1844.] and final subjugation of the Southern Poligars. 9J 



British government in the year ] 792, he had been treated with 

 consideration, and I believe had nothing then to apprehend? 

 from a retrospect into the origin of his authority- He pos- 

 sessed the reputation of being a man of considerable sagacity, 

 yet, this was much belied by the infatuation that now ; 

 governed his counsels. It must be mostly attributed to that 

 spirit of turbulence and suspicion that seemed innate in •the 

 Poligar character of older days. Besides his traitorous inter- 

 course with the Tinnevelly insurgents, he had actively fomen- 

 ted disturbances in the Ramnad district, and had instigated 

 some leading adherents to beset and threaten the fort of 

 Ramnad, and his proceedings altogether called loudly for the 

 application of that system of reform that had at length hum- 

 bled* the bolder spirits of Tinnevelly to prostration and quiet. 



The detachment moved to Tripoovanum near Madura to 

 disencumber itself of its heavy artillery, and these it was 

 found expedient to move forward to Ramnad, to clear that 

 quarter of disturbance and marauders. It was an object also 

 with Colonel Agnew, to ascertain there under more close en- 

 quiry, whether the eastern approaches to the Murdoo's 

 Citadel (the Pagoda of Caliarcovil situated in the centre of a 

 very deep forest) were of a more practicable nature than the 

 western approaches, which had so seriously baffled our forces 

 in former invasions of the country. In the year 1789 Colonel 

 Stewart of H. M. Service had been sent against the Murdoo, 

 with a large detachment, to reduce him to some submission 

 to the Nabob's government. I believe that this Colonel 

 Stewart, was our Commander-in-Chief of a much later date 

 of that name. In this service he sustained most opposition 

 in his attack on the western barriers, and at a still earlier 

 date, that is in 1772, it was also on record that Colonel 

 Joseph Smith, the contemporary of Lawrence and of Clive, 

 had encountered much difficulty on that side of CaliarcoviL 



On our march from Tripoovanum, and as we approached 

 Tripalchetty, the enemy appeared in great bodies, and one 

 strong party was strongly posted behind a bank flanking our 



