Page:History of the French in India.djvu/499

 THE ATTACK ON CHANDRANAGAR. 473 side the fort were directed. In this operation an artil- C xi ? " lery officer named Terraneau co-operated. ^— v— The English force, numbering 700 Europeans and 1757. 1,500 natives, marched from Haurah on March 7, 150 artillerymen with their guns following in boats, escorted by Admiral Watson's fleet.* On the 14th Clive came with his little force in sight of Chandranagar. Avoid- ing the batteries in front of the western and southern faces, he took possession of the high road on its north- ern side, and then changing direction towards the fort, occupied the houses on the north-west, the French skirmishers retiring, as he approached, to a battery on the road commanded by the north-west bastion. From the houses he kept up all night a strong fire, which compelled the French to evacute the battery and retire within the fort. The abandonment of this battery necessitated the abandonment of all the batteries, except those on the river face. The following day the English strengthened their position in the houses, suffering but little from the fire of the fort. On the 16th, the guns were landed, and for the next five days a mutual can- nonade was kept up, on the whole to the advantage of the garrison, the fire from whose heavy guns told with tremendous effect on the brick-built houses which the English had improvised as batteries. It was not, however, Renault well knew, on the shore that the fate of Chandranagar was to be decided. Could he but beat off those powerful men-of-war, who were making their way slowly and cautiously through the in- tricate channels of the HugH, he would care but little for all the efforts of the English troops on the mainland. He could at least hope that the Subadar, — to whom he had sent a pressing appeal for assistance, and part of whose army was then marching towards the town of M The Kent," 64 guns, Capt. Speke; Knowler, and other smaller vessels. "The Tiger," 60 guns, Capt. Latham;
 * This fleet was composed of— " The Salisbury," 60 suns, Capt.