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 CuAP. II.] MADRAS BESIEGED AND TAKEN. 41 o

tlie town proper, or Fort St. George. It formed a parallelogram about 400 yards long from north to south, and 100 yards broad. It was inclosed by a slender wall, and defended by foui' bastions and batteries of defective construction.

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FoBT St. George, Madras, 1754 — From a print l)y Van Ryiie, Royal Librarj', British Museum.

T^iere were no outworks. Within tiie inclosure were an Enoli.sh and a Roman Catholic church, the factory and buildings connected with it, and about fifty good house-s, occupied by English, or other Europeans under then- protection. Their whole number did not exceed 300. Of these 200 were the soldiers of the garrison. Few of the common men and only two or three of the officers had ever seen service.

As the danger which threatened the settlement must have been foreseen, it is Ma<haa be

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impo.ssible to exculpate the authorities from the charge of gross negligence in taken not providing better against it. If they trusted to the promise of the nabob to interfere for their protection, as he had for that of the French, they were soon made aware of the folly of leaning on such a broken reed. Their application to him was disregarded, either because Dupleix had previously gained his ear, or they were too parsimonious to make a liberal use of the only means which could have rendered it effectual ; and Labourdomiais, after completing his preparations without interruption, cast anchor on the l+th of September, about four leagues south of Madras, with nine ships and two bomb- vessels. On board were 2900 European marinere and soldiers, 400 Africans, 400 Indian natives, and all the artillery and stores nece&sary for tlie siege. The soldiei-s being immediately landed began to advance along the shore, while the fleet proceeded to take up its station as near Madras as it could safely approach.

The foi-t alone being capable of any resistance, Labom'donnais naturally The f..rt directed his attack against it, and having erected a battery of nine mortars, on an open space to the west, at the distance of 500 j-ards, connnenced the bombard- ment. Defence was never seriously contemplated ; but innuediate siuTender was delayed in the hope that the English squadron might make its appearance. Its ap[)roach was at one time actually rumoun^d, and spread such consternation