Page:History of the French in India.djvu/243

 SIEGE OF PONDICHERY. 221 fidence, that seemed to betoken a certainty on their part chap. of easy victory. Law, who commanded the garrison, allowed them to approach within forty yards of the works 1743. without firing a shot. Then, however, he opened upon them with grapeshot and musketry, making great havoc in their ranks. The English, completely surprised, without scaling ladders, unable to advance and unwilling to retreat, for a short time kept their ground. But as the fire of the enemy continued they became sensible of the folly of a further persistence in attack. They accordingly moved off, but not until they had lost 150 of their number killed and wounded. This success greatly inspirited the French garrison, and restored to its soldiers the confidence which their several repulses at Gudalur had taken from them. They had reason now to hope that a persistent defence at Ariakupum would contribute to save Pondichery. Impressed with this view, they proceeded at once to throw up a battery of heavy guns on the opposite side of the little river, to the north of the fort, by means of which an advancing enemy would be taken in flank and enfiladed. Upon this the English, after one or two failures, erected a battery covered by an intrenchment, to reply to and silence the enemy's fire, and manned it partly by sailors from the fleet. Law, however, resolved to take advantage of the enthusiasm which his recent success had excited amongst his garrison, and moved out of the fort with 60 cavalry and about 150 infantry, under cover of fire from the ramparts. Charging them at the head of his horse, he threw, first the sailors, and immediately afterwards, the regular troops, into disorder, drove them from the intrenchment, and took some prisoners, conspicuous amongst whom was Major Lawrence, whose defence of Fort St. David and Gudalur had given him a reputation which he was soon to raise to a far greater height. Up to this point the French had great reason to con-