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encamped on the opposite side of Onore river, threaten the de- 

 struction of every inhabitant who has shewn the least attachment 

 to the British government; should the fort be evacuated, they 

 will obtain possession of all the grain in the Onore district, which 

 I am now purchasing, and laying up in store for the army; which 

 from the quantity sent to Bombay from Mangulore, and lost at 

 Cundapore and other posts abandoned to the enemy, may stand 

 greatly in need of that necessary article before the next harvest. 

 I am not at all apprehensive respecting the safety of Onore; which 

 I will defend with fifty regulars, and the recruits, while we have 

 an army in the field ; but desirous of adopting any measure for 

 the interest of the service, I could wish, gentlemen, that, if pos- 

 sible, all orders from } ? ou may come through the commander in 

 chief of the British army, or the officer eommanding the troops on 

 this side the Ghauts, which shall be immediately obeyed." 



On the 12th of May captain Torriano received intelligence, 

 that Lutopii Ally Beg, a veteran Persian officer in the nabob's 

 service, was on his march to besiege Onore with ten thousand 

 men. In order to give some confidence to a small garrison, the 

 greater part composed of raw recruits, and fugitives from the 

 posts abandoned by the English, they were immediately encamped 

 near the glacis without the fort, and the remains of the cavalry 

 furnished with such arms and furniture as our situation would 

 admit of. On discovering the enem}% captain Torriano, with a 

 party of sepoys, the cavalry, and a one pounder field-piece, ad- 

 vanced towards the hills, while small parties of sepoys were de- 

 tached to different quarters of the village, where some of their 



