MYSORE, CANARA, AND MALABAR. 
6 $ 
lie was ignorant of the British troops having got into the inner 
fort, and was retiring thither in hopes of being still able to repel 
the attack. 
No individual claimed the honour of having slain the Sultan, 
nor did any of either party know that he had fallen in the gateway. 
The assailants were, indeed, at that time too much enraged to think 
of any thing but the destruction of their enemy. Each division 
pushed on towards the eastern end of the town ; and, as they ad- 
vanced, the carnage increased. The garrison threw themselves 
from the works, attempting to escape into the island, and from 
thence to their cavalry. The greater part, however, were either 
killed by the fall, or broke their limbs in a most shocking manner. 
Meer Saduc , the favourite of the Sultan, fell in attempting to get 
through the gates. He is supposed to have been killed by the 
hands of Tippoo’s soldiery, and his corpse lay for some time ex- 
posed to the insults of the populace, none of whom passed without 
spitting on it, or loading it with a slipper; for to him they attributed 
most of their sufferings in the tyrannical reign of the Sultan. 
The two divisions of the storming army now met at an open place 
surrounding a very fine mosque, into which the remains of the 
garrison withdrew, and with their destruction the fighting nearly 
ceased. The number of burials amounted to somewhat above seven 
thousand ; several of these were towns-people of both sexes, and all 
ages; but this was accidental, for our soldiers killed none inten- 
tionally but fighting men. Those who are disposed to declaim on 
the horrors of a town taken by assault, may always find room to 
dwell on the women, infants, and aged persons killed, and on the 
little protection given by places, however sacred ; for such terrible 
things must always happen, when an enraged soldiery with fire- 
arms are pursuing an enemy through a populous place. 
When our two parties had met, and no longer saw before their 
eyes the enemy, by whom they, or their countrymen, had been often 
most barbarously used, they soon cooled, and were disposed, by their 
Vol. I. K 
CHAPTER 
II. 
May 20, &c. 
Destruction 
of the garri- 
son. 
Plunder. 
