Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/64

58 officer, Ensign Elliot, that lie shot himself through the head.

The cannon and ammunition were carried to the camp; the soldiers were sent to the common prison at Muxadavad; Mr. Batson, one of the council, and the younger men in the company's service, were permitted to retire to the French and Dutch factories; and Mess. Watts and Collet, instead of being employed as they expected, to represent the will of Surajah Dowlah to the presidency of Calcutta, were informed that they must accompany him thither. None of the Nabob's officers endeavoured to restrain him from this rash and violent resolution; they believed themselves marching to the plunder of one of the most opulent cities in the empire. But Seat Mootabray and Roopchund, the sons of the banker Juggutseat who had succeeded to the wealth and employments of their father and derived great advantages from the European trade in the province, ventured to represent the English as a colony of inoffensive and useful merchants, and earnestly entreated the Nabob to moderate his resentment against them; but their remonstrances were vain; and on the 9th of June the army began their march towards Calcutta. During these proceedings, letters were daily dispatched from Calcutta, instructing Mr. Watts to assure the Nabob that the presidency was ready to obey his orders, to demolish whatsoever additions had been made to their fortifications, and what other buildings without the fort might have been represented to him as works intended for defence; but none of these letters reached Mr. Watts, and were probably carried to the Nabob, whose intentions they encouraged. Coja Wazeed, the principal merchant of the province, who resided at Hughley, was likewise desired to interpose his mediation; to whom the Nabob replied, that Mr. Drake had grievously offended him, and that he would not suffer the English to remain in his country on any other terms than were allowed them in the reign of the Nabob Jaffier. In the mean time, as the principal reason assigned for Surajah Dowlah's indignation was his belief that the English were erecting new fortifications, the dread of exasperating him