Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/580

 r)l llLSTOliY (>]• INIHA. (Ho(,K III

AD. 1750. and the French for £85, 000. Tlie difference in favour of tlie latter was prohahly

made in consideration of the present <A' gunpowder already mentioned- piiHiiiaiii- The vessels at Govindpore had not remained there with the intention of

inity of the

Bhipsat rendering any assistance to the Calcutta garrison. On the contrary, yielding only to their fears, they had continued to sfiil down the river, and would will- ingly have quitted it altogether, had they not encountered a new danger, which friglitened them so that they were glad to return to their former anchorage. When they were endeavouring to pass the fort of Tanna the cannon, with which it had again been mounted, opened upon them, and drove two of the smaller vessels ashore. This sufficed to spread a panic through the whole fleet. That the danger was magnified by excessive timidity was proved a few days after, when two ships from Bombay came up the river and sustained the fire of the fort without injury. Thvus reassured the fleet again weighed anchor, passed Tanna without any loss of the least consequence, and reached the town of Fulta, the station of all the Dutch shipping. Here it was determined to remain, at least till the monsoon should change, provided the nabob did not inteifere. Not long after their arrival they were joined by several other ships, and the agents from the subordinate factories of Dacca, Balasore, &c., who naturally anticipated a similar fate to that which had befallen Cossimbazar and Calcutta. In this opinion they were not mistaken, for the nabob had no sooner reached Moorshedabad than he issued orders for the confiscation of all the English pro- perty within his dominions. Sufferings of Thougli the uabob did not molest the fugitives at Fulta their sufierings were at Fuita° not over. Ever dreading that they might be attacked they did not venture to sleep on shore, and crowded the vessels, where they lay, most of them on the decks, without shelter, exposed to the inclemencies of one of the worst climates in the world, dm-ing its unhealthiest season. Numbers were in consequence carried off by malignant fever, which infected the whole fleet. The evils thus produced by natiu-al, were greatly aggravated by moral causes. Many, conscious of the light in which their conduct would generally be viewed, and unable to reflect on it without shame and remorse, endeavoiu-ed to excidpate themselves at the expense of their neighbours. Much time was thus spent to no purpose in mutual recrimination, and no course of united action was possible. At last, however, after a course of wrangling, the authority of the governor and the other members of council was acknowledged, and one of their number, with a military officer, set out for Madi'as, to represent theii' condition and solicit the necessary assistance.