TIPPOO ATTACKS TRAVANCORE. 81 



the more imperfect barrier of a wall and ditch covering its 

 whole frontier. Tippoo, however, had fixed his eyes with 

 intense eagerness on the conquest of a territory winch lay, 

 as it were, enclosed within his recent acquisitions, and would 

 complete their circuit. He contrived several grounds of 

 dissatisfaction. The territory of Cochin, which had now 

 been reduced under complete vassalage to Mysore, hap- 

 pened so to intersect that of Travancore, that the wall formed 

 for the defence of the one enclosed some portions of the 

 other ; and Tippoo could complain that his passage to a cer- 

 tain part of his dominions was obstructed by this barrier. 

 The Rajah of Travancore again, with the view of securing 

 his frontier, had purchased from the Dutch the forts of 

 Cranganor and Ayacotta, which the latter had long ago 

 conquered from the Portuguese. This measure was deeply 

 resented by Tippoo, who remarked that these forts stood 

 within his territories, and alleged, though seemingly with- 

 out reason, that the Dutch had owned his superiority, and 

 paid a rent for the land. Lastly, the refugee nayrs, Hying 

 from his persecution, had found a friendly reception in Tra- 

 vancore. On these or any other grounds the sultan would 

 not have been slow to execute his purpose, had it not been 

 checked by a defensive alliance formed during the last war 

 between the rajah and the English. It was therefore neces- 

 sary to afford explanations to the government at Madras, 

 who seem to have felt the utmost disposition to preserve pa- 

 cific relations with Mysore. They professed themselves 

 ready to listen to all reasonable grounds of complaint, and 

 proposed sending two commissioners to examine, and en- 

 deavour to adjust the matters in dispute. This did not har- 

 monize with the design of Tippoo, who hastened with his 

 whole force to attack the weak barrier of the Travancore 

 lines. The extent of such a fortification necessarily ren- 

 dered it inefficient ; and accordingly, on the 29th Decem- 

 ber, 1789, while a numerous body, comprising apparently 

 the whole army, by a feigned attack on the principal gate, 

 occupied the attention of the inhabitants, Tippoo, with up- 

 wards of 14,000 men, the flower of his troops, had effected 

 his entrance at an unguarded point on the right flank. Ho 

 then pushed along the interior of the rampart to reach the 

 nearest entrance and open it to his men. For some time his 

 progress was almost unresisted ; the inhabitants retreating 



