ferent man to what I did yesterday. Sit down and write my
answer to this insolent Moor."

I took the pen, and he dictated the following letter, of which I have
the draft still in my possession:--

"_To his Highness Surajah Dowlah, Nabob of Bengal, Bahar, and
Orissa._

"SIR,--I have received your letter, and am unable to understand
what it is that you complain of. I merely marched with a few of
my troops through your camp to show you of what Englishmen are
capable, but I had no hostile intentions, and was careful to
refrain from hurting any of your soldiers, except such as
imprudently opposed me. I have been, and still am, perfectly
willing to make peace with you upon proper conditions.--I have
the honour to remain your Highness's obedient servant,

"ROBERT CLIVE."

This bitter jest completed the effect produced by the previous day's
work. That very evening we heard that the Nabob had broken up his
quarters, and withdrawn to a distance of several miles from the
Company's territories; and a few days later he signed a treaty
granting full restitution to the Company of all that they had lost by
the sack of Calcutta. This was just six weeks from the time we had
started from Fulta.

During the period that followed I spent much of my time in the
hospital, sitting by old Muzzy's bedside. He had borne the removal of
his leg with great courage, but now that he began to mend I found him
much depressed in his spirits.

"My day is over, boy," he would say, "I shall never sail salt water
more. Old Muzzy is a dismasted hulk, only fit to be hauled up on the
mud, and broken up for tinder. Drown me if I don't a'most wish the
dogs had put a ball through my hull while they were about it, so that
I could ha' gone down in deep water, with colours flying and all hands
on deck, and heard the broadsides roaring over me to the last! That's
the death for a British tar, my fine fellow, in action gallantly, and
not to lie on the mud and rot away by inches like I'm fair to do."

I tried to cheer him up as best I could, though indeed I felt sorry
enough myself to see that strong man laid helpless as a child. I
thought it my duty to try and rouse him to some interest in better
things, and brought a Bible to read to him.

In this I succeeded after a fashion. He listened very readily to the
history of the Israelites, and expressed a huge admiration for Joshua
and some