live as the military
representative of the Company.

Such were some of the difficulties with which this distinguished man
had to contend. He would sometimes say to me, in his moments of
confidence--

"I declare to you, Ford, that if I had known how I was to be vexed
and thwarted by those whose duty it is to assist me, I would never
have undertaken this command. After ruining their own affairs these
Bengal gentlemen criticise and hamper every step I take to restore
them; and Admiral Watson is more zealous in maintaining what he
considers the honours due to his profession, than he is in beating the
Moors."

But in spite of this occasional bitterness, the Colonel entertained a
great respect for Mr. Watson's courage and abilities as a seaman, more
especially after the celebrated affair of Chander Nugger. Whilst Mr.
Clive, with the other members of the committee, was engaged in
settling the affairs of Calcutta, some spies came in with the news
that the town of Hooghley lay very open to attack, the garrison being
greatly dismayed and ready to give up the place on very slight
provocation. Accordingly the Admiral sailed up the river against it
with his fleet, and some troops under Major Kilpatrick and Captain
Coote, attacking it on the land side, it was taken with very little
loss on our side, and destroyed. But as I was not present on this
occasion, so I shall say little about it, except to remark that it
served to yet further impress the Indians with a sense of our power,
and put Surajah Dowlah on marching from Moorshedabad to crush us with
all his force.

The state in which we found Calcutta was indeed pitiable. The native
quarter, especially that inhabited by the meaner sort of people, was
not much injured, but all the English mansions and factories lay in
ruins. The unfortunate servants of the Company, although thus restored
to their former home, found themselves without shelter or money, the
traffic having, of course, entirely ceased. It was fortunate for me
that I had been able to bring away the jewels which Surajah Dowlah had
given me in his fits of maudlin friendship, for these fetched a good
price among the Gentoo merchants, and procured me as much money as I
had occasion for. But with most of the others, from Mr. Drake
downwards, it was different; and if the plunder of Hooghley had not
brought in about a lac and a half of rupees, about this time, into the
Company's coffers, I scarce know what they would have do