Page:History of the French in India.djvu/319

 CLIVE SURPRISES ARK AT. 295 by nominating Clive himself as commandant, with the chap. T ... VII rank of captain, and with nnlimited powers.* , Arkat, the place at which Clive aimed his blow, was 1751. the capital of the Karnatik, — the seat of the Nawwab's government. It lies sixty-four miles south-south- west of Madras. At the time of which we are writing it was an open town possessing about 100,000 inhabitants. There was, it is true, a fort with the outward signs of fortifica- tions, but these had long since fallen into decay. The ramparts were in a state of ruin, and the bastions were crumbling from age and want of repair. The garrison, entirely native, consisted of about 1,000 men, nearly one half of whom were cavalry ; to the native gunners, however, had been attached two or three French artillerymen for the purpose of instructing them in the European method of rapid firing. These were at the time in Arkat. To attack and take possession of this place, Clive, at the head of the force above detailed, left Madras on September 6 ; on the 11th, after halting one day at Kanchipuram, forty-five miles south-west of Madras, he arrived within ten miles of the capital. Thence he resumed his march, and, notwithstanding the unpro- pitiousness of the weather, which displayed itself in a thunderstorm of almost unprecedented violence, arrived the same day at the very gates of Arkat. The news of his march had preceded him, and the native garrison, terrified at the idea of opposing a man who could thus bid defiance to the elements, had hastened to evacuate the place. Clive therefore entered it without opposition, and, prescient as to the effect which its capture must have upon the enemy, proceeded at once to repair its fortifications. This successful occupation of the capital of his native protege and ally, whilst it surprised and vexed, Clive there were but eight officers six were members of the mercantile with this force, six of whom had service.
 * Mr. Orme states that besides never been iti action, and four of the