One of the boys asked if many of the combatants were killed.
"No," was the reply; "the loss of life on both sides was very small, especially for such a complete defeat on one side, and a decisive victory on the other. About 500 of the native army were killed, and a great number made prisoners; the English lost twenty-two killed and fifty wounded—when I say English, I mean the entire army under Clive's command.
"Clive's victory at Plassey was followed by another at Patna over the troops of the Great Mogul, and in the year 1759 he defeated an army that was sent from the Dutch East Indies by the Governor of Batavia. Then he went to England, where he remained four years before returning to India to resume his command of the affairs of the colonies. On his final return to England his administration was questioned, but he vindicated himself in a parliamentary examination and died in 1774."
While this conversation was going on our friends were strolling through the streets of Pondicherry, and observing its peculiarities. Fred said he expected to see a great fort and many soldiers, but the Doctor told him that when the place was given up by the English, in 1814, it was on the condition that no European soldiers should be kept there, and no fort should be built. The same was the case with the other French possessions in India, and consequently they could never be of any military importance, and would speedily fall into the hands of the English in case of war between the two countries.
HOUSE IN THE EUROPEAN QUARTER.
They found that the European quarter was well laid out along the sea shore, and separated from the native portion by a ditch, which was crossed by several bridges. The streets are broad, and shaded by magnificent trees, and nearly every house has a fine garden attached to it. The squares are large, and there are many temples and pagodas that tell the traveller he is in India. Many of the natives speak French, and altogether they appear content with the foreigners that rule over them.
