'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎354] (373/622)

354 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
rise to fever heat. Perhaps other memories were aroused in the
minds of the more cultivated or thoughtful of the combatants.
These cradle-lands of the human family had, from before the
days of Semiramis, Alexander, and Trajan, witnessed some of
the most momentous and sanguinary struggles known in his
tory, and now, on the same classic ground where Babylonian,
Assyrian, Persian, Greek, and Roman, had struggled for
mastery, for the first time the cannon of Britain roused the
echoes and taught the people that another power from the far
west claimed the heritage of sovereignty, once held by those
mighty nations of antiquity. Before that eventful day had
closed, that great soldier, Sir James Outram, equal to the best
of his predecessors, had " watered the horses" of Britain in
the stream that flowed past the site which tradition has
handed down from countless ages as the home of our first
parents, the Garden of Eden.
All the arrangements being complete, at daylight on the 26th,
the men-of-war, having got steam up, weighed, and proceeded
up to the attack. The following were the ships engaged:—
4 Ferooz/ Commander Rennie, with Commodore Young's broad
pennant at the main ; 4 Semiramis,' Commander Selby, towing
the 4 Clive,' Commander Grieve; 4 Assaye,' Acting-Commander
Adams ; Ajdaha,' Lieutenant Worsley ; 'Victoria,' Lieutenant
Manners, towing the 'Falkland,' Lieutenant Tronson. While
the ships of war proceeded to silence the batteries, the trans
ports, consisting of nearly fifty ships and steamers, remained at
their anchorage. The mortar raft opened fire at daybreak, and
the 8-inch shells were very effective, though, owing to the
distance being over 1,000 yards, the shells from the 5|-inch
mortars fell short. During the five hours the mortars were
playing on the enemy's works, they discharged one hundred and
two shells in and about the forts, being at the rate of one every
three minutes. At six a.m., the 6 Semiramis,' followed by the
'Ajdaha,' 'Clive,' 4 Victoria,' and 'Falkland,' having taken up
the stations allotted them by Commodore Young, within 800
yards of the batteries, opened fire as they came up. Half-an-
hour later the ' Ferooz' and ' Assaye,' passing the south fort,
took up good positions about 300 yards from the north fort,
the strongest work, and began firing 8-inch shell, which were
quickly and hotly returned by the enemy.
After a heavy cannonade had been maintained for more than
an hour, at 7.45 a.m. Commodore Young hoisted the 4 'close"
pennant on board the 4 Ferooz,' when that ship and the
' Assaye' gallantly took up positions within sixty yards of the
earthworks, the other ships being in line astern. The ' Victoria,
Lieutenant Manners, being in advance of the other division,
owing to her light draught of water, took up her station astern
of the ' Assaye,' thus becoming the third ship in the line; she,