Gordon, raising the whole strength of the expedition to 2250 men,
including seamen, and a landing in force was determined on. Two of the
prizes had been equipped as floating batteries, with shot-proof bulwarks,
and were laid ashore to engage the Rajah's batteries. At four o'clock in
the morning of the 16th November, 1250 men were put ashore, under Gordon,
without hindrance from the enemy, who were ready to take to flight before
such a force. Gordon's idea was to advance in a hollow square, which, in
spite of Hamilton's sneer at him as a 'freshwater land officer,' was a
good enough formation in the circumstances; but so much time was consumed
in getting the men into the required formation, owing to the inexperience
and want of discipline among both officers and men, that the enemy took
heart again and advanced to meet them. When the square at last moved
forward, with Gordon at their head, they were met with a hot fire, and
Gordon was a mark for every aim. Before long he fell, shot in the breast,
and Captain Smith, 'commonly called Old Woman,' on whom the command
devolved, at once gave the word to retreat. According to Hamilton, 'he
pulled off his red coat and vanished.' The Rajah's horsemen charged down,
sword in hand, on the disordered ranks; the men threw down their arms and
fled to the boats, leaving some two hundred and fifty of their number dead
on the field. Fortunately, the floating batteries covered the embarkation,
and prevented the enemy, who had suffered some loss, from gathering the
spoils of the fallen. Eighty seamen were sent on shore, and brought back
about two hundred muskets that had been thrown away in flight, most of
them loaded. Thus ingloriously ended the attempts at landing.

The factory was by this time reduced to great straits for food, and this
fresh disaster made peace imperative; the Rajah, in spite of his success
so far, was anxious to come to an accommodation. The expense of
maintaining so many armed men threatened to ruin him; the sea blockade and
the detention of the horses were events on which he had not reckoned: and,