The six companies continued the voyage, and arrived in September at the Prince of Wales's Island, called also Penang, or Betel Nut Island, situated off the west coast of the Malay peninsula, from which it is separated by a narrow strait. At this place a large fleet was assembled, with a numerous body of troops, from the Presidencies of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay, for the expedition against Luconan and the other Philippine islands; the Prince of Wales's Island having been selected for the rendezvous of the forces to be employed in this enterprise. The prospect of the services of the troops being speedily required in more important military operations on the continent of India, occasioned orders to be issued for their immediate return. Towards the end of September, the 'Express' sloop arrived with despatches from Madras, and in a few days afterwards the six companies of the TWELFTH sailed from the Prince of Wales's Island. They encountered contrary winds, and it being found impossible for the transports to contend against the north-west monsoon, the TWELFTH returned to the island in October. They again sailed for Madras on the 15th of November, and landed at Fort George on the 12th of December; during their absence the other four companies of the regiment had exchanged a few shots with a French squadron, which had appeared in Madras-roads, and succeeded in driving an Indiaman on shore under the works of the fort. [Sidenote: 1798] Among the various schemes of aggrandizement entertained by the republican government of France, was the wild and extravagant idea of being able to gain possession of the British territory in the East Indies. To strike an effectual blow at the naval, commercial, and colonial greatness of the British nation, was an object of primary consideration with the French directory, and to excite the jealousy of the native princes of India, and induce them to take up arms against the English, was one of the means used to accomplish this object. In the ruler of the fruitful province of Mysore, the celebrated Tippoo Sultan, the French found a chieftain eager to seize on the first opportunity for being revenged on the British, who had punished his former aggressions by depriving him of a considerable portion of territory, and inflicting a fine equal to three and a half millions sterling. This chief entered zealously into the design to drive the English out of India, and endeavoured to induce other princes to join in the enterprise. After the discovery of the designs of the enemy, hostilities were delayed some time, and the TWELFTH regiment marched for Tanjore, the capital of a well-cultivated province in the Carnatic, where it arrived on the 1st of March, 1798.