Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/165

Book VII. companion again; and not knowing where to seek him, stopped and waited on the high road until three in the afternoon, when Omichund rejoined him again. He had been to visit Roydoolub at the camp at Plassey, who had told him that no stipulation had been made for him in the agreements with Meer Jaffier. Omichund therefore questioned Mr. Scrafton with much sharpness and suspicion; but now the truth itself served to deceive him; for Mr. Scrafton told him, that Roydoolub could not know any thing of that stipulation, since Mr. Watts had not yet communicated the treaty ultimately adjusted by the select committee even to Meer Jaffier himself. This appeased his anxieties, and they continued the rest of their journey without interruption. On the 8th they arrived at Calcutta, where Omichund was received by Colonel Clive, and the other members of the select committee, with much dissembled cordiality, which, however, could not entirely efface the impression which the words of Roydoolub had made in his mind; in consequence of which he bribed the Persian scribe of the council, to inform him if any deceit to his detriment should appear in the treaty, when ratified by Meer Jaffier in the Persian language.

The palace in which Meer Jaffier resided, is situated on the southern extremity of Muxadavad, on the island of Cossimbuzar. The Nabob resided in a palace called Heraut-Jeel, in the middle of the city, on the other side of the river. Both palaces stand on the bank of the river, are fortified with towers, and were provided with cannon. Meer Jaffier, at his return from the Nabob, had requested all the officers on whose attachment he relied, to keep their troops in readiness to defend his palace. In the same evening he sent a trusty messenger to Mr. Watts, to whom Mr. Watts delivered the two treaties, real and fictitious, together with the separate article of donation to the squadron, army, and committee, and explained the intention of deceiving Omichund by the fictitious treaty; requesting, that all the three papers might be ratified, and returned to him without delay. But Meer Jaffier having promised Roydoolub to conclude nothing without his participation, deferred the ratification until his return from Plassy; which was, however, only a delay