containing 130 barrels of powder, which destroyed an entire company of two native officers and a hundred Sepoys.
But, in spite of the confusion caused by this frightful explosion, our fire was soon renewed and increased. It continued for several days, when so many shot had been fired that a deficiency began to be feared, and a reward was offered by the besiegers for bringing back to the camp the shot previously expended. This expedient, stimulating the activity of the hordes of followers which hover about an Eastern camp, succeeded in producing an abundant and seasonable supply.
The operations of the siege were vigorously pursued till the 5th of April, on which day one of the angles of the upper fort was brought down; and with it came thundering and crushing over the face of the rock one of the enormous pieces of Indian ordnance. Our storming-parties were ready to act, under the eyes of General Doveton and Sir John Malcolm; when, on the 7th of April, Jeswunt Rao Lar, who had consumed nearly all his gunpowder, and lost his chief artillery officer, begged a parley, and agreed to surrender at discretion. On the morning of the 9th a British party accordingly took possession of the upper fort; and the garrison, amounting to 1200 men, chiefly Arab mercenaries, descending into the pettah, grounded their matchlocks in a square of British troops formed for their reception. Few of the besieged had fallen; for the rock and the upper fort towered so high above our batteries, that only shells could reach them with any effect. The total loss of the besiegers, Europeans and natives, was, in killed and wounded, 299 men; and, besides Colonel Eraser, who was killed, ten of our officers were wounded.
On taking possession of the fortress, Sir John Malcolm confidently expected to find Appa Sahib in some part of it; but the Rajah had escaped in the disguise of a fakeer to Burhampore. From thence he proceeded to Lahore, where he took up his residence, receiving a trifling
