Page:History of the French in India.djvu/492

466 CHAN DEAN AGAR AND THE DAKHA.N. chap. 1756 had left Chanclranagar uninjured. When the XL first-named city was threatened by Siraju-daola in that "1756 y ear ' ^ ne English, despairing of assistance from their own peojrie, had invited the Dutch of Chinsurah and the French of Chandranagar to make common cause with them against the enemy. Whilst the Dutch had positively refused, the French, more courteous, had offered the English protection within the walls of Chandranagar. This offer, which would seem to have been made in good faith, was, however, regarded as an insult by the English, and declined. Certain it is that when them- selves threatened with the full weight of the Subadar's anger in case they should refuse to assist him in his operations against the English, the French resolutely declined to aid him, — and this, although they knew well that the extermination of the English, if un- avenged, would probably be only a prelude to an attack upon their own settlement. It happened, indeed, that after the capture of Calcutta and the flight of the sur- viving English to Falta, the Subadar, recognising the loss of revenue caused by their expulsion, appeared disinclined to take hostile measures against the other European settlements on the HugH. Contenting him- self with quelling the disaffection which had appeared in other parts of his government, he apparently forgot his European enemies, and lulled himself into a too confident security. Such was the state of Bengal, when the fleet and army under Watson and Clive, which, preceded by a detachment under Major Kilpatrick, had arrived at Falta at intervals between October 16 and December 20, left that place on December 27 with the intention of recovering Calcutta by force of arms. But the instruc- tions given to these two leaders permitted them to look to something more than the mere recovery of Calcutta. They were directed, should they deem it necessary, to attack the Subadar in his own capital ; especially were