Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/216

210 was detached the next day to reduce the fort of Sholavanden. It is situated 10 miles north-west of Madura, and, although intended to command the pass, was of little strength; and the garrison of 200 peons abandoned it as soon as Mahomed Issoof appeared; but excessive rains, which raised the river Vigee, prevented him from returning to Secundermally, before the 26th. In this interval, Calliaud received letters from the presidency, advising him of their apprehensions that the French intended to attack Tritchinopoly; with orders to hold himself in readiness to march to its relief on the first notice. By this time, he was likewise convinced, that the reduction of Madura was an enterprize of much more difficulty than had been represented to him, and scarcely feasible without battering cannon, of which he had not brought any from Tritchinopoly; and, excepting the one which Mahomed Issoof himself had deposited in Madura, there was not a single piece in the whole country, of which Europeans would make use. However, not to lose any of the precarious time left him to act, he resolved to attempt the city by surprize. Bamboos were provided, as if for some other service, and no one was suffered to go in or out of the pagoda until the ladders were made. On the night before the 1st of May, all the troops, except a few to guard the baggage and artillery, marched out of the pagoda, and at three in the morning arrived at the watercourse which runs within 300 yards of the western side of the walls.

The inward wall of Madura is 22 feet high, including the parapet, which rises six above the rampart: at the distance of every 100 yards or less (for exact symmetry has not been observed) are square towers. The fausse-bray is 30 feet broad, above which the outward wall rises only five feet, but descending to the bottom of the ditch is 11 on the outside. Midway, between every two towers of the inward wall, is a similar projection in the outward, with loop-holes which command the ditch, and flank the intermediate part of the wall, in which are none: but the whole parapet of the inward wall has loop-holes, so have some of its towers, and the rest embrasures for cannon. The spot chosen to be attacked was the first tower on the left hand of the western gateway, being the only