Page 143 - INDIANNAVYV1

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. Ill ;

mand by De Souza Pereira, who repeatedly wrote to the Go-
vernment of Bombay stating the condition of the besieged, and
"
joining his entreaties with those of the " General of the North
—as the Governor of Bassein, Din, Damaun, and Chonl,
residing at Bassein, was styled—that timely snccour might be
afforded them. But the English Governor only sent what he
called, a " handsome excuse." In the meantime, the siege was
carried on with extraordinar}^ vigour, skill, and perseverance
and the ]\[ahrattas sprang twelve or thirteen mines, and made a
practicable breach in one of the bastions. Here their troops
rushed in many times with unwonted fury, and seemed to have
securely established themselves; but they were as often driven
back with great slaughter, and hundreds were blown into the air
by the explosion of one of their own mines. With singular ala-
crity the besieged repaired their defences, but, at length, their
assailants secured a position on the walls from which they
could not be dislodged. Even then the brave Portuguese dis-
puted every inch of ground, until, after a contest of two days,
the commandant, seeing that there was no prospect of aid, that
eight hundred of his best officers and men were slain, his am-
munition exhausted, his surviving troops worn out by con-
tinued fighting, enfeebled from want of provisions, and
dispirited, held out a white flag and offered to capitulate.
Chimnajee Appa rejoiced to possess a city which he had ac-
quired with a loss of no fewer than five thousand men, accord-
ing to his own admission—of twenty-two thousand, according
to reports current at Bombay— offered most favourable terms
to his vanquished foe, and, on the 5tli of May, the articles of
capituhition were signed, and the brave garrison marched out
with the honours of war. De Souza Pereira and the reuiains
of his force proceeded to Bombay, where they were well treated
and maintained by the Governor, and, at length, on the 29th of
September, the remnant of the defenders of Bassein, convoyed
by a squadron of ships of the Bombay ]\Iarine. sailed and
arrived safely at Choul ; but then a fresh series of misfortunes
commenced. For some reason unexplained they were led by
a toilsome march overland, instead of being landed at Goa.
Their fatigues, however, were nearly surmounted, and, on the
loth of November, they were within two hours' march of
Aguada, where they were sure to find security and repose, when^
a hostile army was seen approaching. Kliem Sawunt, ruler of
the state, now known as Sawant Waree, leading three hundred
cavalry and five thousand infantry, attacked with fury their
enfeebled and disorganised ranks, utterly routed them after a
contest of two hours, and slew two hundred men. The English
Commodore, being with his fleet at Goa, beheld the broken
band of fugitives enter their own territory, and the deep com-
miseration "he felt for them fouml expression in his oflicial dis-