166 THE CONQUEST OF BENGAL

on the eve of June 21, 1756, only twenty-three out of one hundred and forty-six emerged alive. As soon as the news of this dismal catastrophe reached Madras, the president lost no time in despatch- ing the fleet, commanded by Admiral Watson, to Ben- gal, with troops under Colonel Clive. The force was calculated to be sufficient not only for retaking Calcutta, but also for reducing Hugli, expelling the French from Chandarnagar, and even for attacking the Nawab's cap- ital at Murshidabad; and Clive set out, as he wrote, " with the full intention of settling the Company's estate in those parts in a better and more lasting con- dition than ever." He had less reason, he added, to apprehend a check from the Nawab's army than from the country and the climate. Nor indeed does it appear that any serious misgivings as to the result of the expe- dition troubled the government at Madras, where they were only anxious to get the business done in Bengal before the French armament under Lally should arrive on the Coromandel coast. Clive lost no time in driving the enemy's garrison out of Calcutta and Hugli. The Nawab marched down to encounter him with a very large force, which, after some parleying, was attacked by the English close to Calcutta. The engagement was indecisive, but the Nawab was so far daunted as to sign a treaty restoring to the Company their possessions in Bengal, and prom- ising compensation for losses. This truce, however, was broken very soon. There were strong reasons why the English should return speedily to Madras, but as France