Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/598

 5G4

ULSTOHV OF INDIA.

[Book III.

A.I). irr.T.

Defences of

C'liaudei-

nagore.

Clive advances against it.

two pounders, six of leas calibre stood on the terrace of a church within th*- fort. and overlooking its wali.s. The French, on learning the declaration of war, ha/1. as we have seen, endeavoured to ward off the danger to which it exposed them, hy proposing a neutrality, hut, with much more wi.sdora and foresight than had been exhibited at Calcutta, continued in the meanwhile to make the best ase of the time in strengthening their defences. They demolished the buildings within 100 yards of the walls, using the materials to fonn a glaci.s, and began t^) dig a ditch. Neither of these works was completed, but their defects were in some measm-e supplied by batteries without the verge of the glacis, and in positions commanding the principal streets and approaches by land. The aj)proach by water had not been overlooked, for not only had a battery been erected about 150 yards south of the foi-t, to command the narrowe.st part of tlie channel, but a number of vessels had been sunk in it. The garri.son mustered GOO Europeans, of whom only a half were regular troops, and 300 sepoys. Some assistance was also expected from Nuncomar, who was encamped with a body of troops in the vicinity ; but Omichund had succeeded in bribing him not to interfere.

Clive, having been joined by the Bombay reinforcement, commenced ho.stilitie.- on the 14th of March. To avoid four batteries facing the south, he made his approach from the west, along a road leading to the north face of the fort. The French made the most of their position ; and, by means of detachments i)laced in the thickets, continued skirmishing till three in the afternoon, when they retired into a battery under the protection of the north bastion. This pro^^ng un- tenable, in consequence of a fire of musketry kept up from some adjoining houses, they sj^iked the cannon, and retired into the fort. The abandonment ol this battery necessaiily involved that of those to the southward, as they might now be attacked in rear. Their defenders were therefore recalled next morning. All the batteries without the works had thus been rendered useless except the one on the brink of the river. The 15th was employed in effecting a lodg- ment near the southern esplanade, by taking possession of the adjoining houses, under the shelter of which the besiegers suffered little from the fire of the garrison. The 1 6th was employed in bringing up the artillery and stores, and the 1 7th and 18th were chiefly occupied by the besiegers in keeping up a fire of musketr}' from the tops of houses, shelling the fort fi-om a thirteen-inch mortar and some coehorns. No decided progress, however, was made. On the 19th, the ships Kent, Tiger, and Salisbury arrived, after a very difficult navigation, and anchored about a mUe below the fort. The narrow channel in which the ships had been sunk was now the main obstacle, as the ships so long as they remained outside of it could not act with effect. Fortunately it was ascertained by dili- gent soundings, and the information of a deserter, that a practicable passage still remained. It was therefore determined that the effect of a bombardment, by the ships should be forthwith tried. Indeed, every delay was attended with the greatest danger ; for the nabob, on finding that remonstrances had jH-oved