Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/755

Book XIII. the next night 200 Sepoys marched under his guidance. We are not apprized of their track, but suppose they proceeded from the camp and went up on the outside of the mountain to the south, to the enclosure of the outward rock which is 80 feet higher than those beneath. They fixed their ladders, and got over the wall before they were discovered, and seized 8 Europeans, but the rest of the guard escaped to the enclosures below; where all continued very alert until day-light, when an officer came down to capitulate, and demanded very liberal terms; but captain Smith knowing that they were at any time in his power, by sending more men up to the rock above them, refused to accept the surrender, excepting at discretion; to which they consented. They were 42 Europeans, of whom six were officers, and 70 Sepoys. A large stock of provisions was found in the forts of this mountain, by which it was concluded, that those in the two others were equally as well provided; and no enquiry gave hopes that either of these fortresses could be taken by surprize, and still less by open attack. It therefore remained to try if time might produce the success which was not to be expected either from force or fortune.

The same day that the mountain of St. George surrendered to captain Smith, the important fortress of Thiagar capitulated to Major Preston, after a blockade and bombardment of 65 days, during which, above 40 Europeans had deserted to him from the rock, 20 had been killed or died, 25 lay wounded in the hospital, and 114 rank and file, with twelve officers, were in a condition to march, so that the whole number of Europeans which had been shut up were upwards of 200, with 300 Sepoys, and 100 Coffrees; they had provisions for two months longer; and the water, which gave the principal value to the fort, continued as usual in plenty, and of a good quality. Nevertheless, the commanding officer only stipulated that the garrison should receive the same treatment as the troops taken in Pondicherry; according to which the officers were to be sent to Europe upon parole, not to serve again during the present war, and the Europeans of rank and file were to be treated at discretion; and they were sent to be confined with those already in the prisons of