Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/466

442 obliquely the opening of the path from the south: a spacious gateway at the bottom of the steps fronted the lane between. The black troops, exclusive of those which Major Calliaud had left at Chinglapet, were 2200 horse, and 2500 Sepoys; but the Europeans were only 103, 12 of whom were artillery-men, and 10 with Vasserot, troopers; the other 80 were musketry, including officers; the artillery were six three-pounders. Of the Sepoys, those from the garrison of Chinglapet, and 700 of Mahomed Issoofs might be relied on; but little dependant could be placed on the rest, and less on the cavalry. In this conviction, Calliaud determined to risk little in the plain, but to defend the whole village of the Mount, which afforded excellent stations. The plain to the north, behind the second row of enclosures, required few precautions, because the ground, being laid out in rice fields, precluded the approach of cannon, and the use of cavalry. But, if the enemy should get possession of Carvalho's garden, they might soon penetrate into all the other enclosures of the second row along the lane when the first row, attacked from this in the rear, and in front by another division of the enemy from the plain on the south, could not be long maintained. Calliaud therefore considered Carvalho's garden as the decisive post, and stationed in it 60 of the European musketry with four of the field-pieces. The two other field-pieces, with the 20 other European firelocks, and 300 Sepoys, were posted at the swamyhouse; the inlets of this post were barricaded, and the walls of the mud houses were lowered to parapets for the musketry, and where necessary still lower for the field-pieces, but time and means were wanting to enclose them either with a ditch or palisades. Seventeen hundred Sepoys were distributed in the gardens of the front row facing the south, but the greatest part in Lawrence's to the east, and a communication was prepared between all these enclosures by openings in the walls of separation. The remaining 500 Sepoys were stationed to defend the inlets to the upper end of the lane, at the foot of the Mount; some in the two houses there, others on the steps, others at the gate, and others in different parts of the rock itself. The black cavalry had encamped along the north