Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/450

36 men of the regiment, only added to the distress of the garrison; but she had on board 37 chests of silver, and many military stores, amongst them, hand-grenades, and bombs of the largest sizes, of which the garrison were much in need, having nearly expended their stock of these articles. The communication of letters was easy and expeditious, after the ship came to an anchor; and, by the governor's order, she threw out at day break the ensigns of a man of war, and received, as if such, a salute of 13 guns from the fort. At the same time the enemy on shore began to fire upon her with one gun from their neglected battery at the second crochet, and two from the breast-work to the south, near the bar; all the three were twenty-four pounders; and sometimes sent red-hot balls. At three in the afternoon, the Bristol, which had fallen far to leeward, worked up again into the road: whilst drawing nigh, boats with soldiers went off to her from the black town. The Harlem, which had likewise been manned from the shore, bore down at the same time, and the Shaftsbury had got under weigh to change her station, but being intercepted by the Bristol, sustained the engagement under sail for two hours, and then anchored, where directed, as near as the soundings would admit, opposite to the south-east bastion. The other ships anchored likewise, but far out in the offing, and nevertheless continued firing until night. The rigging of the Shaftsbury was much damaged by the fire of the ships, and she received several shot through her hull from the shore: but no one was wounded, except Lieutenant Browne of the regiment, who lost his right arm. Before 10, the massoolas of the garrison landed the sick and the treasure; and it being suspected that the enemy's ships might attempt to board the Shaftsbury with their boats, the governor sent optional orders to Captain Ingliss, either to escape out of the road, maintain his station, or run the ship ashore. The confidence was well placed, and Ingliss determined on the choice of danger. The next day, which was the first of February, she stood the same fire from the shore, some from the Harlem, but none from the Bristol, for this ship had sailed away in the night to Pondicherry; and on the second, none from the Harlem, which anchored far out in the offing; but the fire upon her from the shore still continued.