Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/66

60 part of the cannon, flung the rest into the river. But the next day they were attacked by a detachment of 2000 men, sent from Hughley, who stormed the fort, drove them to their boats, and then began to fire, with their matchlocks and two small fieldpieces, on the vessels, which endeavoured in vain with their cannon and musketry to dislodge them. The next day a reinforcement of 30 soldiers were sent from Calcutta but the cannonade having made no impression, they and the vessels returned to the town. On the 13th, likewise, a letter was intercepted, written to Omichund, by the Nabob's head spy, advising, him to send his effects out of the reach of danger as soon as possible: which confirming the suspicions that were already entertained of Omichund's conduct, he was immediately apprehended, and put under strict confinement in the fort; and a guard of twenty men was placed in his house, that his effects might not be clandestinely removed. His brother in law, Hazarimull, who had the chief management of his affairs, concealed himself in the apartments of the women, until the next day; when the guard, endeavouring to take him, were resisted by the whole body of Omichund's peons, and armed domestics, amounting to 300: several were wounded on both sides before the fray ended; during which, the head of the peons, who was an Indian of a high cast, set fire to the house, and, in order to save the women of the family from the dishonour of being exposed to strangers, entered their apartments, and killed, it is said, thirteen of them with his own hand; after which, he stabbed himself, but contrary to his intention, not mortally. At the same time, Kissendass was brought into the fort by another detachment. Mean while the Nabob advanced with such uncommon diligence, that many of his troops died of fatigue, and many were killed by the sun, which at this season struck perpendicular on their heads: on the 15th day of June, the 7th of their march, they arrived at Hughley, from whence they crossed the river in a vast fleet of boats, many of which had accompanied the army from Muxadavad, and the