Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/423

Book V. the entrance of a large harbour, which forms the mouth of a river descending from the Balagat mountains. The promontory projects to the south-west, on the right of the harbour as you enter; it is on the sides contiguous to the water inclosed by a continued rock about fifty feet high, on which are built the fortifications. These are a double wall with round towers, the inward wall rising several feet above the outward. The neck of land by which the promontory joins to the continent, is a narrow sand, beyond which, where the ground begins to expand itself, is built a large open town or pettah, for the habitation of such persons whose attendance is not constantly required in the fort. The river directing its course to the south-west washes the north sides of the town, of the neck of land, and of the promontory; on the neck of land are the docks in which the grabs are built and repaired, from whence they are launched into the river: ten of them, amongst which was that taken from the company, were now lying in the river, all tied together, almost opposite to the docks.

Angria, on the appearance of the fleet, was so terrified that he left his town to be defended by his brother, and went and put himself into the hands of the Morattoes, who having crossed the river at some distance from the sea, were already encamped to the eastward of the pettah. Here he endeavoured to prevail on Rama-gee Punt to accept of a ransom for his fort, offering a large sum of money if he would divert the storm that was ready to break upon him: but the Morattoe availing himself of his fear, kept him a prisoner, and extorted from him an order, directing his brother to deliver the fortress to the Morattoes, intending if he could get possession of it in this clandestine manner, to exclude his allies the English from any share of the plunder.

The admiral receiving intelligence of these porceedings, sent a summons to the fort on the morning after his arrival, and receiving no answer, ordered the ships to weigh in the afternoon as soon as the sea-wind set in: they proceeded in two divisions, parallel to each other, the larger covering the bomb ketches and smaller vessels from the fire of the fort: as soon as they had passed the point of the promontory, they stood into the river, and anchoring along the north side of the fortifications, began, at the distance of fifty yards, to batter