Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/146

140 however, he represented, that the government of Chandernagore little deserved his favour, since they had made use of his name to sanctify a treaty which they had no power to conclude; and complained at the same time, with some menaces, that he had neither made any restitution, nor accomplished any other part of his treaty with the English. The Nabob, perplexed with the angry style of Mr. Watson's letter, made use of these words in his answer: "If an enemy comes to you and implores your mercy with a clear heart, his life should be spared; but if you mistrust his sincerity, act according to the time and occasion." This letter was scarcely dispatched before his favourites made him change his mind, and write others positively forbidding the attack; but Mr. Watson, considering this contradiction as an indignity, ordered the ships to move.

The settlement of Chandernagore. like that of Calcutta, consisted of a territory, a town inhabited by the natives, another by the French and a fort. The territory, beginning from the southern limits of the Dutch settlement of Chinchura, extended two miles along the bank of the river, and about one and a half inland. The fort was situated nearly at an equal distance, between the north and south extremity of this territory, and about 30 yards from the river. It was a square of about 130 yards, with four bastions, each mounting 10 guns; several more were mounted in different parts of the ramparts, and eight upon a ravelin, which stood on the margin of the river, before the gateway of the western curtain: all these were heavy cannon, from twenty-four to thirty-two pounders; and six of smaller calibre were planted on the terrace of a church within the fort, which overlooked the walls. The French, after they received intelligence of the declaration of war, had begun to dig a ditch, had demolished all the buildings which stood within 100 yards of the walls, and used the ruins to form a glacis; but neither the ditch nor the glacis were completed: to supply these defects, they had erected several batteries without the verge of the glacis; one of three guns before the gate leading to Chinchura; another of four, in a high road leading from the westward to the north face of the fort; to the