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Book VII tide; but the twenty-gun ship struck upon a sand-bank, which stopped their progress for five days. On the 10th they arrived at Hughley.

This town lieth about 23 miles above Calcutta, adjoining to the north part of the Dutch settlement of Chinchura, from whence it extends three miles on the bank of the river: at the northern extremity of the town is a fort, which was at this time garrisoned by 2000 men: 3000 more had been sent from Muxadavad to guard the town, but these retreated as soon as the English troops landed; remaining however within a few miles. The vessels battered the fort until night; and although the breach was scarcely practicable, it was determined to storm it before break of day. A false attack was made at the main gate, whilst Captain Coote with the other division, accompanied by some sailors, mounted the breach before they were discovered by the garrison, who no sooner saw the English on the ramparts, than all of them quitted their posts, and fled out of the lesser gate. Three Europeans and ten Sepoys were killed in the attack. On the 12th Captain Coote, with 50 Europeans, and 100 Sepoys, marched to the Bandell, a large village three miles north of the fort, where they destroyed several granaries of rice, and in their return were surrounded in the village by the fugitive garrison, and the troops which had been sent from Muxadavad, from whom they disengaged themselves without losing a man. On the 16th a party proceeded in boats some miles to the northward, and destroyed several more granaries on each side of the river, and on the 19th the Europeans, with the smaller vessels, returned to Calcutta.

During this expedition to Hughley, news arrived from Aleppo, that war had been declared between Great Britain and France in the preceding month of May. There were 300 Europeans, and a train of field artillery at Chandernagore: and the select committee of Calcutta expected that they would immediately join the Nabob, with whom, it was thought, that the English force, great as it was, would then be unable to cope, and in this persuasion they determined to treat with him. Accordingly Colonel Clive wrote, a letter to the Seats at Muxadavad, requesting them to act as mediators; but news