and Clive, determined to escape.  Rushing tumultuously to the Porte Royale, their arms in their hands, they forced it to be opened to them, and, finding the northern road to Chinsurah unguarded, made the best of their way in that direction.  They were accompanied by a number of the military and marine, as well as by some of the Company’s servants and private persons who were determined not to surrender.  As all this took place after the hoisting of the white flag and pending the conclusion of the capitulation, the English considered it a breach of the laws of warfare, and when later on the meaning of the capitulation itself was contested they absolutely refused to listen to any of the representations of the French.  In all about 150 persons left the Fort.  They had agreed to reassemble at a place a little above Hugli.  The English sent a small force after them, who shot some and captured others, but about 80 officers and men arrived at the rendezvous in safety.  The pursuit, however, was carried further, and Law writes:—­

“Constantly pursued, they had to make forced marches.  Some lost their way; others, wearied out, were caught as they stopped to rest themselves.  However, when I least expected it, I was delighted to see the officers and many of the soldiers arrive in little bands of 5 and 6, all naked, and so worn out that they could hardly hold themselves upright.  Most of them had lost their arms.”

This reinforcement increased Law’s garrison from 10 or 12 men to 60, and secured the safety of his person, but the condition of the fugitives must have been an object lesson to the Nawab and his Durbar which it was not wise for the French to set before them.  A naval officer writes:—­

“From the letters that have lately passed between the Nawab and us, we have great reason to hope he will not screen the French at all at Cossimbazar or Dacca.  I only wish the Colonel does not alarm him too much, by moving with the army to the northward, I do assure you he is so sufficiently frightened that he had rather encounter the new Mogul[52] himself than accept our assistance, though he strenuously begged for it about three weeks ago.  He writes word he needs no fuller assurance of our friendship for him, when a single letter brought us so far on the road to Murshidabad as Chandernagore."[53]

The escape of the French from Chandernagore is of interest, as it shows the extraordinary condition of the country.  It is probable that the peasantry and gentry were indifferent as to whether the English or the French were victorious, whilst the local authorities were so paralyzed by the Nawab’s hesitation that they did not know which side to assist.  Later on we shall find that small parties, and even solitary Frenchmen, wandered through the country with little or no interference, though the English had been recognized as the friends and allies of the new Nawab, Mir Jafar.

To return, however, to Renault and the garrison of Chandernagore.  The capitulation proposed by Renault and the Admiral’s answers were to the following effect:—­