Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/414

390 in the southern parts of the town, where the streets opened upon the esplanade of the fort. The regiment of Lally took up their quarters near the beach of the sea. Lorrain, with the battalion of India, on the rising ground to the west; but both behind buildings which screened them from the fire of the ramparts. A multitude of the natives, with the usual despondency of their character, had remained in their habitations until the last hour, and now came pouring upon the glacis, imploring admittance into the covered way, but were refused, and advised, to make their escape as well as they could in the night; several spies and two or three deserters came mingled amongst them, who reported that the French troops were all employed in ransacking the houses, and that they had discovered several warehouses filled with arrack, with which most of them had already got drunk; and such as were perceived from the town, appeared staggering under their loads and liquor; on which it was resolved to make a strong sally before they should have time to recover themselves. Five hundred of the best men were draughted, and given to the command of Lieutenant-colonel Draper, who suggested the design; and 100 with Major Brereton were to follow a little while after, as a covering party. At eleven o'clock Draper's detachment marched out of the western ravelin; two companies of grenadiers led the line, but the two field-pieces were in the rear. Their way was first, 300 yards straight on to the west, where a bridge crosses a stagnated arm of the river that communicates with the western ditch of the fort. This bridge gives access to and from the black town by the ascent of the rising ground, and is laid pointing to the N. w. the ascent begins almost as soon as you have crossed the bridge, and the road to the top continues about 300 yards in that direction, when it turns into a long street of Indian houses, which runs nearly north and south, and is crossed by several others on either hand. Such was the negligence and security of the French army, that they did not perceive the approach of the detachment, until apprized by a mistake of the English drummers, most of whom being black boys, began to beat the grenadiers march as soon as they entered the street: