GENERAL COOTE TAKES THE COMiMAND. 65 



were used with the greatest inhumanity, being chained 

 two and two, thrown into dungeons, and fed on the most 

 scanty fare. 



The first advantage that the ruler of Mysore drew from 

 this victory was the reduction of Arcot, which, after a re- 

 spectable defence, surrendered on the 3d November, 1800. 

 He held also in close siege Wandewash, Vellore, Chingle- 

 put, and other important bulwarks of the Carnatic. 



The intelligence of this signal disaster being conveyed 

 to the main seat of government at Calcutta, Mr. Hastings 

 immediately took the most active steps to repair it. Sir 

 Eyre Coote, a veteran officer, enjoying the highest military 

 reputation of any in India, was appointed to the chief com- 

 mand, and sent from Bengal with 560 European troops, 

 while a corps of sepoys prepared to march along the coast 

 as soon as the rainy season should terminate. At the 

 same time the Governor of Madras was suspended, and 

 his place in course supplied by the senior member of coun- 

 cil, who had always opposed his inactive policy ; but the 

 funds for the prosecution of the war were placed in the 

 hands of the new commander-in-chief. 



General Coote, on arriving at Madras, and preparing to 

 take the field, found at his disposal not more than 7000 

 men, of whom 1700 only were Europeans. Yet with this 

 force, so far from fearing, he anxiously desired to encounter 

 in the field the numerous, brave, and well-commanded army 

 of the enemy. What he dreaded was the harassing war- 

 fare carried on by Hyder in a country which he had already 

 converted almost into a desert. The English army, when 

 it left Madras, was like a ship departing on a long voyage, 

 or a caravan preparing to cross the deserts of Arabia. 

 Every thing by which life could be supported was to be 

 carried..along with it ; and the troops, continuing to depend 

 on the capital alone for supply, were in danger of absolute 

 famine. As they moved in a close body through this deso- 

 lated region, never occupying more than the ground which 

 they actually covered, clouds of the enemy's cavalry hovered 

 round them ; who, finding that they did not choose to waste 

 their ammunition on individual objects, even rode up to the 

 line and held an occasional parley. This consisted chiefly 

 in fierce defiances and invitations to single combat. Dallas, 

 an officer of great personal prowess, successfully encoun- 



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