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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 329
made this measure more advisable. When prepared to advance
into the town, an attack was commenced on some of the most
commanding buildings, by effecting lodgments in the adjacent
ones, supported b}' the fire of field-pieces, and the cross fire of the
gunboats, but, formidable as this nature of attack appeared,
the obstinate defence showed that progress by this mode would
be most tedious. In Kas-ul-Khymah, as in most Eastern
towns, the huts of the poor are intermingled with the houses of
the rich, presenting a most motley appeararance, the former
being constructed with kajan, (the small branches of the date
tree closely interwoven), and the latter of large whitish bricks,
which, at a little distance, have the appearance of good stone.
Most of the larger houses now became separate fortifications,
but this circumstance was turned to their destruction for, by
;
setting fire to the huts, and the wind blowing along the town
from the point at which the landing was eft'ected, the houses
became enveloped in flames, and the Joasmis were gradually
smoked out of their positions. The most obstinate and gallant
resistance was made, howev^er, by the defenders of some of
these buildings. In one instance, a large house was defended
even after the British had scaled the roof and had droi)i)ed
several hand grenades into it, through holes worked with
their bayonets, when at last its defenders rushed out and matle
a gallant, though vain, attempt to cut their way through the
troops that surrounded it.
It was two in the afternoon before the British troops had
worked their way to the centre of the town, where was situated
the palace of the Sheikh or Governor. It was expected that a
desi)erate effort would have been made here by the enemy to
rally, but, finding the compact order of the British not to be
shaken, and the fire of their artiller}^ most destructive, they
were soon dislodged from it. The height of this buihling, and
of its tower, gave such a command over its neighbom-hood,
that the enemy found any further steady resistance vain ; they
still, however, defended the north end of the town, wliile the
inhabitants effected their escape across the harbour in boats,
which it was not the wish of the commanders to prevent.
By four o'clock the seamen of the squadron had set firo to
upwards of fifty vessels, thirty of them being very large war
dhows;* the guns of some of these were loaded, and many of
the dhows, and of the houses, had depots of ginipowdi-r, the
explosion of which, with the general conflagration in the town
and harbour, added to the scene of desolation and misery
attendant on a town taken by assault, and presented a striking
picture. Ras-ul-Khymah was I'ound to contain goods of very
considerable value, and, to judge from appearances, so comj)Iete
had been the confidence of the enemy in themselves, that
* Captain Wainwright'a despatch of the Itth of ^'ovoInbcr, 1809