January ye 24th, 1757.
I have been favoured with several further visits from Meer Sinzaun, but to describe these miseries at length would be as unprofitable to my dearest friend as it would be painful to myself; yet of the last I must say something, for the pitiless wretch told me he must take leave of me for a season, since he was about to attend the Soubah into the neighbourhood of Calcutta, there to destroy the last remnants of British trade and enterprise in Bengal.
“Sure, sir, your prince has done more than enough for his honour already in that line,” I cried, in an agony to see my countrymen still further threatened.
“Why, indeed, madam,” he replied, “if there had been only your brave Calcutta gentlemen, Mr Drak” (so he pronounced it), “and his two chief friends, in the matter, we had been contented to leave them alone. The persons who deserted their posts and connived at the destruction of their factory in order to satisfy their enmity against their unfortunate colleague, Mr Holwell, might well have been suffered to remain at Fulta, subsisting on the charity of Omy Chund and the French and Dutch factories, until they could be taken off and carried to England by their ships arriving this season. But there was a certain restless troublesome fellow named Clive, who may be known to you by reputation, at Madrass when the news of the fall of Calcutta reached there, and this pestilent wretch has proposed to himself to establish the British again in Bengall. Sure the beginning of his enterprise can’t have given him much hope for its ending; for, embarking with all the forces he could command on board of the fleet lying at Madrass, he set forth in the worst season of the year, with the result that the whole of the ships was destroyed by storms, and but a few score of men, with Mr Clive himself, escaped in boats and landed in the river.”
“Oh, sir, what is it you say?—all the fleet destroyed?” For you know, Amelia, who is serving on board Admiral Watson’s fleet, if Sinzaun don’t.
“All, madam, so far as my information serves. Whether the Admiral or any of his officers and men are among those saved by the boats, I can’t of course say. But I should judge by his actions that Mr Clive is alone. What do you say, madam, to his being kindly received and used by his Highness’s garrisons at Tanners and Buzbudgia, and taking advantage of their hospitality to make an attack upon them by surprise, inflicting some loss, though but a trifling one?”
“Why, sir, that if Colonel Clive acted so, he must first have perceived treachery on the part of the Moguls.” But to myself I added, “If this man can tell me a tale so manifestly false respecting Colonel Clive, he may be deceiving me also with regard to the fleet.”
“If that’s so, madam,” replied Sinzaun, “I’m sorry for the poor gentleman, for you must see that even a warrior of such renown can’t be permitted to defy his Highness in this style in his own province, and his Highness proposes to prove this to him shortly. But there’s more trouble in store for poor Mr Clive, for he has committed the grave military error of neglecting his base of operations. For this adventure in Bengall he deprived Madrass of all its troops, ignorant that Mons. Bussy was leagued with Salabatzing[04] against the place, and that our new great fleet under Lally wasn’t far off.[05] I fear Britain will lose more than Bengall by his rashness.”
“Alas, alas!” I cried, with tears.
“I have the greatest respect, madam, I’ll assure you, for Mr Clive, and it shall be my endeavour to see that his life is spared and himself put safely on board of a ship bound for England. These Indians will questionless desire to see him led in fetters and rags through the streets of Muxadavad, as was done six months ago with Mr Holwell and his companions, but he shall be saved this if I can compass it.”