His troop made a good appearance enough, when in company with those of the Nabob of Arcot, but he could not but feel that they looked a motley body by the side of the trained native and European troops; and he was frequently angered by hearing the jeering comments of English soldiers to each other, when he rode past them with his troop; and had not a little astonished the speakers, more than once, by turning round on his horse, and abusing them hotly in their own language.
He was, therefore, glad to be off.

For such work, his men were far better fitted than were even the native cavalry in the Company's service.

They were stout, active fellows, accustomed to the hills, and speaking the dialect used by the shepherds and villagers among the ghauts.
Proceeding northward through Vellore, he there divided his force into four bodies.

He himself, with fifty men, took up a position at the mouth of the pass of Amboor.

Another fifty were sent to the pass of Moognee, to the west of Chittoor, under the command of Anwar, the captain of the troop.