d marines, led by
naval officers, were to force the gateway and scale the rampart. Common
sense demanded that Sahoojee's force outside the fort should be disposed
of, and the heavy guns that had been brought with so much labour from
Chaul should be mounted and used, before any attempt at an assault was
projected; but there was a woeful absence of ordinary capacity among the
commanders. At four in the afternoon, the little force under Brathwaite,
first lieutenant of the _Lyon_, who held the rank of colonel for the
occasion, advanced to the assault. The gateway was blocked, and could not
be forced; many of the scaling ladders were too short, and the affair
resolved itself into a struggle, by a small number who had gained the
rampart, to maintain themselves, while the rest remained exposed to the
fire from the walls. In the midst of it, Sahoojee's force advanced on the
Portuguese, who broke and fled in wild confusion, leaving the English,
force to their fate. The assaulting party, seeing their danger, drew off,
leaving many of their wounded behind them, the whole force gave ground,
and soon there was a wild rush for the camp, luckily not followed by the
Mahratta horsemen. Thirty-three had been killed and twenty-seven wounded;
among the latter, Lieutenant Bellamy of the navy, who had behaved with
great dash and bravery. Matthews' marines suffered heavily. Though wanting
in discipline, they displayed much courage. All the field guns and a great
deal of ammunition fell into the hands of the Mahrattas. The whole blame
was laid on the Portuguese, to whom treachery was imputed. Matthews,
always violent, flew at the General of the North and assaulted him,[1] and
treated the Viceroy not much better. A little more enterprise on the part
of the Mahrattas would have destroyed the whole force. The following day
some heavy guns were landed, and a four-gun battery was constructed. But
the Portuguese had had enough of it, and were determined to withdraw.

From the beginning, there had been little cordiality between the
ill-matched allies. In the English camp, Cowan was devoid of military
experience or instinct, and commanded little confidence among men
habituated to defeat in their attacks on Angrian strongholds; while
Matthews, violent and overbearing, claimed a right to direct operations
that he knew nothing about. The Portuguese, on their side, proud in the
recollection of the great position they had once held on the Malabar coast,
and