nduce
him to persuade the Admiral to suspend operations. Watson, who had already
summoned the fort to surrender, let them know that he would not wait very
long. They were taken to view the ship with its tiers of heavy guns, and,
as a grim hint of what might be expected, he presented Toolajee's friends
with a thirty-two pound shot as they left the ship.

At half-past one in the afternoon, the flag of truce having returned with
the Governor's refusal to surrender, signal was made to weigh, and the
whole fleet stood into the harbour in three divisions, led by the
_Kingsfisher_, sloop, and the _Bridgewater_. The inner line, nearest to
the fort was formed by the line-of-battle ships and the _Protector_: the
Company's grabs and bombketches, with the _Guardian_, formed the second
line, while the gallivats and small vessels formed a third, outer line. As
the _Kingsfisher_ came opposite the fort, a shot was fired at her. The
signal was made to engage, and as each ship reached its station it came to
an anchor, the inner line being within musket-shot of the fort. Across the
mouth of the river, Toolajee's grabs were drawn up, among them being the
_Restoration_, the capture of which, six years before, had caused so much
heart-burning in Bombay. As the heavy shot and shell came pouring in from
over one hundred and fifty guns at close range, the Gheriah defenders
manfully strove to repay the same with interest. But so terrific was the
fire brought to bear on them, that it was impossible for them to lay their
guns properly. In that February afternoon many a cruel outrage was
expiated under that hail of iron. After two hours' firing, a shell set the
_Restoration_ on fire; it spread to the grabs, and before long the Angrian
fleet,[3] that had been the terror of the coast for half a century, was in
a blaze. The boats were ordered out, and, as evening came on, Clive was
put on shore with the troops, and took up a position a mile and a half
from the fort. The Mahrattas joined him, and Toolajee, from whom the
Peishwa's people had extorted a promise to surrender the fort, found means
to send a letter into the place, warning his brother-in-law against
surrender to the English. In the fort all was terror and dismay, though
the Governor manfully did his duty. From the burning shipping the flames
spread to the bazaars and warehouses. All night the bombketches threw in
shells, while the conflagration continued. One square tower in the fort
burned w