Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/76

the voice of order was lost amongst this affrighted multitude, of which every one pressing to be first embarked, the boats were filled with more than they could carry, and several were overset. Most of those who had crowded into them were drowned, and such as floated with the tide to the shore, were either made prisoners or massacred; for the enemy had taken possession of all the houses and inclosures along the banks of the river, from which stations they shot fire-arrows into the ship and vessels, in hopes of burning them. None of the garrison who had embarked with the English women had returned to the shore, and their fright being much increased by the fire-arrows, they, without orders from the governor, removed the ship 'from her station before the fort to Govindpore, three miles lower down the river; on which all the other vessels weighed their anchors likewise, and followed the ship; and to increase the evil effects of their retreat, it happened at the very time when the detachments from the fort were obliged to abandon the adjacent houses: in this hour of trepidation many of the English militia, seeing the vessels under sail, were terrified with the apprehension of losing this opportunity of escaping, and quitted the shore. The governor, utterly unexperienced in military affairs, had hitherto shewn no aversion to expose his person wherever his presence was necessary. He had early in the morning visited the ramparts; and after the retreat of the detachments from the houses, when an alarm was given that the enemy were endeavouring to force their way through the gate of palisadoes in the wall between the southern bastion and the line of guns, had repaired thither, and ordered two field-pieces to be pointed towards the gate; but found none willing to obey him. Soon after, a man came and whispered to him, that all the gun-powder remaining in the magazines was damp and unfit for service; although dismayed by this information, he refrained from divulging it, and endeavoured to reduce the confusion which prevailed every where till ten o'clock; when preceiving that only two boats remained at the wharf, in one of which several of his acquaintance were preparing to escape, the dread of being exposed to the resentment of Surajah Dowlah, who