Page:History of the French in India.djvu/260

 238 FKENCH I^DIA AT ITS ZENITH. chap, his French. Such an offer was gladly accepted, and, at the head of his gallant countrymen, d'Auteuil advanced 1749. boldly to the assault. The Nawwab's guns, however, were so well served by the Europeans in his service, that the assailants fell back with some loss. Indignant at this, d'Auteuil rallied his men, and led them himself, notwithstanding a heavy fire, up to the foot of the in- trenchment. The breastwork was even mounted by some of them, but in the crisis of the attack, d'Auteuil was wounded in the thigh, and, in the confusion that followed, his men lost order and retreated. The com- mand then devolved upon M. de Bussy,* and the troops, encouraged by him and the other officers, eagerly called to be led on for the third time. This determination on their part disheartened the defenders, many of whom had already fallen. Even had they stood more firm, however, they could scarcely have resisted the im- petuosity of the charge. Led on by the gallant Bussy, the French reserved their fire till close to the intrench- raents ; then delivering a volley, they dashed over the breastwork, and the day was their own. Having lost this defence, the native portion of Anwaru-din's army made but little resistance. Followed by the troops of Chanda Sahib and by that leader in person, the French pushed on. It was in vain that Anwaru-din, himself a very old man,f made the most gallant efforts to restore the fight. In the very act of singling out Chanda Sahib for a hand to hand encounter, he was shot through the heart by an African soldier. A general disorder fol- lowed ; the defeat became a rout ; Mafauz Khan sur- rendered himself a prisoner, and the second son, Muham- mad Ali, saved himself by an early flight. The camp, the baggage, sixty elephants, many horses, and all the artillery fell into the hands of the victors. But their de Bussy-Castelnau, who will occupy 107 years, but they probably exag- a very prominent place in this his- erate. tory. He was born in 1718.
 * Charles-Joseph Patissier, Marquis f The native chronicles assign him