Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/309

Book IX. falling continually to leeward obliged the others to abide by her; so that, before the morning when they came to an anchor in shore, they were a league to the north of Sadrass, and 35 miles to the south of Pondicherry, off of which the engagement began. The French squadron had suffered so much less aloft, that they anchored at 10 at night in the road of Alamparva, 15 miles to windward of the English. The Bien Aimé during the fight had the slings of her sheet anchor shot away, which dropping, run out the cable, which was immediately cut; another shot unperceived had grazed the upper coil of the cable bent to the best bower, with which the ship came to anchor at Alamparva, but on the first strain this cable parted; a small anchor was immediately dropped, but would not hold; there was no other ready; and before the sails could be set, the ship was driven into the surf, and stranded without the possibility of recovery; but all the men were saved, and afterwards most of the cannon and stores.

The first hour of Mr. Lally's arrival at Pondicherry was distinguished by the excessive vivacity of his character. Before the night closed, 1000 Europeans and as many Sepoys were on their march to Fort St. David, commanded by the Count D'Estaign, who landed with him: but such was the hurry to be in motion, that they proceeded without provisions, and their guides led them astray, and brought them into the bounds over the plain to the west, where they did not arrive until seven in the morning: the guard at the redoubt of Chimundelum retreated before them to the garden-house, where was another; and both together retired to the fort, after five or six were killed. They were followed almost to the glacis with so much presumption, that seven or eight of the enemy were killed by the cannon from the ramparts, of which indeed abundance were fired on their appearance. Nevertheless, many prest by hunger remained ransacking the houses near the esplanade for immediate victuals; on which two companies of Sepoys under the command of an European officer were sent against them from the fort, who fired away all their ammunition at too great a distance to do or receive any harm. Several smaller parties of Sepoys were likewise detached