'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎225] (244/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
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breach at the Khonee Bhoorj. where his men assisted their more
fortunate comrades in the city. It appears by a letter from
Commander Powell to Commodore Hawkins, that as H.M.'s 32nd
Kegiment were retiring from the Delhi gate, Mr. Heathcote fired
a shrapnel shell from one of the 8-inch howitzers, which cleared
a bastion from which a dense swarm of matchlock-men were
keeping up a biting fire on the retiring troops. By dusk the
whole of Mooltan was in possession of the British, and Moolraj,
after closing the gates of the citadel against three-fourths of
his soldiers, took shelter within its walls, with nearly four
thousand picked men.
General Whish having determined to attack the citadel from
the city side, as well as from the north-east, on the 4th of
January, a brigade of the Bombay Division marched round and
encamped on the north side of the fort, and, communicating by
pickets and patrols with the Bengal Division on the east, and
with a detachment of Edwardes' Irregulars on the west, com
pleted, for the first time, the investment of Mooltan. Moolraj,
seeing the toils closing around him, tried to negotiate for terms
on the 5th and 8th of January; but he was given to under
stand that only an unconditional surrender would be
received.
The batteries were completed and armed as fast as practica
ble, and, on the night of the 6th of January, the Indian Naval
Battery for seven 18-pounders, 46 intended to beat down the
defences from the building called Buhawulhuk to the junction
with the town wall, was commenced, and carried up to the soles
of the embrasures." On the following night this battery was
completed, and four of the guns were in position by daybreak.
On the night of the 8th of January, the battery was completely
armed, the guns being dragged through the trenches by the
sailors, assisted by the working parties, under a fire which,
during the early part of the night, is described as "very
sharp." On the morning of the 9th of January, the battery,
commanded by Lieutenant Berthon, opened fire, a confidential
agent of Moolraj being at the time engaged with General
Whish in seeking for terms for his master. Edwardes says in
his narrative :—"A new battery of seven 18-pounders had just
been opened in our trenches, and played heavily on the fort
during this interview, so that conviction must have reached the
Dewan that his diplomacy was not likely to gain either time or
terms."
^ u About three a.m.," says Major Siddons, "a shell from the
citadel, exploding at the foot of the exterior slope, set fire to the
battery, owing to the peculiar construction; though every endea
vour was made to extinguish it, the fire soon gained the mas
tery, and the guns were with the greatest difficulty withdrawn
and powder saved, by the exertions of the seamen, who were
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