Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/477

Book X. which the firing ceased. At the same time, the enemy's guard in their battery on the the crest of the glacis, which for some days had only been used as a lodgment for musketry, perceived and fired upon a party of Sepoys who were levelling the rubbish at the foot of the demi bastion, which had been beat down by the cannonade of the day. One of the Sepoys was killed, on which the rest ran away, and no other of these troops could be prevailed upon to continue the work, which was however completed by a party of Europeans. A six-pounder in the fascine battery was disabled by one of the enemy's shot. The casualties in the 24 hours, were one Coffree and one Sepoy killed, and one of each, with two Europeans, wounded, and Lieutenant Hopkins lost his right arm by a cannon shot. Two letters were received this day from Major Calliaud, dated the 11th and 13th, advising his intention to make a forced march from Chinglapet, with the troops under his command, in hopes of surprising the fort of Sadrass, of which the French continued in possession; and requesting that money and ammunition might be sent to him there, in consequence of which the Cuddalore sloop was immediately dispatched with 300 three-pound shot, and 20,000 pagodas in money. This sum completed 70,000, which had been sent out of the fort, since invested, for the supply of the army abroad. Much more remained in the Company's treasury, which was indebted for this affluence to the remittances from their acquisitions in Bengal; but, had this source failed, the wealth of individuals collected within the fort would have been much more than sufficient to have answered all the expences incurred for its defence. Very different were the faculties and finances of the enemy. The treasury of the government at Pondicherry was exhausted, and individuals from their distrust and detestation of Mr. Lally would lend none to forward the public cause, although their own; and from violence and mismanagement, the countries which had been reduced, and were the whole extent between Devi Cotah, Arcot, and Madrass, had furnished neither revenues or other means adequate to the wants and consumption of the enemy's army employed in the siege, where the pay of the common soldiers was at this time six weeks in arrear, and