Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/413

Book X. amounted to 1758 men. The Sepoys were 2220. Of the Europeans 24 were troopers mounted. The Nabob's horse were, 200; but, from experience, very little service was expected from them. The European inhabitants not military were 150 men, and they were appropriated without distinction to serve out stores and provisions to the garrison. The native boatmen, who alone can ply across the surf, had been retained by special encouragements, and their huts, with their massoolas or boats, extended under the wall next the sea, where it was supposed not a shot was likely to fall. The Nabob, with his family and attendants, had come into the fort on the day that the army retreated from the Mount; but although lodged in one of the best houses, were much straitened for want of the room and conveniences to which they had been accustomed.

The French army continued on the other side of the Triplicane river during the day they arrived from the Mount, and all the next; but at two in the morning of the 14th were in motion, and having passed the river where the English had crossed, proceeded at the back of Egmore to the village of Viparee, which is about a mile to the north-west of that post, and from whence a good road leads nearly west to the northern part of the black town. Parts of the ancient bound hedge, and the ruins of some guard-houses, still remained along the north and west sides of the black town; and, with the channel of the northern river, rendered the greatest part of the western side very defensible: but on the side facing the north, were many gaps, too open to be maintained. The army, having advanced to the ford across which the road from Viparee leads into the town fired their field-pieces before them, which the guards returned with their musketry, but the Sepoys only with one fire, and then ran away. The Europeans, nevertheless, defended the ford, and several other accesses on either hand, until they perceived that several parties of the enemy had entered on the north side; when all retreated as fast as they could to the fort, and none were Intercepted. In the skirmishes, three of them had been killed; but of the enemy, eleven Soon after, the whole of the French army appeared