Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/51

Book VI. to them, and confining all their sentiments of humanity to persons of their own cast, they suffer the stranger to perish without compassion. Nor could the advantages of a climate, in which fuel and raiment are scarcely necessary, countervail the destructive effects of this general timidity and uncharitableness.

Examples of these distresses were frequently seen by the English at Calcutta, to which place the inhabitants of the opposite side of the river often came over in great numbers for refuge, and perished through want; communicating their, own terrors to those of whom they asked relief; insomuch, that in the year 1742 the Indian inhabitants of the colony requested and obtained permission to dig a ditch at their own expence, round the company's bounds, from the northern part of Soota-nutty to the southern part of Govindpore. This work would extend seven miles whilst the force to defend it did not exceed 300 Europeans and 500 peons. In six months three miles were finished when the inhabitants, seeing that no Morattoes had ever been on the western side of the river within sixty miles of Calcutta; and that Allaverdy exerted himself vigorously to prevent their incursions into the island of Cossimbuzar, discontinued the work; which from the occasion was called the Morattoe ditch. Allaverdy made no objection to this work; and moreover permitted the English, in the same year, to raise a rampart with bastions of brickwork round their factory at Cossimbuzar. But the rest of his conduct shewed that these indulgences did not proceed from any desire of courting the Europeans in times of difficulty: for, notwithstanding the services which he might have received from their garrisons, he never asked their assistance. He forbid the English and French from committing any hostilities against each other in his dominions, during the war declared between the two nations in 1741; and, in the year 1748, he, on some contempt of his authority, attacked and drove the factors of the Ostend company out of the river of Hughley: and he several times exacted money of the English, French, and Dutch settlements: alledging, that they ought to contribute to the expence, as they participated of the protection, of his arms. The presidency of Calcutta, not complying