et not been able
to interfere in the struggle.

All this time, the governor was hoping that aid would arrive from the
nabob. The latter, indeed, did send a force under Rajah Dulab Ram, but
the governor of Hoogly, bribed by Omichund, sent messages to this
officer urging him to halt, as Chandranagore was about to surrender,
and he would only incur the anger of the English, uselessly.

On the morning of the 23rd, having ascertained that a channel was
free, the fleet advanced. The Tiger, leading, made her way through the
passage and, taking up a position abreast of the northeast bastion of
the fort, opened a heavy fire upon it with her guns, and harassed the
besieged with a musketry fire from her tops. The Kent was on the point
of anchoring opposite the watergate, when so heavy a fire was poured
upon her that, in the confusion, the cable ran out; and the ship
dropped down, till she anchored at a point exposed to a heavy
crossfire from the southeast and southwest bastions. Owing to this
accident, the Salisbury was forced to anchor a hundred and fifty yards
below the fort.

The French fought with extreme bravery. Vastly superior as were the
English force and guns, the French fire was maintained with the
greatest energy and spirit, the gunners being directed and animated by
Monsieur De Vignes, captain of one of the ships which had been sunk.
No advantage was gained by the Tiger, in her struggle with the
northeast bastion, and the guns of the southwest bastion galled the
Kent so severely that the admiral, neglecting the southeast bastion,
was forced to turn the whole of his guns upon it.

De Vignes concentrated his fire against one point in the Kent, and
presently succeeded in setting her on fire. The conflagration spread,
a panic ensued, and some seventy or eighty men jumped into the boats
alongside.

The officers, however, rallied the rest of the crew. The fire was
extinguished, the men returned to their duty, and the cannonade was
recommenced.

After the battle had raged for two hours, the fire of the fort began
to slacken, as one after another of the guns was dismounted. Monsieur
Renault saw that the place could be no longer defended. Of his hundred
and forty-six soldiers, over ninety had been killed and wounded.
Collecting the remainder, and their officers, with twenty Sepoys, the
governor ordered them to leave the fort immediately; making a detour
to avoid the English, who were aiding the fleet by attacking the la