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 (il'^ illSTOlJY OF INDIA. [Kook III.

A.D. 1758. the direct aid so urgently n!(iuired, instead of being employed merely to make a diversion? The question did not admit of a full, or at lea.st of an ingenuous answer ; and there is ground to suspect that the preference given to the Circars was dictated, not so much by a conviction of its being the best, as of its being the safest and most politic course. In the Circars the troops would still be sul> ject to the authority of the Bengal presidency, and might be recalled should any emergency render it neces.sary; whereas, if they were sent to Madras, th«; authorities there might imitate the example which Clive liimself haxl set, and easily find pretexts for refusing to allow them to return.

Forde's ex- On tlicse and similar prudential considerations, an expedition to the Circars

peilition to. • i i

the Circars. to act in conccrt with Anunderauz having been determined, the command of it was given to Colonel Forde. This officer, originally attached to Adlercron's regiment in the king's service, had quitted it on the invitation of the Bengal presidency to take the command of their army in the event of Clive's departure. It will be seen that the wisdom of this choice was fully justified by the event. The expedition, consisting of 500 Europeans, 2000 sepoys, and 100 lascars, with six brass six-pounders as field-pieces, six twenty-four pounders for battery, a howitzer, and an eight-inch mortar, left the river in the end of September, but owing to tempestuous weather did not reach Vizagapatam till the 20th of October. Anunderauz, who was encamped with his troops at the fort of Cossim- cotah, about twenty miles to the westward, had already fulfilled his promise by delivering up Vizagapatam to a servant of the Company, who had been sent from Calcutta for that piupose, but at the same time decUned to furnish any money. Forde's military chest had been supplied with rupees and gold mohurs to an aggregate amount of about £14,000. It was evident that this sum would be speedily exhausted, and some time was spent in adjusting the

Treaty with tcrms ou which tlic rajali's and Company's forces were to co-operate. At length

Anunderauz.

a regular treaty was drawn up, stipulating that all plunder should be equally divided — that the countries conquered should belong to the rajah, the sea-ports and towns at the mouths of rivers, with the revenues of the districts annexed to them, being, however, reserved to the Company — that no proposal for the alienation or restitution of the territory and towns acquired should be entertained without the consent of both parties — and that the rajah should furnish 50,000 rupees a month for the expenses of the army. Before this treaty was concluded, the united army moved so slowly that nearly a month was spent in advancing thirty miles beyond Cossimcotah. At length, however, the march was com- menced in earnest, and on the 3d of December Conflans, who had collected the French troops from all parts, was seen strongly posted about forty miles from Rajahmundry, on the highroad leading to it from Vizagapatam. His force consisted of 500 Europeans, with more cannon than they could use at once, and a large number of native troops, including 500 horse and 6000 sepoys. Forde's original force gained much in numbers but little in efiective strength from his