Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/480

456 were found carelessly scattered in the trenches. They evacuated St. Thomé, and whatever guards between this place and the fort were withdrawn at the same time that the army left the black town. The garrison, as soon as certified of their departure, sent out parties to the southward and to Egmore, who collected 19 guns more, mostly iron three-pounders: so that the whole number which the, enemy lost and left behind were 52, pieces of cannon. One hundred and fifty barrels of good powder, and as many casks of damaged ammunition, were found in St. Thomé. But the strongest proof of the hurry and confusion with which they raised the siege, was the neglect of their sick and wounded, leaving 44 Europeans, (all who had not been sent away before) in their hospital in the black town, with a letter from Mr. Lally, recommending them to the care of the English governor: they were received and treated with the same attentions as if they had belonged to the garrison, and most of them afterwards recovered.

The fort fired during the siege 26,554 rounds from their cannon, 7,502 shells from their mortars, and threw 1,990 hand-grenades: the musketry expended 200,000 cartridges. In these services were used 1,768 barrels of gunpowder. Thirty pieces of cannon and five mortars had been dismounted on the works. There remained in the fort, artillery sufficient for another siege, with 30,767 cannon-balls, but only 481 shells, and 668 barrels of gunpowder. As many of the enemy's cannon-balls were gathered in their works, or about the defences of the fort, or found in wells and tanks in the black town, as the garrison had expended. The enemy consumed all the shells of the two first rates in the stores of Pondicherry, and threw of all sorts 8000, of which by far the greatest number were directed against the buildings, all of which lay together in half the area within the walls, in the old town to the eastward: and scarce a house remained that was not opened to the heavens. Of the European officers, one major, Polier, two captains, six lieutenants, and four ensigns, were killed: one captain, and one lieutenant died of sickness: 14 other officers were wounded, of whom