Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/591

 Chap. X.) ATTEMPTED NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE NABOB. o.37

attack on Hooghly made him furious, and his army was immediately ordered ad its: to march southward and avenge it. Juggut Seat, aware that the time for nego- tiation had passed, and afraid to imphcate himself by interceding in behalf of -^"«n'i'< *" those whom the nabob had again doomed to destruction, ventured no further «ith the than to instruct Runjeet Roy, his ablest agent, to accomjjany the army, and at the same time correspond with Olive. Omichund was also in the nabob's train. During the nabobship of Ali Verdy Khan, he obtained the far largest share of [| the contracts by which the Company provided their shipments. This lucra- tive employment he had lost, because the Company, imputing a deterioration in the quality of the goods to his avarice, had determined, instead of em})loving contractors, to deal at first hand with the producers themselves. His ottence at this change was the main ground of the suspicion by which the presidency thought themselves ju.stified in imprisoning him, and ]>reventing the removal of his goods from Calcutta, when it was attacked. His fortunes had in conse- (luence been shattered, for besides the large sum of money found in his trea- smy, his loss by the destruction of houses and other property was immense. His whole thoughts and efforts were now employed in obtaining compensation. For this purpo.se the ftivour of the nabob and of the Company were equal 1}' necessary to him. The former he had secured by ingTatiating himself with Mohun Loll, the principal favourite at the court of Moorshedabad ; the latter he now hoped to recover by aiding their endeavours to procure a peace. The Company has thus two influential agents in the nabob's canq For the time, however, they seemed to have failed, and the nabob continued to advance.

In the eagerness to negotiate, the necessity of providing against the onl- Hetoini-.i

izes. ami

alternative had not been overlooked. About a mile to the north of Calcutta, continues and half that distance from the bank of the river, a camp had been fortified. The spot was well chosen, for having the river on the west, and a large lake and extensive marshes about two miles beyond the Mahratta Ditch on the east, an enemy from the north could not enter the Company's territory without coming in sight of it. The artillery, which had hitherto been the great want, iiad at length been supplied by the arrival of the Mdvlborough. On the 30th of January the nabob's anny began to cross the river, about ten miles above Hooghly. Yevy fortmiately it had not been joined by the French, who threv away an excellent opportunity of crip])ling, if not crushing their rivals, by reviving the chimerical idea of neutrality between the two companies, while war Avas raging between their respective nations. Even without the French as auxiliaries, the nabob seemed so formidable that even after his anny had began to cross, proposals of peace were forwarded to him. He received them with gi'eat apparent cordiality, and at the same time continued his march. On the 2d of February he propo.sed a conference with deputies, but failed to keep his promise of sending them passports. The very next morning the van of his arm}' was seen advancing at full march from the north-ea.st. From the nature