to 

 take advantage of any confusion 

 M lu'ch might arise in the attack up- 

 on the enemy's guns and baggage. 

 With thefie views, the commander 

 in chief, with the cavalry, proceeded 

 in the pursuit at 12 o'clock the same 

 night, and having marched a distance 

 of 25 miles in little more than six 

 hours, came up with the enemy 

 about seven o'clock the following 

 morning, whose force amounted to 

 about nine thousand regidar infan- 

 try, seventy. two guns, and from 

 four to five thousand horse. Prc- 

 ^ionsly to this extraordinary march, 

 the infantry were ordered to follow 

 at three o'clock in the morning. 



Vv'hon. the British troops reached 

 the enemy, the latter appeared to be 

 retreating in such confusion, that 

 general Lake was induced to try the 

 eifecl of an attack witii cavalry 

 alone. The enemy, however, whose 

 operations were concealed by the 

 clouds of dust, raised by the move- 

 ment of so large a bodv of horse, 

 succeeded in preventing for a period 

 its rapid advance, by cutting through 

 a large reservoir of water, and thus 

 rendering the road nearl^ impassa- 

 ble. Li consequence of which de- 

 lay, they were enabled to take up a 

 most advantageous position, having 

 their right in front of the village of 

 Laswaree, and thrown back upon a 

 rivulet, whose banks wore steep and 

 difiicult of access ; their left apon the 

 village of Mohaulpore, and iheir 



About 280,0001. the well-earned reward of tb? activity and courage of the 



army 



Q3 



vrbole 



