Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/322

314 doubtedly was Mr. Astruc: it might have been much more, had the Tanjorines exerted themselves as they were ordered. Of the English about 40 Europeans were killed and wounded.

This action was decided entirely by the musketry; for the English artillery were not brought into the engagement; and the French cannon were ill pointed, and irresolutely served, even before the conflict became hot and general; after which the event could not remain long in suspence between two bodies of men, whose dead fell within 20 yards of each other. There are few instances of a victory in which the sagacity and spirit of the general, as well as the resolution of the troops, are more to be admired. The French themselves confessed that they had no suspicion of the intentions to attack them; nor did chance interfere to substract from the merit of this success: for major Lawrence, before he quitted his camp at the French rock, had predicted most of the events which concurred to produce it. The Nabob's standard was now planted in the enemy's camp; and the English flag, displayed on the top of the sugar-loaf rock, proclaimed the triumph of their arms to the country several miles round.

The Tanjorines, elated to excess, although they had contributed nothing more than their appearance in the field to gain the victory, proposed, immediately after the battle, to follow the enemy, and betsiege them in Seringham; but major Lawrence paying no attention to this rhodomontade, moved with the army in the evening to lay siege to Weycondah.

This place, now a fort, was originally nothing more than a pagoda and choultry, situated at the top of a rock about 30 feet high. The rock was afterwards inclosed by a square stone wall, carried up as high as the top of the rock itself, and built thick enough to afford a rampart about five feet in breadth, besides a slender parapet, which has loop-holes to fire through: on the western side is a gateway, of which the top communicates with the rampart on either hand: the enemy's garrison consisted chiefly of Sepoys. A watercourse served instead of a trench to shelter the English troops; who having cut embrasures through the bank about 400 yards from the wall, battered it with two eighteen pounders, and at the same time threw shells from a mortar and two cohorns. By the next evening the wall was