Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/643

Book XII. guns in their faces, but each of the four curtains was covered by a ravelin much more spacious than the bastions, and mounting six. A wet ditch ran between the three curtains to the N. w. and S. and their ravelins; but on the east face the ditch surrounded the ravelin likewise, and dry ground occupied the space between the rear of this ravelin and the east curtain, continuing round the two bastions in an excellent faussebray, from the interior angles of which the ravelin projected. A covered way well palisaded, and a complete glacis, surrounded the whole, nevertheless the exterior extent, measuring across from the foot of the glacis, was in the longest direction, that from E. to w. not more than 200 yards; and the pettah outstretched this face 200 yards on either hand. The garrison had lately destroyed the line of buildings in the pettah, which skirted the esplanade, and had been suffered to rise within 60 yards of the foot of the glacis; but this demolition added only a space of 40 yards to the esplanade, and that not clear; for the rubbish not being yet removed still afforded some shelter.

As soon as the English troops had taken possession of the pettah, Mr. Call, with the pioneers, marched, and took possession of a saluting-battery, which lay near the mouth of the river, where was likewise the flag-staff for the road. The fort fired fiercely as they were passing, but did no harm; and in the night the pioneers began to construct a battery near the river on the esplanade, which was clear quite up to where the river changes from the curve it has made, and strikes straight to the sea: they were not interrupted in their work; neither did the troops in the pettah receive any alarm from the garrison. The next evening a ten-inch mortar was landed, and at ten at night began to bombard Fort Dauphin. The range was exactly gained at the first shell, and only thirteen were fired before £he guard, consisting of 50 men, abandoned it; and, knowing ways of which the English troops were not apprized, gained the fort without interruption. About the same time twelve gunners sent from Pondicherry, who had landed at Tranquebar, got into the fort, notwithstanding a company of marines were looking out for them, who kept too far from the sea-shore, whilst the gunners travelled