sooner arrived, than he proceeded up the river to the
neighbourhood of Tannah-fort, where his forces being disembarked, began
their march to Chinchura. In the meantime, by way of retaliating the
affront he pretended to have sustained in being denied a passage to
their own factory, he took several small vessels on the river belonging
to the English company; and the Calcutta Indiaman, commanded by captain
Wilson, homeward-bound, sailing down the river, the Dutchman gave him
to understand, that if he presumed to pass he would sink him without
further ceremony. The English captain seeing them run out their guns
as if really resolved to put their threats in execution, returned to
Calcutta, where two other India ships lay at anchor, and reported his
adventure to colonel Clive, who forthwith ordered the three ships to
prepare for battle, and attack the Dutch armament. The ships being
properly manned, and their sides lined with saltpetre, they fell down
the river, and found the Dutch squadron drawn up in a line of battle, in
order to give them a warm reception, for which indeed they seemed well
prepared; for three of them were mounted with thirty-six guns each,
three of them with twenty-six, and the seventh carried sixteen. The
duke of Dorset, commanded by captain Forrester, being the first that
approached them, dropped anchor close to their line, and began the
engagement with a broadside, which was immediately returned. A dead calm
unfortunately intervening, this single ship was for a considerable time
exposed to the whole fire of the enemy; but a small breeze springing up,
the Calcutta and the Hard wick advanced to her assistance, and a severe
fire was maintained on both sides, till two of the Dutch ships, slipping
their cables, bore away, and a third was driven ashore. Their commodore,
thus weakened, after a few broadsides struck his flag to captain
Wilson, and the other three followed his example. The victory being
thus obtained, without the loss of one man on the side of the English,
captain Wilson took possession of the prizes, the decks of which
were strewed with carnage, and sent the prisoners to colonel Clive at
Calcutta. The detachment of troops which they had landed, to the number
of eleven hundred men, was not more fortunate in their progress. Colonel
Clive no sooner received intelligence that they were in full march to
Chinchura, than he detached colonel Forde with five hundred men from
Calcutta, in order to oppose