Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/20

14 the power of the settlement was translated from Mr. Chanock to Heath, a commander of one of the company's ships, a man of courage, but of a variable disposition, not far removed from craziness; who, soon after his arrival at Soota-nutty, ordered all the English to repair on board the ships, and proceeded with them to the road of Ballasore, where the governor of the town offered to treat with him in behalf of the Nabob, and finding that this proposal was not received with cordiality, detained two of the company's agents residing in the factory of Ballasore, as hostages against any violence: notwithstanding which, and that the two English deputies were still at Dacca, as well as two other factors in other parts of the province, Heath landed with a crew of sailors, and attacked the town, which had no defences. This outrage was committed on the very day that the governor received a copy of the treaty which the Nabob had made with the two deputies at Dacca; by which it was stipulated, that the English ships should attack the king of Arracan. Heath pretended to acquiesce to these terms, hoping that his professions might facilitate his intentions of surprizing Chittigan, where the fleet arrived on the 17th of January, 1689; but finding the works, as well as the garrison, much stronger than ht expected, Heath, as if he had come with no other purpose, offered, as he had promised, to join the Nabob against the king of Arracan; but soon after changing his mind again, he sailed to the river which leads to the capital of that country, where he proffered his service to the king against the Nabob, insisting, however, that their first attempt should be against Chittigan. But, not being of a temper to bear the delays of an Indian administration, he as suddenly took disgust against this ally; and on the 13th of February, sailed away with the fleet and the company's agents across the bay of Bengal to Madrass, where they arrived on the 15th of March. Here he apologized for his conduct by saying, that nothing but lies had been told on all sides.

Nevertheless, this conduct, crazy and irregular as it was, produced better effects than could have been expected from measures dictated by the most prudent councils; for the Nabob imagined that