'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎517] (536/622)

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landed an
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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
517
A correspondent of the " Bombay Gazette " says <fi It was
a marvel that the garrison had so long sustained the terrible
fire poured into the place. The body of the chief, who must
have fallen soon after the recommencement of hostilities, was
found amid heaps of dead. The walls, which are amazingly
strong, are earthworks, of from 18 to 40 feet thick and
30 to 40 feet high/' During the bombardment, the 'Ferooz'
alone fired one thousand four hundred rounds of shot and
shell. In the unsuccessful attempt to assault the fort, the
troops lost Lieutenant McCormack and thirteen men of H.M.'s
28th Eegiment, and Ensign Wlllaume and nine men of the
6th Native Infantry, killed; also two officers and thirty-three
men of the 28th. ten men of the 6th, and two of the Marine
Battalion, wounded. On the capture of the fort the Sappers
were employed in levelling it with the ground.
Captain Nasmyth, Field Engineer of the Okhamundal Field
Force, gives the following particulars of the strength of the
walls of the fort at Beyt, and of the length of the ladders which, it
was incorrectly said, were too short for scaling purposes:—" The
height of the wall to the top of the parapet on the face selected
for escalade, varied from 19^ to 21 feet, and at the extreme end
24 feet; there was a hole at the point chosen, knocked through
the parapet at 17 feet from the ground, and a gap beyond it at
16 feet from the ground. The ladders, as they were carried
forward, were as follows;—Two pieces, 36 feet long; two ditto,
27 ditto; four ditto, 24|- ditto."
Where all behaved well it is, perhaps, invidious to par
ticularise, but we should fail in our duty were we to omit all
mention of the conspicuous gallantry displayed by the Second-
Lieutenant of the 4 Zenobia.' Mr. Gr. C. Parker commanded on
the occasion the field-piece party from his ship, and landed
with the troops. The enemy's fire was very heavy, and
Lieutenant Parker received a wound, but continued to direct his
men; a second bullet smashed the hilt of his sword. He was
specially thanked by Colonel Donovan, in a despatch addressed
to Captain Cruttenden, and the latter officer wrote:— 6< The
gallantry and coolness with which Mr. Parker worked his
gun, under a heavy and very destructive fire, was most con
spicuous, and excited the admiration of all, and, moreover, was
most useful in covering the withdrawal of the troops after the
first fruitless attempt to take the place by escalade."^
The 4 Zenobia' arrived at Bombay with the wounded officers
and men on the 11th of October, and returned on the 14th, to
take part in the reduction of Dwarka, for which a second
# On the abolition of tlie Service, Lieutenant Parker was appointed Assistant-
Superintendent and Post Officer at Carwar, and since June, 1873, has filled
the office of Master-Attendant at
ailes, I.N.
Kurrachee, in succession to Commander E.
Iliiiiiiiit.
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