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'A voyage from England to India, in the year 1754, and an historical narrative of the operations of the squadron and army in India, under the command of Vice-Admiral Watson and Colonel Clive, in the years 1755, 1756, 1757 ... Also a journey from Persia to England by an unusual route. With an appendix, containing an account of the diseases prevalent in Admiral Watson's squadron, etc.' [‎100] (137/562)

The record is made up of 1 volume (518 pages). It was created in 1866. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: Printed Collections.

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[ 100 ]
175which lay at their anchors but at a fmall diftance from the fhore, had enter-
—' tained thoughts of making ufe of this interval to refrefti ourfelves alfowith 1 .
an hour or "two of fleep; but fuddenly, a loud and univerfal acclamation
was heard from the fhore, and foon afterwards an account was bronghr to-
the admiral, that the fort had- been taken by ftbrm. This was a joyfuh
piece of news, and the more fo, as it was quite unexpeded but when the
particular circumftances that ufhered in this fuccefs, were related, our ex
ultation was greatly abated, becaufe we found that the rules fo indifpenfably
neceflary in all military exploits, had been entirely difregarded in the prefent.
inftance, and therefore could not help looking upon the perfon, who had 1
the principal hand in this vidory, rather as an objeflof chaftifement, than of
applaufe.—The cafe was this. During the tranquil ftate of the camp,.
one Strah'an, a common failor belonging to the Kent, having been juft
ferved with a quantity of grog, (arrack mixed with water,) had his fpirits
too much elated to think of taking any reft; he therefore ftrayed by himfelf
towards the fort, and imperceptibly got under the walls; being advanced
thus far without interruption, he took it into his head to fcale at a breach
that had been made by the cannon of the fhips; and having luckily gotten
upon the baftion, he there difcovered feveral Moor-men fitting on the
platform, at whom he flouriihed his cutlafs, and fired his piftol, and then, after
having given three loud huzzas, cried out, " ^he place is mine" The Moorijh
foldiers immediately attacked him, and he defended himfelf ; with incom
parable refolution ; but in the rencounter had the misfortune to have the
blade of his cutlafs cut in two about a foot from the hilt: this mifchance
however did not happen, till he was near being fupported by two or three
other failors, who had accidentally ftraggled to the fame part of the fort,
on which the other had mounted. They, hearing Strahan's huzzas, imme
diately fcaled the breach likewife, and echoing the triumphant found,
roufed the whole army, who taking the alarm, prefently fell on pell-mell,
without orders and without difcipline, following the example of the failors.
This attack, though made in fuch confufion, was attended with no other
ill confequence, but the death of the worthy Captain Dougal Campbel, who
was unfortunately killed by a mufket-bullet from one of our own pieces in
the general confufion. Captain Coote commanded the fort for that night,,
and at day-light the fort faluted the admiral. It was never exadtly known
what number ot Moors there were in the fort when our people firft entered:
probably there were but very few,, the major part of the garrifon having made
their efcape foon after their batteries were filenced. We took in the fort
18 cannon from 24 pounders downwards, and 4.0 barrels of powder..
Strahan, the hero of this adventurous a6lion, was foon brought before
the admiral, who, notwithftanding the fuccefs that had attended it, thought
it neceffary to (hew himfelf difpleafed with a meafure in which the want of
all military difcipline fo notorioufly appeared. He therefore angrily
enquired into the defperate flep which he had taken : " Mr. Strahan, what is
this that you have been doing?"—The fellow, after having made his bow,
fcratched

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A voyage from England to India, in the year 1754, and an historical narrative of the operations of the squadron and army in India, under the command of Vice-Admiral Watson and Colonel Clive, in the years 1755, 1756, 1757 ... Also a journey from Persia to England by an unusual route. With an appendix, containing an account of the diseases prevalent in Admiral Watson's squadron, etc.

Publication Details: London : Printed for Edward and Charles Dilly, 1773.

Ownership: With stamps of the India Board and India Board Library.

There are numerous illustrations and two maps in the volume:

  • a copy of a large folded map at the beginning of the volume, 'A Map of India together with a chart of the Indien Seas, to which the operations of Admiral Watson's Squadron were principally confined; and shewing the passages made by Commodore James from Madrass to Bombay in the years 1754 & 1755 ... By Thomas Kitchin, Hydrographer to his Majesty';
  • a map of the route from the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. in Basra to Latakia, Syria, on the Mediterranean Coast 'Mr Ives's Route from Bassora to Latichea.
Extent and format
1 volume (518 pages)
Arrangement

There is a table of content at the beginning of the volume, detailing the arrangement of contents and page references (pages viii-xi) and a 'Table of Coins and Monies' (page xii).

Physical characteristics

Dimensions: 280 mm x 220 mm.

Pagination: initial Roman numeral pagination (i-xii); (1-506).

Condition: there is a large folded map, unfolding can be difficult withouth risk of tears.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'A voyage from England to India, in the year 1754, and an historical narrative of the operations of the squadron and army in India, under the command of Vice-Admiral Watson and Colonel Clive, in the years 1755, 1756, 1757 ... Also a journey from Persia to England by an unusual route. With an appendix, containing an account of the diseases prevalent in Admiral Watson's squadron, etc.' [‎100] (137/562), British Library: Printed Collections, W 4137, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023905682.0x00008a> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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