Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/641

 Chap. XL] THE SIEGE OF MADRAS. 607

inendation to take the advice of Colonel Lawrence on all occasions. After all ..d irss. the outposts were called in, the whole force available for the defence of Madras amounted to 1758 Europeans and 2220 sepoys. Besides these, 300 horse, on whom little dependence could be placed, accompanied the nabob, who took refuge in the fort when the encampment at St. Thom^ was abandoned. The besiegers numbered 2700 Europeans and 4000 native troops. Of the former, 300 were cavalry, excellently mounted and disciplined, and, according to Orme, " the greatest number which had hitherto appeared together in India. '

The details of the siege possess little interest. The Black To^vn not admit- Tiie siege, ting of effectual defence, the French gained easy possession of it, and immedi- ately began to pillage. Among other things they discovered a large quantity of arrack, in which the common soldiers indulged so freely, that, according to the i-eport of some spies, most of them were unfit for duty. This report suggested to Colonel Draper the probable success of a sally. He was authorized to attempt it, and about midnight marched out of the western ravelin at the head of 500 picked men. So careless were the enemy, that they reached a main street of the Black Town without being discovered, and would probably have gained a decided advantage had not the driunmers of the detachment, who were mostly black boys, suddenly, of tlieir own accord, beat the gi-enadiers' march, and been followed by a general huzza from the whole line. Thus put upon their guard, the enemy succeeded, after a short struggle, in repairing the effects of the sui-i)rise, and very nearly cut off the retreat of the attacking party. Several blunders, perhaps unavoidable in the darkness, were committed on both sides, but the result on

II

Black Town, Madras. —From Daoieli's Oriental Scenery.

the whole was to give the besiegers an unfavourable impression of the courage Mit.uii and discipline of the gan-ison — an impression, indeed, so unfavom-able, that one of the most experienced of the French officers proposed a general assault, and volunteered to lead the principal attack himself The propo.sal, in which there was probably more bravado than seriousness, was not entertained, and the erec- tion of batteries was immediately commenced. A few days' experience within