Confusion reigned throughout the fortress.

The fleet kept up their fire with great vigour; judging, by the feebleness of the reply, that something unusual must be happening within the walls.

The gunners, disheartened by finding their pieces useless, and unable to extract the wooden plugs, while Charlie's men continued to ply them with grape, left their guns and, with the greater portion of the garrison, disorganized and panic stricken, retired into shelter.
A shell from the ships, falling on to a thatched building, set it on fire.

The flames rapidly spread, and soon all the small huts occupied by the garrison were in flames.

The explosion of a magazine added to the terror of the garrison, and the greater portion of them, with the women and children, ran down to the water; and, taking boats, attempted to cross to Fort Goa, on the mainland.