Page:History of India Vol 4.djvu/251

Rh tracted siege of eleven months, the place fell into the hands of the Imperial army, the quantities of grain, oil, and the like, which remained after some thousands of men had been fed during the siege, seemed as if the stores had never been touched. The stores of ammunition were such that thousands of mans were left, although the quantity consumed had been enormous, since throughout the siege a constant firing had been kept up night and day, with object and without object, so that in the dark nights of the rainy season no man dared to raise his head, and even a demon would not move about.

There were also large chambers full of powder. There were no springs of water in the fortress; but there were two or three immense reservoirs, in which rain water was collected and stored from year to year, and which amply sufficed for the requirements of the garrison. In the dwelling of each officer of importance there was a separate reservoir, containing a sufficient supply of pure water for his household. Nor had all this preparation been made for the occasion; it had been kept up from the founding of the fortress. The rulers of the country had incessantly cared for the strengthening and provisioning of the fort, more especially as regarded artillery. The revenues of several sub-districts were specially and separately assigned to keep up the supply of artillery, so that the officers of the department had independent sources for maintaining its efficiency. The population in the fortress was like that of a city, for it was full of men of every kind. After the surrender