Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/317

Book IX. and shells of the enemy, that they could barely return the same number of guns; and the encreasing want of powder left none to spare against the shot from Cuddalore, and the two guns on the bank of the river of Bandapollam. The enemy's bombs had likewise ruined the reservoirs and the only well of good water in the fort, and that in the ditch was too brackish to be drunk. All hopes were now turned to the squadron; the garrison knew by letters, which had escaped the enemy, of the success of the late engagement, and no conjectures could account for the long delay of their return. Mr. Pocock, as soon as he anchored off Sadrass on the 29th of April, dispatched a boat with advices to Madrass, and requested, that all the recovered seamen in the hospital, and as may Lascars as could be spared, might be sent to restore the loss which had been sustained. About 100 of each were sent the next day, the Lascars by land, the seamen in massoolas. It was six days before they got on board; and on the 7th of May the squadron weighed; but, proving after three days trial, that they could not advance against the wind and current by working in shore, they put to sea, and in fifteen days got to the windward of Fort St. David, into the latitude of 9. 30.; but the wind at this time rose so strong from the west, that the Cumberland could not bear up against it, without encreasing her leaks so much, that it became necessary to let her drive; and as the other ships were obliged to keep her company, the squadron, instead of reaching Fort St. David, fell to leeward as far as Alamparvah, where they anchored on the 26th of May. Here they obtained no intelligence, for the place belonged to the French, who suffered no boats to go off, and those belonging to ships cannot land through the surf. The wind having abated, the squadron weighed anchor again the same day, and plied to the southward with the land and sea breezes, which were so faint, that they only gained four leagues in two days, when on the 28th they discovered the French squadron at anchor in the road of Pondicherry, which had remained there ever since their arrival, waiting the recovery of their sick and wounded, of which conditions, but principally of their sick, near a thousand were incapable of duty. The