TREATY WITH MEER JAFF1ER. 25 



formidable invasions, might have proved even this last es- 

 timate to be very extravagant. When these demands, 

 amounting to nearly three millions, were laid before Meer 

 Jaffier, his minister, Roydoolub, declared it utterly impos- 

 sible for the Bengal treasury to defray them ; but as the 

 English refused to make any abatement, and conciliated 

 Roydoolub by high expectations, he at last adopted the In- 

 dian plan of promising every thing, leaving the perform- 

 ance to be regulated by circumstances. It may be men- 

 tioned as a characteristic feature in this negotiation, that 

 Omichund, a native who had been let into the secret, threat- 

 ened to make a disclosure unless his silence were pur- 

 chased at an immense price. To defeat this manoeuvre 

 Clive caused two treaties to be drawn up, one real, which 

 contained no stipulation whatever in favour of Omichund, 

 the other prepared solely for the purpose of being shown 

 to that personage, and comprising an agreement to pay him 

 two millions of rupees. The colonel having signed th 

 latter, presented it to Admiral Watson, who honourably re- 

 fused his signature ; upon which his handwriting was coun- 

 terfeited. The silence of Omichund was thus secured ; 

 but the discovery of the deceit afterward drove him to a 

 state of derangement. Infamous as his conduct was, the 

 English commander certainly cannot be justified. 



Clive, having mustered his troops at Chandernagore, be- 

 gan his march on the 13th June, 1757, with 3100 men, of 

 whom only 900 were Europeans ; and with this force un- 

 dertook to effect the subversion of a mighty kingdom. As 

 he approached the encampment of the nabob at Plassey, 

 near Cossimbuzar, unpleasant notices were received as to 

 the conduct of Meer Jaffier, who, having held frequent con- 

 ferences with his master, had apparently accommodated all 

 differences, and bound himself by the most solemn oaths to 

 make common cause with him. He privately, indeed, trans- 

 mitted assurances that these were only feints to lull the 

 prince's suspicions ; but, from his evidently keeping up the 

 same appearances to both parties, there remained doubts 

 which he really intended to betray. When Clive, there- 

 fore, arrived opposite the island of Cossimbuzar, where he 

 saw encamped the Indian army of 50,000 foot, 18,000 

 horse, and a strong train of artillery, there was reason to 

 pause. He called a council of war, — a measure which, it 

 Vol. II— C 



