Page 296 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

1

296 EARLY ENGLISH ADVENTURERS
IN THE EAST

the evacuation of Hooghly the English headquarters
had been temporarily established at Sutanuti, a spot
which to-day constitutes the northern quarter of Calcutta.
This position was now abandoned for one lower down the
river on the island of Iiijili which was thought to offer a
better prospect of making a successful stand. Here Char-
nock concentrated his forces, using the fort which he had
seized from the Mogul garrison as his new headquarters.
When all possible protective measures had been taken there
was a good deal of room left for anxiety. The fort was a
flimsy structure standing amidst a grove of trees and
situated some five hundred yards from the nearest land­
ing-place, the defence of which had to be entrusted to a
specially constructed battery. Altogether only 420 soldiers
were available for garrison purposes, though the Beaufort, 1
one of the largest ships of the fleet, with its frigate were at
hand to render valuable aid in preventing communication
between the island and the mainland, and two other
ships of the fleet were at Balasor with a considerable
additional contingent.
It was at the latter place that the first serious move in
the new campaign was made. A force of one hundred and
seventy men landed from the ships attacked and captured
the Mogul fort which commanded the river, and the next
day marched to the town of Balasor, which they sacked
and fired. The English rounded off their operations by
seizing two Mogul ships which, inopportunely for their
owners, came into port. The only incident to cloud a
brilliant piece of work was the surprise and capture of a
boat’s crew of seventeen who had incautiously gone too
far up the river. Of the entire crew only one escaped.
The heads of several of the less fortunate subsequently

—