Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/445

Book X. covered-way, and destroyed whatsoever implements they found: this attack lasted 20 minutes, by which time the enemy had gathered, and were advancing in much superior numbers, from the retrenchment; upon which the party was recalled, and retreated, giving and receiving fire. A serjeant with three grenadiers were killed; six others of the soldiers, with Captain Black, who commanded the sally, and Lieutenant Fitzpatrick, were wounded. The enemy's artillery bore most on the royal and demi bastions; their mortars falling on the works wounded many more than usual. The total loss, including that in the sallies, was eight Europeans and three Sepoys killed, and 17 Europeans with 13 Sepoys wounded.

The enemy's sap being advanced to the east flank of the coveredway threatened immediate danger by surprize on the east face of the fort, to which the sea-gate gave the fairest opening; for the embrasures in the north flank of the battery before it had been ruined by the enemy's shot which had missed or flown over the N. E. bastion and fascine battery; and the gateway itself was a spacious arch shut occasionally with folding doors; so that, should the enemy ever make a general assault on the ruined works to the north, a party sent at the same time along the surf, or even in boats, might force their way through the gate with petards; and this party might pass without much interruption; for the fascine battery which barricaded the beach was nearly demolished. The whole of the working party of the night was therefore allotted to remedy these defects, and before morning they repaired the fascine battery, restored the embrasures of the battery before the sea-gate, bricked up the arch of the gateway, and opened a small gate on the left hand, which had been closed. In the succeeding nights the workmen began and continued the intended ditch with palisadoes round the sea-gate battery, which had hitherto been deferred for services of more immediate necessity. The enemy employed the night with equal diligence, and pushed the sap of their retrenchment from the salient angle 70 yards along the north face of the covered-way, and widened the work in an excavation sufficient to contain cannon and a large detachment of troops: this work, with what was done the night before on