POLITICAL HISTORY.
They naturally hesitated about doing so, and unwisely further exasperated Fakír-ulláh by acknowledging the claims of a rival candidate for the post of Seer Lascar. At length, on the 8th December 1710, Fakír-ulláh came to enforce his demand and encamped on the sand-hill north of the town with 7,000 foot and 800 horse (other accounts say 3,500 and 500, respectively) and the next night fired into the factory^s outposts. The garrison, however, returned the fire and obliged the enemy to turn the siege into a blockade.
Captain Hamilton, who was there at the time, gives a description 1[1] of the defence. The garrison at first numbered only nineteen Europeans, 20 topasses (Portuguese) and 280 natives, most of the last of whom were fishermen. They fortified the low rocks between the sand-hills and the factory, drew Captain Hamilton's ship within pistol-shot of the shore,placed eight minion guns to scour the sands in case the enemy tried to come that way, and held out for six weeks until reinforcements from Madras, which included twelve guns and some soldiers under Lieutenant Dixon (afterwards killed during the operations), at length arrived. Captain Hamilton then left, but the blockade went on for three months more until the end of April. Fakír-ulláh erected new batteries on the sand-hill and the Dolphin's Nose headland (which even then went by that name) and the factory sent urgent appeals to Madras for lead and stores to maintain the defence and for 'more shells for our mortar, and if possible another mortar and shells, and also shells for the cohorns and great and small granados, with shot, iron and stone of all sorts and sizes, and for God's sake fresh provisions.' At last the Company paid the 20,000 pagodas demanded and the siege was raised.
Captain Hamilton says, however, that the Seer Lascar tried soon afterwards to take the place by surprise: —
He came into the Town one Day with 100 Horse, and some Foot, without advertising of his coming, as was usual, at the Town-gate, and before the Chief could have Notice, he was got into the Factory, with twenty or thirty of his Attendants. The Alarm being given, a resolute bold young Gentleman, a Factor in the Company's Service, called Mr. Richard Horden, came running down Stairs, with his Fuzee in his Hand, and his Bayonet screwed on its Muzzle and, presenting it to the Nabob's Breast, told him in the Gentow Language, (which he was Master of) that the Nabob was welcome, but if any of his Attendants offered the least Incivility, his Life should answer for it.
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- ↑ 1 New account of the East Indies (1744), i, 375-81.
