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356 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.

diately returned. The walls and towers did not exhibit any
very decided traces of the efficiency of this day's cannonade.
The firing had terminated for the day, the men had been
relieved, silence reigned in the batteries, the night was very
dark, and the picket, as usual, on the alert. About one, a dark
object, like a large black dog, was seen creeping along on all
fours, several similar objects following. The advanced pickets
were instantly cut down ; all was hurry, shout, and bustle. The
trenches were filling with a large party of Arabs, engaged in a
close contest with our men, who were speared and stabbed in a
twinkling. Already the Arabs had succeded in dragging away
a howitzer in triumph. The alarm spread like wildfire through
the trenches. A part of the 65th Foot, under Major Warren,
instantly advanced in double quick time, attacked the assailants,
drove them out of the trenches, and recaptured the howitzer.
A desperate conflict ensued; tlie Arabs fought like furies, but
they were soon bayoneted ; nearly all of them, ninety in number,
were found lying in the trenches. They had divested them-
selves of their upper garments to facilitate their onset, and if
we mistake not, their bodies seemed anointed with oil.
"It being found that our 12 and 18-pounders produced but a
slight impression on the walls and towers, while the enemy
availed themselves of our own shot to annoy us greatly, as they
fitted exactly the calibre of their guns, it was resolved that
several 24-pounders should be erected as a breaching battery.
Two 24-pounders were accordingly landed, with considerable
exertion, from the ' Liverpool,' and had to be dragged a long way
through heavy deep sand. The battery was erected nearer the
town, and a party of seamen and marines, under the command
of Lieutenant Mills, was landed to work the guns. Lieutenant
Campbell, of the ' Liverpool,' commanded the whole of the
seamen on shore. The 24-pounders opened on the 8th with
marked effect, and the walls and towers appeared to shake and
totter under the force of the shot. The enemy tried to make
use of our cannon-balls, but found that they were too bulky
for their guns, and were therefore under the necessity of having
recourse to their own stone and grape shot.*
* Here the gallant officer interpolates tlie following amusing anecdote, so pecu-
liarly characteristic of " Jack Ashore :"— " Towards the afternoon of the 8th,
and during the hottest of the cannonade, a bullock and a white cock were descried
close under the wall of the town, exposed to the showers of shot from our bat-
teries, from wliich they remained \mharmed. The attention of several of the
men was called to these objects, What a fine mess they would make !' sliouted
'
one of the sailors, with an expletive to which we would ratiier not give currency.
' Bill, I say, you bear a hand with me in towing them things out.' Over the
ti'cnches both of them vaulted, and scampered away at a slapping pace towards
the ramjiai'ts, heedless of the balls plunging around them. We slackened our
fire as speedily as possible ; the men in the trenches cheering and exulting in
the boldness of the entei^jrise. Tlie Arabs crowded on the walls, firing their
matchlocks with steady aim at the two fellows as one ot the sailoi-s coolly drove
the animal towards us, whilst the other, after a sharp chase, captured the cock.