The greater portion of
them, however, had dispersed, plundering over the country, and great
delay was caused before they could be collected. When six hundred of
them had been brought together, Clive determined to wait no longer,
but started at once for Arni.
The delay enabled Riza Sahib, marching down from Vellore, to meet his
reinforcements; and when Clive, after a forced march of twenty miles,
approached Arni, he found the enemy, composed of three hundred French
troops, two thousand five hundred Sepoys, and two thousand horsemen,
with four guns, drawn up before it. Seeing their immense superiority
in numbers, these advanced to the attack.
Clive determined to await them where he stood. The position was an
advantageous one. He occupied a space of open ground, some three
hundred yards in width. On his right flank was a village, on the left
a grove of palm trees. In front of the ground he occupied were rice
fields, which, it being the wet season, were very swampy, and
altogether impracticable for guns. These fields were crossed by a
causeway which led to the village, but as it ran at an angle across
them, those advancing upon it were exposed to the fire of the English
front.
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