CORNWALLIS OPENS THE CAMPAIGN 89 



support at Madras, and therefore decided upon bravincr all 

 the difficulties presented by the fortress of Bangalore, and 

 the bleak region in which it is situated. 



On the 5th February the governor-general began his 

 march, and on the 11th passed through Vellore towards 

 Amboor, as if he had meant to ascend the mountains by 

 some one of the passes directly opposite to Madras. Tip- 

 poo, meantime, was lingering near Pondicherry, in hopes 

 of concluding his French negotiation, and being thereby 

 reinforced by six thousand troops. He trusted, too, that 

 with his light cavalry he might reach the passes towards 

 which the English were advancing, in time to place himself 

 in their front. Cornwallis, however, suddenly wheeled to 

 the right, and by a circuitous march of four days attained 

 the pass of Mooglee, where he found neither fear nor prep- 

 aration on the part of the enemy. In a similar period he 

 entered without resistance the high plain of Mysore, and 

 was now>in the heart of the sultan's country. This able 

 movement, with which the commander-in-chief opened his 

 career, struck his antagonist with consternation, and in- 

 spired the most favourable anticipations as to the manner 

 in which the campaign would be conducted. 



Tippoo, taken completely by surprise, hastened to the 

 defence of his dominions ; but he acted on no decided or 

 effective manner. He lost a considerable time in superin- 

 tending personally the removal of his harem from Bangalore ; 

 and, notwithstanding several attempts to harass the Eng- 

 lish, scarcely opposed an obstacle to their taking ground 

 before that stronghold, which they did on the 5th of March, 

 1791. The siege was immediately begun with the utmost 

 vigour, but, at the same time, under peculiar disadvantages. 

 The fortress was too extensive to be invested ; operations 

 were therefore carried on solely by breach and battery ; the 

 garrison received all the reinforcements and supplies of 

 whieh they stood in need ; while Tippoo, with the whole 

 of his brave and active army, well skilled in desultory war- 

 fare, hovered round, making continual efforts to support the 

 besieged, and to annoy their assailants. Yet the only se- 

 rious disaster which the latter experienced was occasioned 

 by the too forward valour of Colonel Floyd, when despatched 

 with the cavalry to cover a reconnoissance. Being about to 

 retire, he saw the eneinv's rear in a position peculiarly ex- 



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