“If there’s any power on earth can get me into Muxidavad, sir, thither I’ll go.”
Mr Hastings and his friends shook their heads and lamented over my obstinacy, but as you’ll hear, madam, there was assistance in store for me of which we did not dream. Had any one told us at that moment that after our march through his camp, which led to nothing, the Nabob would treat for peace, we would have laughed at him, and yet the treaty was signed only four days later, on the 9th. The Nabob covenanted with us that he would restore the plunder taken at the fall of Calcutta (this, which appears but a silly condition, the spoils being dispersed through a whole army, was insisted on by the Bengal gentlemen), permit the fortifying of the city and the erection of a mint, and allow the Company’s dustucks to pass untaxed and unopposed in his dominions. He also restores the villages granted to the factory by the Emperor Ferokshere, and all the former privileges, from whomsoever obtained, asking in return an alliance offensive and defensive against all his enemies. Mr Clive replied to this by demanding liberty to attack the French at Chandernagore, but the Nabob answered cunningly enough that if the Colonel would oblige him by preventing Mr Bussey from invading Bengal from the Decan, and Count Lally’s fleet, of the despatch of which he had heard, from attacking it by sea, there would be time to think about Chandernagore afterwards. The Soubah further asked for twenty English gunners for his artillery, and Mr Watts, the late chief of Cossimbuzar, to reside at his Court, believing him to be a meek sort of a person, destitute of guile, and both these requests have been granted. When the treaty was signed, the Nabob sent a present, comprising in each case an elephant richly caparisoned, a robe of honour, and an elegant jewelled ornament for the head, to Colonel Clive, Admiral Watson, and Mr Drake, presenting surpaus or dresses of state also to Omichund and Runjeet Roy, for their assistance in the negociations. The Admiral, who is hugely dissatisfied with the treaty, thinking it shame to make peace when the blood of our fellow-countrymen remains unavenged, refused to accept his present, but willing to show some civility to the noblemen that brought it, carried them on board the Kent and exhibited to them his lower tyre[10] of 32-pounders, of which they, returning, made a dreadful report to their master.
And what, Mrs Hurstwood will say, was Colvin Fraser doing all this time? He was waiting for his chance, madam, and he found it three days ago, when Mr Watts was but just started on his way to Muxidavad, taking with him Omichund and the gunners for whom the Nabob had asked, as well as Mr Ranger, whose name won’t be unknown to Mrs Hurstwood, as commandant of the Cossimbuzar garrison. Colonel Clive was engaged in preparations, carried on with the greatest secrecy imaginable, for an advance against Chandernagore, to be undertaken without the Nabob’s knowledge, when there arrived in the camp a venerable divine, newly come from England in one of the Company’s ships, who brought letters of commendation to Mr Watts, as head of the Cossimbuzar factory, having left Europe long before anything was known of the melancholy revolution here. This excellent person, the Rev. Dr Dacre, is interested in observing the manners and studying the antiquities of the Indians, and has undertaken this prodigious journey at an advanced age in the hope of conversing with the learned among that people on their own soil. In place of being deterred by the terrible events that have transpired since his voyage was planned, the venerable man is solely eager to let slip no part of this period of peace, and desired to follow Mr Watts immediately on his way to Muxidavad, where he looks to obtain much enlightenment both from the Moorish Imaums and the Gentoo Pundits. Here, madam, was my chance, for I knew well that I could never have prevailed upon Mr Watts to permit me to be of his company, and therefore did not ask him. Guessing that the Admiral was devising some means by which Dr Dacre might be despatched up the river, I waited upon him in his cabin and asked his leave to visit Muxidavad in attendance upon the worthy divine. You would have smiled, madam, to behold Mr Watson’s astonishment at my request.
“I think you forget, Mr Fraser, that you han’t yet near made up the time you lost at the beginning of this cruise. There’s not an officer in the fleet but could ask leave for such a jaunt as this with a better grace than yourself.”
“Indeed, sir, if it were only a jaunt I desired, I would not venture to ask it.”
“What is it, then? Sure it can’t be true what I heard Billy Speke chattering about t’other night, that you still have a notion of rescuing the lady of whom you told me at Madrass?”
“That’s my hope, sir.”
“I had thought better of your sense, child. If the lady be still alive, sure you can do her little good by approaching her, and you may, by arousing the suspicion of her captors, bring about her destruction.”
“Trust me, sir, I won’t act rashly. If the lady have—have formed other ties, I’ll bow humbly to her discretion, and nothing will induce me so to act as to bring suspicion on her. But I must know if she’s satisfied to remain a prisoner.”
“You’ll embroil us afresh with Surajah Dowlah’s whole horde, to say nothing of risking your own life and losing sea-time, and very likely affronting Colonel Clive. No, Mr Fraser, I can’t have you go.”