Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/697

 ClIAP. XII.]

THE DUTCH HUMBLEIX

6G3

A.D. 1769.

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'igilance. It is said that he had not then received authority to fight, but seeing the advantage of his position, wrote a note, stating that " if he had the order in council, he could attack the Dutch with a fair prospect of destroying them." Clive received the note while })laying at cards, and, with- out quitting the table, answered in ])encil, " Dear Forde, fight them immedi- ate! v. I will send you the order of council to-morrow." He obeyed, and was jis successful as he had anticipated.

His force, consisting of only 3:30 Europeans and about 800 sepoys, after a short and bloody engagement, put to total rout an enemy consisting of 700 ['Europeans, and a still larger number of native troops. The Dutch, now com- pletely humbled, asked submissively for terms, and on acknowledging themselves the aggressors and agreeing to pay costs and damages, obtained the restitution of their ships.

The affair, however, was not yet over. Meerun, the nabob's son, arrived in the neighbourhood of Chinsurah at the head of about 7000 horse. Aware of the suspicions which attached to his father and himself, as having instigated, or at least connived at the Dutch expedition, he would have endeavoured to wijie them off by the severity of his proceedings, had not Clive, after being written to in the most supplicating terms, interposed his mediation, and obtained peace for the Dutch on the following conditions : — That they should never negotiate wjir, introduce or enlist troops, or raise fortifications in the country ; that they should be allowed to keep 125 Em-opean soldiers, and no more, for the service of their factories of Cliinsurah, Cossimbazar, and Patna ; and that they shouM forthwith send away all their other troops with the ships which had brought them.

The defeat of the Dutch armament was the last service of importance which cuvere

golres to

Clive rendered before he took his dei)arture for England. He had for some time depm (or been preparing for this event, but when he announced it as detennined, all clas.ses in Bengal concurred in regarding it as a public calamit}'. Meer Jaffier had often winced under his reproofs, and deeply resented his interference as often as lie wa.s thwarted in some favourite object. He was aware, however, that in cases of real difficulty he could calculate on receiving effectual assistance from him, and he was therefore filled Avith alarm when he thoutrht of the difficulties to which

CoinlitioMs dictatcil to tlie Dutch.