Lives of the Lindsays, or, A memoir of the House of Crawford and Balcarres > Volume 4

HON. JAMES LINDSAY'S NARRATIVE.
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I. The government of Madras at this period (the arrival
of the 73d,) was lulled into the most fatal and supine
security, and affected to treat the reports of Hyder's
hostile intentions as without foundation, he being too
wise a prince to attempt to cope with so superior a
force ; with these impressions the army had, some time
before this, been broken up and distributed in the dif-
ferent garrisons throughout their extensive country, it
being considered an unjustifiable expense keeping them
together. At this period, the governor of Madras sent
an embassy to Hyder, the real purport of which be-
ing never published to the world, it told much to the
disadvantage of the governor. Hyder treated the am-
bassador [Mr. Gray] with the most pointed contempt,
and after the first interview, ordered him immediately
to return ; and it is a well known fact that after this
transaction he immediately began to collect his troops
together. Reports therefore on all sides prevailed, that