Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/98

92 some mischief might be done with musketry from these balconies, and the loop-holes, which gave light to the winding stairs; but there were no means of employing artillery in the tops, for they were vaulted; nor within, for there were neither floors or landing-places; nevertheless several small pieces of cannon were pointed out of the loop-holes, from a conviction that the enemy would not immediately discern their inutility. Mr. Bussy then informed Jaffier Ally, that if any of his troops entered the city, he would destroy the whole with fire; and this menace stopped his intention; he however stationed an advanced detachment where Candagla had encamped, which was beaten up and dispersed the next night by a party of 50 Europeans and 500 Sepoys. The rains, immediately after, falling again heavier, and lasting longer than before, hindered all enterprizes in the field for a fortnight.

Some months before Mr. Bussy had commissioned the French agents at Surat to levy a body either of Abyssinians or Arabs, whom, as being of more courage and endurance, he intended to discipline as the choicest of his Sepoys. Six hundred had been collected, and were on their march, when Mr. Bussy arrived at Hydrabad, and the enemy hearing of their approach detached Janogee Nimbulear with his 3000 Morratoes to intercept them. The Morratoes met them on the road some miles on this side of Aurungabad, and harrassed them continually for three days; during which they killed fifty one hundred and fifty dispersed, and the remaining four hundred, worn out with fatigue, surrendered; Janogee returned with his prisoners to the camp, and confined them in the fortress of Golcondah, but treated them well. The weather having cleared on the 26th, a detachment with three field-pieces marched in the evening, and at midnight attacked that part of the enemy's camp where they kept their artillery; the multitude of bullocks in this quarter, scared by the firing, encreased the confusion of the troops: the fort of Golcondah took the alarm and fired all its cannon at random; but two of the French field-pieces breaking down, stopped the detachment from pursuing their success,