Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/71

Book VI The enemy, as it had been expected, attacked the out-posts on the 18th in the morning. At eight o'clock one of their divisions advanced to the southern battery, and, taking possession of several houses situated on each side of the road beyond it, fired from their matchlocks and from their wall-pieces, an engine of much greater efficacy, carrying a ball of three ounces; the two eighteen pounders, which were mounted on the battery, cannonaded the houses, in order to dislodge them, but without effect.

At break of day, two field-pieces with a platoon of Europeans had been detached from the eastern battery to a slight barricaded work at some distance in the avenue; and 40 buxerries under a good officer had likewise been sent to take post in the inclosure of the gaol, which lay about 100 yards beyond the battery, on the right hand of the avenue: the walls of this inclosure were high, and holes had been struck through to admit the firing of the two field-pieces, in case the enemy should gain their way, and oblige those at the barricade to retreat to the gaol. About nine o'clock, a multitude of some thousands, armed with match and firelocks, advanced from the Morattoe ditch, along the avenue. They were stopped by the quick firing of the two field-pieces, which soon after dispersed them; but they retreated into the thickets on either hand, and, secure under that shelter, kept up an incessant, although irregular, fire on the barricade; nevertheless, the party there maintained their post two hours, when several being killed, and more wounded, the rest retreated, with the field-pieces, to the gaol: at the same time the enemy, instead of advancing along the avenue, proceeded through by-ways, and got possession of the three English houses which stood along the rope-walk, and overlooked the back part of the gaol, on which they fired so warmly from the windows and terrasses, that in a few minutes they killed six buxerries, and wounded four or five Europeans; on which the rest quitted the inclosure, leaving the field-pieces behind, and returned to the battery at the Mayor's Court. The battery to the north was likewise attacked about nine o'clock, but here the enemy did not find the same advantages as at the other two; for the street was narrow, and the inclosures which skirted it