Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/70

64 The third was in the cross-road 300 yards to the south of the tort, but the ground between was clear. Breast-works with pallisadoes were erected in the smaller inlets at a distance, and trenches dug across the more open grounds. Between the north battery and the eastern, or that at the mayor's court house, there were only two inlets, both of which led into a spot lying on the eastern side of the cross-road between the church and a house belonging to Mr. Eyre. But the ground immediately to the south-east of the fort was much more open; and part of this space was occupied by a large inclosure, called The park; the north side of which skirted the principal avenue leading to the eastern battery, the western side extended 200 yards along the side of the cross-road towards the southern battery, and the eastern side skirted one side of a rope-walk about sixty yards broad. Along the other side of this rope-walk stood three English houses, all within effective musket-shot of the eastern battery; which, being erected at the north-east angle of the park, might, by turning a gun to the south, scour the whole length of this rope-walk, but could not so well command the entrance into a small lane, which led into the farther end of the rope-walk from the south-east. This pass was of consequence; for the enemy might from hence proceed to the south wall of the park, and then continue along it without interruption to several houses, which extended along the cross-road, almost from the south-west angle of the park to the backside of the southern battery, which stood 100 yards farther on in the cross road: about 200 yards east of this battery, and about the same distance to the south of the lane last mentioned, lay another passage which gave inlet into a large opening, south of the park; from whence the enemy might with even more facility penetrate to the same houses commanding the southern battery. Both these passes were therefore carefully secured. Immediately in front of the southern battery the road was arched over a deep and miry gully, which continued to the river; but, as this battery was thought less tenable than either of the other two, another was erected 200 yards behind it, across the same road, and within 100 of the fort, about the midway of the western side of the park-wall.