Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/226

218 very day to the pagodas on the island. Chunda-saheb strenuously opposed this resolution, for which indeed there appeared no necessity; but finding that he could not prevail on Mr. Law to alter it, he gave orders for his own troops to cross the river likewise. The retreat, as is usual when measures have not been previously concerted, was made with so much precipitation, that his army had time to transport only a part of their baggage, but none of the vast quantity of provisions with which they had stored their magazines; these they therefore set fire to. The French carrying off their artillery, abandoned all their posts excepting Elimiserum, and before the next morning the whole army was on the island, where Mr. Law took up his quarters in the pagoda of Jumbakistna; of Chunda-saheb's troops some went into the pagoda of Seringham, others encamped under the northern wall, and the rest extended farther eastward along the bank of the Coleroon.

The next day, captain Dalton was sent with the company of grenadiers, some Morattoes and Sepoys, to attack Elimiserum: the party had with them two pieces of cannon and a mortar, the transporting of which through bad roads prevented them from arriving near the place before night, when captain Dalton with two others advanced to reconnoitre. Discovering no centinels, and finding the gate of the wall which surrounds the foot of the rock open, they concluded that the place was abandoned, and entering, began to ascend the steps which led to the pagoda on the summit; but before they got there, the enemy, alarmed by the neighing of the horses, ran to their guns and fired upon the detachment, which they discovered, first by the light of their matches, and soon after by the blaze of some huts to which the Morattoes, as is there custom, had set fire. The smoke of the guns, and the darkness of the night, enabled captain Dalton and his companions to retreat unperceived; and as soon as he rejoined the detachment, he sent some men to lodge themselves under cover of a bank before the lower gate, where they were directed to remain until morning, in order to prevent the enemy from making their escape. But this party, desirous of signalizing themselves, imprudently exceeded their orders, and entering the lower gate, ran up the steps, and endeavoured to force the doors of the pagoda above;