Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/736

712 act on necessity; and thus in a week after the storm, which had raised such hopes of deliverance in the garrison of Pondicherry, they saw their road again blockaded by eleven sail of the line, and although three of them were only of 50 guns, all were manned above their complements by the addition of the crews which had been saved from the three stranded ships. Their boats continually cruizing, intercepted, or drove away whatsoever embarkations came towards the road with provisions; but several Boats which were launched from the town in the three nights immediately after the storm, favoured by the wind, the current, and the darkness, escaped to the southward. In one of them Mr. Lally sent away Rajahsaheb, the son of Chundasaheb, who, ever since the defeat of Vandiwash, had resided with his family in Pondicherry; he landed at Negapatam, and from thence passed to Ceylon in the character of an elephant merchant.

Every diligence was exerted to restore the works and stations of the army to the condition from which they had been dismantled by the storm. Reports of the Morattoes continued, and the advantages of the present opportunity increased the apprehensions of their attempts to throw provisions into the town. The bound-hedge and its redoubts remained as before a sufficient defence as far as they extended; but the south side of the blockade along the river of Ariancopang was laid open by the ruin of the two batteries on the coco-nut and sand island, and of the star redoubt on the spit of sand over against the bar; which could not he restored in ten days; and the torrent of the river prevented the immediate transport of men and materials to set about the work. Colonel Coote therefore determined, as soon as the river subsided, to surprize St. Thoma's redoubt, which, whilst it remained as at present without opposition on the other shore, would protect the passage'-of what convoys the garrison might expect; but if taken, would preclude their approach even more efficaciously than the posts on this side the blockade which the storm had ruined. The waters fell sufficiently on the 5th, and the detachment intended for the attack, having previously assembled at the Ariancopang redoubt, which stood above at the extremity of