Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/162

156 practicable during the war between the two nations, and that it would at any time be incompatible with the interest of the English: nevertheless his timidity prompted him to give intire credit to the tale, and he rewarded Omichund for the intelligence, by ordering the sum of 400,000 rupees, which had been taken from his house at Calcutta, to be immediately restored to him, together with all his effects, wheresoever confiscated in the province: he moreover gave him a mandate, ordering the Rajah of Burdawan to repay 450,000 rupees, which Omichund had lent the Rajah some years before. At this time Omichund was not certain what provision might be made for himself in the treaty, and was endeavouring to get all he could from the Nabob clandestinely, but without any positive intention of undermining the confederacy; for nothing was more likely than his fallacy concerning Bussy to divert the Nabob from any suspicions of the real designs and connexions in which the English were engaged; but nothing, at the same time, was more likely to prevent him from removing his army from Plassy, which was deemed absolutely necessary to their success.

As soon as Mr. Scrafton arrived at Muxadavad, Mr. Watts went with him to the Nabob, to whom Mr. Scrafton delivered a letter from Colonel Clive, which, amongst others, had the following subtle expressions. "I have sent Mr. Scrafton to communicate a matter of the greatest importance. Notwithstanding all that the English have suffered from you, I give you this last proof of my desire to live in peace with you. Why do you keep your army in the field? They distress all the merchants, and prevent us from renewing our trade. The English cannot stay in Bengal without freedom of trade. Do not reduce us to suspect that you intend to destroy us whensoever you have an opportunity." Mr. Scrafton then communicated the Morattoe letter, at which the Nabob seemed much pleased; for he had heard of the arrival, and suspected the business of the messenger, who really came from Ballajerow. After some pause, ruminating on the variety of informations on which he was to form his opinion, he pretended to be convinced that he had suspected