who with their officers were quartered in the house. They were taken prisoners, disarmed, and placed under a guard. The Frenchmen then proceeded to explore the building. They discovered a quantity of Madeira and brandy in the storeroom and forthwith refreshed themselves. Half an hour later they were all completely intoxicated, including the guard that had been set over the prisoners. One of the Englishmen managed to free himself from the rope with which he had been bound and set his companions free. They recovered their weapons and took their captors prisoners, disarming them in their turn, and tying their hands. As soon as the Frenchmen were sober enough to walk, they were marched off to the fort, where they were held as prisoners until they were exchanged.
There is another and more gruesome story of the assassination of seventeen Frenchmen in the dining-room by the English. It was said by the native servants that the ghost of one of these men walked, but I could not hear that the spectre had shown himself to any European.
The old town of Cuddalore is about a mile from the fort. The factory and warehouses of the Company were fine buildings, and a great number of troops were crowded into the barracks. One of the streets is named after Clive. It was the scene of a quarrel between Clive and Fordyce, the chaplain, who for some reason had abused the other behind his back. The words were uttered in the house of a Dr. Belsches who lived in the street; they were repeated to Clive, and he gave his traducer a thrashing just outside the house. Fordyce complained to the council, and an explanation was demanded. When both sides had been heard the council blamed Fordyce and reprimanded him. He was annoyed at their hostile attitude and left the council chamber with disrespectful remarks, for which they suspended him. Clive was
