Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/96

90 On the same evening that they took possession of this post, detachments were stationed in two others; the one was a large habitation called Gauchmaul, standing in a spacious and walled enclosure, almost opposite to Charmaul, about 400 yards on the other side of the river Moussi; in this post were lodged 300 Sepoys. The other was an edifice called Daudmul, built on a rising ground very near the western side of Charmaul, which it overlooked. It was an ancient and very singular structure, consisting of two stories of arched masonry, each story disposed in several ranges of arches, and the upper covered by a terrass strong enough to endure the service of cannon. Four twelve-pounders were mounted on this terrass, and the adjoining streets and avenues were barricaded: the guard here besides the artillery men, was 500 Sepoys, with several European officers of experience.

On the 6th of July, the day after the army entered Charmaul, 1000 Sepoys, with all the European cavalry and six field pieces, went out in the evening with intention to beat up the Morratoes in their camp, which continued in its first situation, about seven miles to the west; but they had taken the alarm, and abandoned the camp before the detachment arrived. The next night another detachment with more success beat up one of their parties in a garden on the eastern side of the town. The French troops now took possession of all the magazines in the city which belonged to the government, and likewise carried away all the cannon which were mounted on the walls, not that they wanted artillery, but in order to withdraw them from the enemy. The interval between the ranges of building and the tank in Charmaul was planted with rows of palmira and cocoa-nut trees; which were now cut down; and with them and other materials, scaffolds were erected against various parts of the walls, to serve as stations for musketry.

On the 8th, another detachment with six field-pieces marched out in open day, and cannonaded the whole body of Morratoes, which hovered around for some time, until some of their horses were killed. In the evening, the Morratoes quitted their former ground, and encamped