Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/672

 638 IIISTOIIY OF INDIA. [Book !li.

AD. 1700. Tlie Maliiiitta eliiel' was too cautions and wily to c(jJuiiiit liinisfclf at once, aii convert the hlockade of Pondicherry into a

iiient of tlie

natives. regular siege, and on the IGth of November a vessel laden with all the neces- sary stores arrived from Madras. Lally, seeing these preparations, could no longer consent to postpone the execution of the proposal he had made more than a month before, and turned out of the gates tlie whole of the natives, with the exception of a few retained as domestics, to the number of 1 400, of both sexes and all ages. They made their way to the boundary hedge, hoj>ing they would be permitted to pass, but it was only to meet with treatment more ruth- less than that of their expulsion. The British outposts drove them back ; and they gathered in despair at the foot of the glaci.s, imploring re-admi.ssion. When it was refused, some attempted to clamber over into the covered way, and were fired upon and killed. Seven days the wi-etched .survivors kept wandering between the town and the British posts without shelter, and with no food except the roots of grass which they picked up. The guilt of this honid inhu- manity was shared both by besiegers and besieged, but by no means in an equal degree. Lally could plead necessity for what he had done ; Coote could plead nothing but the advantage which he might gain by an act of horrid inhumanit}'.

Adisastniis Foiu" ricoclict battcrles, intended only to hai'ass the garrison by a cro.ss fire of ricochet shot along the streets and ramparts, were opened near midnight ot the 8tli of December, and continued their fire at intervals durins: the six following days. It did very little execution, and was scarcely worth the ammunition expended upon it, though it certainly had the effect of increasing tlie fatigue of the garrison when very little able to bear it. They had been put on an allowance of a pound of rice a day, with a little meat at intervals ; but even this limited consumption so much exceeded some casual supplies by sea, that by the end of December the public store did not contain provision for more than three days. At this time, however, they derived some relief from an unexpected quarter. On the very last day of the year 1 760, while the British squadron, in all twelve sail, were riding in Pondicheny Koad, a sudden hurricane arose. Six of the vessels foundered, or were driven ashore, and no fewer than 1000 Europeans belonging to them perished. The disasters were not confined to the sea. All the tents and temporary caserns of the camp were blown to pieces ; the ammunition brought out for immediate u.se was destroj'ed ; and the sea breaking over the beach, and ovei"flowing the whole tract as far as the boundary hedge, ruined all the batteries and redoubts w^hich the army had raised

Gloomy The inhabitants of Pondicherry, when the sun rose clear the next morning

prosjiects at

roii.iicherry. and sliowcd them the general devastation, regarded it as a deliverance from Heaven. Had only 300 men been able to march out three hours after daylight, they would not have found 1 00 of the besiegers together to resist them. This, however, was impossible. Though the garrison had suffered little, they could