's
armed vessels commanded by captain Watson, who sailed on the ninth
of February. On the fifteenth they were landed at a place called
Dentiloury, about nine miles from Surat; and here they were encamped for
refreshment: in two days he advanced against the French garden, in which
a considerable number of the sidee's men were posted, and drove them
from thence after a very obstinate dispute. Then he erected a battery,
from which he battered the wall in breach: but this method appearing
tedious, he called a council of war, composed of the land and
sea-officers, and laid before them the plan of a general attack, which
was accordingly executed next morning. The company's grab, and the
bomb-ketches, being warped up the river in the night, were ranged in
a line of battle opposite to the Bundar, which was the strongest
fortification that the enemy possessed; and under the fire of these the
troops being landed, took the Bundar by assault. The outward town being
thus gained, he forthwith began to bombard the inner town and castle
with such fury, that next morning they both surrendered, on condition
of being allowed to inarch out with their effects; and captain Maitland
took possession without further dispute. Meah Atchund was continued
governor of Surat, and Pharass Cawn was appointed naib. The artillery
and ammunition found in the castle were secured for the company, until
the mogul's pleasure was known; and in a little time a phirmaund, or
grant, arrived from Delhi, appointing the English company admiral to the
mogul; so that the ships and stores belonged to them of course, as part
of the tanka; and they were now declared legal possessors of the
castle. This conquest, which cost about two hundred men, including
a few officers, was achieved with such expedition, that captain Watson
returned to Bombay by the ninth day of April.

The main body of the English forces, which had been centered at Madras,
for the preservation of that important settlement, took the field after
the siege was raised, and possessed themselves of Conjeveram, a place
of great consequence; which, with the fort of Schengelpel, commanded
all the adjacent country, and secured the British possessions to the
northward. M. Lally, sensible of the importance of the post, took the
same route in order to dislodge them; but finding all his attempts
ineffectual, he retired towards Wandewash, where his troops were put
into quarters of cantonment. No other operations ensu