Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/69

Book VI. which were the roofs of chambers, formed the top of the ramparts; and windows belonging to these chambers were in several places opened in the curtains: the gateway on the eastern side projected, and mounted five guns, three in front and one on each flank towards the bastions; under the western face, and on the brink of the river, was a line of heavy cannon, mounted in embrasures of solid masonry; and this work was joined to the two western bastions by two slender walls, in each of which was a gate of pallisadoes. In the year 1747, warehouses had been built contiguous to the southern curtain, and projecting on the outside, between the two bastions, rendered them useless to one another; however, the terrasses of these warehouses were strong enough to bear the firing of three pounders which were mounted in barbettbarbette [sic] over a slight parapet.

The houses of the English inhabitants occupied the ground six hundred yards towards the east, and half a mile to the north and south of the fort; but lay scattered in spacious and separate incisures; and several of them overlooked the fort; as did the English church, which stood opposite to the N. E. bastion; under these disadvantages the fort was deemed so little capable of defence, that it was resolved to oppose the enemy in the principal streets and avenues.

Accordingly three batteries, each mounting two eigteeneighteen [sic] pounders, and two field-piecsfield-pieces [sic], were erected: one opposite to the eastern gate of the fort, at the distance of 300 yards, in the principal avenue, which continued in a straight line to the eastward as far as the Morattoe ditch: this battery adjoined on the left to the gateway of an inclosure, in which, at the distance of a few feet, stood a very spacious house of one floor, in which the mayor's court and assizes used to be held. A cross-road passed from N. to E. along the eastern curtain of the fort; but 200 yards N. of it, this road lost sight of the fort, by a short turning towards the river, along the bank of which it continued straight to the N. in a street formed by houses on one side, and the walls of inclosures on the other nearest the river: at the upper end of this street, just beyond the turning, was another battery.