of 28 December 1808, the force attacked the palace, overwhelmed the Indian guards and domestics, but due to the warning of a native domestic, the resident and Kunju Krishna Menon managed to flee to a frigate, HMS Piedmontese, which was anchored in Cochin harbour. Simultaneously, the rebels attacked the British garrison at Quilon on 30 December 1808 but were repulsed. Unhappy with the failure to capture or kill the Resident as well as the failure in Quilon, Velu Thampi moved south from Cochin and on 11 January 1809 (1st Makaram 984 M.E.), Velu Thampi issued his famous Kundara Proclamation in which he exhorted the nation to throw out the British. He organised another force to attack the British garrison at Quilon and the Battle of Quilon took place on 15 January 1809 in which Velu Thampi's force lost 15 guns and suffered casualties. Velu Thampi sent a part of his force to launch an amphibious attack on the British garrison at Cochin which was defended by Major Hewitt. On 18 January 1809, the rebel forces at Quilon were totally defeated when they attempted to capture the garrison. On 19 January 1809, the British army, supported by HMS Piedmontese together with boats owned by Paliyath Achan's many rivals and enemies amongst the Cochin nobility, successfully repelled an attack on the Cochin garrison. On 30 January 1809, a small force of 3 military officers and 30 European soldiers were captured and executed on the Dalawa's orders at Purakkad, even though one of the officers, Surgeon Hume, had treated Velu Thampi in the past. A sick lady who was a member of this party was permitted to travel unharmed to Cochin, since it was contrary to the laws of Travancore to kill women. In the aftermath of the battle at Quilon, Velu Thampi moved to the southern border of Travancore to bolster the defence at Aramboly pass located at Aralvaimozhi. The two mile long fortifications there were guarded by masonry walls and had around 50 artillery pieces covering the road from Palayamkottai. On 6 February 1809, a force under Hon. Col. St. Leger marched from Tiruchirappalli and reached the fortified lines at Aramboly. On the morning of 10 February 1809, the British attacked the flanks of the line from the southern mountain and Velu Thampi fled from Aramboly. The British forces moved into the interior of Travancore on 17 February, meeting up with