EASTERN HINDOOST AN. 69 



veteran governor alone flood by his colors when transfixed by 

 a thouland bayonets, he fell as glorioufly as an old Roman, or 

 the immortalized Velafque^.-^ wrapped in the ftandard he died to 

 defend. The Marquis CornwaUis fent to T'ippoo the offer of the 

 honored remains to be interred. T'ippoo nobly replied, that to 

 an old foldier no place could be found fo fit as that on which 

 he breathed his iafl. The interment was accordingly per- 

 formed by the Mujj'cbnen after their own rites. 



Both Pettab and fort were taken in the face of a powerful 

 army, commanded by Tippoo in perfon. He made fome fruitlefs 

 attempts to relieve them. The importance to us was of the firft 

 rate : it became the depot of If ores and provifions, a hofpital for 

 the fick or wounded, and the place through which our reinforce- 

 ments of every kind from the Carnatk were to arrive ; and as 

 it happened unforefeen, became the head quarters during the 

 monfoon, after our inevitable retreat from Seringapatam. The 

 fuccefs at Bangalore infpirited our friends, and depreffed the 

 mind of the enemy ; and, according to perhaps the cuftom of 

 even European nations, occafioned great defection from the 

 neighboring chieftains, who, in India particularly, feldom ad- 

 here long to the declining fide. The Polygars efpecially, who, 

 having no more to fear from the tyrant, poured in fupplies 

 to our army from every part*. 



Bangalore lies, the neareft w^ay, only eighty miles from Se- 

 ringapatam, 'Tippoo''^ capital ; the fall of which was to terminate 

 all our labors : but the march towards it was inevitably delayed 



* Mr. Home. 



for 



