Page 294 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

294 EARLY ENGLISH ADVENTURERS IN THE
east
he perceived would require all his resources to deal with.
Unfortunately before these arrived another
reverse had
been sustained in an attempt to capture the enemy’s
battery. The reinforcements, however, speedily changed
the aspect of affairs. A fresh attack on the battery made
by the new arrivals, mider the command of Captain
Arbuthnot, was completely successful. The enemy’s
guns were taken and disabled and sweeping onwards the
victorious contingent penetrated as far as the house of the
Governor who incontinently fled. Subsequently, the town
was bombarded by the ships in the river and sacked by
landing parties sent ashore for that purpose, Before the
hand of the avenger was stayed some sixty of the enemy
Rad been killed, including three men of note and a good
part of the town had been laid in ruins.
The punishment inflicted brought the native officials
reasonable state of mind. Through the Dutch,
to a
who had a settlement in the vicinity, the Governor sued
for peace. His overtures were promptly accepted by Char-
nock, who was glad of the opportunity which the armistice
offered of carrying out a long-formed intention to with­
draw from Hooghly to some convenient and defensible
spot. He at once proceeded to carry out his plans for the
evacuation, but in the absence of proper transport facilities
the operations dragged and it was not until the end of the
year that the last consignment was dispatched and the
Englishmen were able to congratulate themselves on hav-
ing effected a
peaceable and honourable retreat in circum­
stances which promised
ences. an accommodation of all differ-
the eSecTo/tif hlS associates relied a little too much upon
of their masterly turning of the tables upon the