Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/159

Book VII A stranger, named Govindroy, came on the 3d of May to Calcutta, with a letter as from Ballajerow, the general of the Morattoes, dated from Hyderabad, the capital of Golcondah. In this letter Ballajerow offered to invade Bengal with a hundred and twenty thousand men, within six weeks after he should receive the invitation of the English governor. No mutual interests of great importance subsisting at this time between the English and the Morattoes, the letter and the bearer were suspected of imposture. The man was questioned, but none in the settlement had sufficient criterions to distinguish whether his answers were pertinent Mr. Watts was consulted, and regarded the letter as an artifice invented by the Nabob to try the real disposition of the English towards himself, by their answer to Ballajerow. Clive, with his usual facility of finding expedients in difficulties, advised the committee to communicate the letter to the Nabob with the semblance of believing its authenticity; whereby, should he have invented it, the artifice would be turned against himself; and if he had not, no better means could be employed to deceive the suspicions which he entertained of their evil intentions.

This resolution was taken on the 17th of May, and at the same consultation the committee deliberated on the final terms they should require of Meer Jaffier, and on the conduct they should hold towards Omichund; having before them the treaty as modelled by Mr. Watts, and his letters concerning Omichund. The terms which Mr. Watts, had stipulated for restitution were, to the Company 10 millions of rupees, to the English and other European inhabitants three millions, to the Gentoos three, to the Armenians one: in all 17 millions of rupees. Three millions were likewise mentioned for Omichund; of which we suppose Mr. Watts had informed him.

The committee really believed the wealth of Surajah Dowlah much greater than it possibly could be, even if the whole life of the late Nabob Alliverdy had not been spent in defending his own dominions against the invasions of ruinous enemies; and even if Surajah Dowlah himself had reigned many, instead of only one year. In this persuasion they increased the restitution to Europeans from