prevented the passage of my guns This determined me to abandon the boats, and to retreat to Dinajpur, where I hoped to find an asylum with the Raja whilst I waited for a reply to my letters to Jafar All Khan and the English.  We marched till 1 o’clock in the afternoon without being harassed or disquieted—­no doubt because during this time Sheikh Faiz Ulla and his people were occupied in plundering the boats.  We were now not very far from Dinajpur, when we met a body of the Raja’s cavalry, the commander of which begged me to take another road so as not to pass through his town.  Accordingly he gave me a guide, with whom we marched till half-past five, when we arrived at a great gunge (market place) at the extremity of Dinajpur.  There they lodged us in a great thatched building.  The want of provisions had caused us to suffer very much in this retreat.”

This was the battle of Cantanagar.  Kasim Ali described it as follows to Clive:—­

“My people and the French had a battle, and the latter finding themselves much, beat, they run away, and left their boats.  They went to Oppoor” “and begged protection of the Kajah’s people....  Bahadur Sing came and told my people to go a little further off, and they would deliver them up, but they put us off from day to day."[154]

About the time he was writing this, Clive was writing to say that he had received Courtin’s offer of surrender, and that Kasim Ali was to cease hostilities and allow the French to come to him with their boats and necessaries.  Kasim Ali had received orders to the same effect from Mr. Scrafton, who informed him he was sending an officer to accept their surrender.  This did not however prevent Kasim Ali from trying to get hold of them, which accounts for the following letter from Raja Ram Nath to Clive:[155]—­

“The French are now coming from another country by boats to go towards Muxadavad, and Kasim Ali Khan’s people have followed them, out of his own country into mine.  They have left their boats among Kasim Ali Khan’s people and are now travelling to Jangepors” (?  Tangepur).

“When I heard this I sent people with all expedition to look after them, and I now hear that they have surrounded them.  The French want the Nawab’s and your orders and call for justice[156] from you.  They have hoisted the Nawab’s[157] and your colours, have put on your cloaths (?) and want to go to Muxadavad.  Kasim Ali Khan’s people want to carry them to Rungpore but they refuse to go, and say that if one of us is taken they will destroy themselves.[158] I am a poor Zemindar who pays revenues[159] and ready to obey your orders.  If the Rungpore people should take them by force, and they should kill themselves, it would be a troublesome affair.”

To return to Courtin’s letter.