the desertions from the British forces were numerous.  Colonel Clive had more than once written to Renault to remonstrate with him for taking British soldiers into his service.  Probably Renault could have retorted the accusation with justice—­at any rate, he went on enlisting deserters; and from those who had now come over he formed a company of grenadiers of 50 men, one of artillery of 30, and one of sailors of 60, wisely giving them a little higher pay than usual, “to excite their emulation.”  One of these was a man named Lee,—­

“a corporal and a deserter from the Tyger, who pledged himself to the enemy that he would throw two shells out of three into the Tyger, but whilst he was bringing the mortars to bear for that purpose, he was disabled by a musket bullet from the Kent’s tops.  He was afterwards sent home a prisoner to England."[27]

As might be expected the younger Frenchmen were wild with delight at the chance of seeing a good fight.  Some of them had been much disappointed that the Nawab had not attacked Chandernagore in June, 1756.  One of them wrote[28]—­

“I was charmed with the adventure and the chance of carrying a musket, having always had” (what Frenchman hasn’t?) “a secret leaning towards a military life.  I intended to kill a dozen Moors myself in the first sortie we made, for I was determined not to stand like a stock on a bastion, where one only runs the risk of getting wounds without having any of the pleasure of inflicting them.”

If not the highest form of military spirit, this was at any rate one of which a good commander might make much use.  Renault took advantage of this feeling, and from the young men of the colony, such as Company’s servants, ships’ officers, supercargoes, and European inhabitants,[29] he made a company of volunteers, to whom, at their own request, he gave his son, an officer of the garrison, as commander.

One of the volunteer officers writes:—­

“I had the honour to be appointed lieutenant, and was much pleased when I saw the spirit of emulation which reigned in every heart.  I cannot sufficiently praise the spirit of exactitude with which every one was animated, and the progress which all made in so short a time in the management of their arms.  I lay stress on the fact that it was an occupation entirely novel to them, and one of which the commencement always appears very hard, but they overcame all difficulties, and found amusement in what to others would appear merely laborious.”

All this time Renault was watching the war between the English and the Moors.  In January the English sailed up the Hugli, passed Chandernagore contemptuously without a salute, burned the Moorish towns of Hugli and Bandel, ravaged the banks of the river, and retired to Calcutta.  Up to this the Nawab had not condescended to notice the English; now, in a moment of timidity, he asked the intervention of the French as mediators.[30]