Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/199

Book III Delhi, by Aureng-zebe, and said to have been drawn by 1000 yoke of oxen. There were several iron balls belonging to it, each weighing 72 pounds. The cannon was laid on the mound, and loaded with 30 pounds of powder, which was fired by a train carried to a considerable distance on the ground. The shot went through the palace, to the no small terror of Raja-saheb and his principal officers; and as this was the only effect intended, the cannon was fired only once in the day, at the time when the officers assembled at the head-quarters: on the fourth day it burst. The enemy, as if they intended to retaliate this affront, filled up a house, which commanded the eastern gate, with earth well ramm'd down, and upon this base raised a square mound of earth to such a height as commanded not only the gate, but likewise every part within the fort: from hence they intended to fire on the rampart with musketry and two small pieces of cannon. They were suffered to go on with their work until they had compleated it and mounted the cannon, when the garrison began to fire from the reserved 18 pounder, and in less than an hour the mound gave way and tumbled at once with 50 men stationed on it; some of whom were killed and many disabled. Notwithstanding the numbers of the enemy's guards which surrounded the fort, the garrison, by means of able spies, carried on a constant correspondence with Madrass and Fort St. David, where the company's agents were very sollicitous to relieve them, and having received some recruits from Europe, formed a party of 100 Europeans, who with 200 Sepoys, set out from Madrass under the command of lieutenant Innis. Before they had advanced 30 miles in their way to Arcot, they were surrounded in the town of Trivatore by 2000 of Raja-saheb's troops detached with 20 Europeans and two field pieces from the city. The English party having no cannon, were so severely annoyed by the enemy's, that lieutenant Innis, as the only resource, made a push with all his Europeans to drive them from their guns. The attempt succeeded, but not without a sharp contest, in which 20 of the English and two of their officers were killed, and a greater number wounded. This loss deterred the rest from continuing their march, and they retreated to Ponamalee, a fort built by the Moors, and at this time belonging to the company, 15 miles west of Madrass.