the rock assaulted rose at an angle of thirty-five degrees, and was defended by seven ramparts rising above each other, including that of the pettah, which was first stormed and carried by Captain Scott of the Bengal army, with four battalion companies of the 52nd and 72nd regiments, and his own battalion of Sepoys. The lower fort was carried so rapidly that the Killadar sent to request a parley; and while this took place, an appearance of treachery was observed in the upper works, the garrison being busily employed in moving guns and bringing them to bear on the assailants.
Exasperated at this sight, and impatient of the delay, the troops again rushed on to the assault; while the artillery officers were ordered as fast as one wall should be carried, to point the guns over the heads of the assailants against the next wall in succession, for the purpose of keeping down the fire of the garrison. Lieutenant McInnis, of the 72nd regiment, led the storm, with part of the Europeans, and the pioneers, commanded by Lieutenants Dowse and McPherson, supported by Captain Scott, who followed in more regular order with the rest of his force. Some of the gates were burst open by the pioneers, but most of the ramparts were carried by escalade; till having passed five or six different walls, which defended this steep and difficult rock, the troops at length gained the summit.
The astonishment and confusion of the enemy were so great that their fire, though heavy, was for the most part thrown away, and as soon as a single European was seen above any of the walls they fled precipitately. The Killadar was made prisoner, and many of the garrison killed: many more, terrified at sight of the European bayonets, threw themselves down from the rock, thus blindly rushing on one mode of death in their anxiety to escape another. The total number of wounded in the English detachment was very small; and, like Savindroog, Ootradroog was carried without the loss of a single life.
