5 1 1-
HISTORY or INhTA.
I Hook J 11.
A.D 175C
Dispute re- garding the Uistrilmtion <>f juize-
Ex])e(iition
ag liiist Glieriali.
tion was altogetlior overlooked Without j)aying tlie least regard t/j it, a com- mittee of ten officers, representing the British naval and military forces about Uj be employed, met at Bomljay, and made a distribution among themselves of the whole anticipated prize-money. In thus excluding their allies the British were guilty of an act of premeditated injustice. So mercenary, indeed, was the spirit whicii they manifested, that the two services were on the point of (quarrelling as to the principle of division adopted Olive's rank as colonel entitled him only to the same share of prize-money as a naval captain ; but it was contended on the part of the ai-my, that his position as their commander-in-chief entitled him at least to share equally with Rear-admiral Pococke, who was only second in com- mand in the navy. As neither service would give way, the quarrel would have proved serious had not Admiral Watson succeeded in terminating it Ijy volun- teering to make up the difference claimed out of his own pocket. There was, doubtless, generosity in the sacrifice thus offered by Admiral Watson, and gene- rosity also in the conduct of Clive, who, when the actual deficiency, amounting to £1000, was afterwards tendered to him, refused to accept it ; but it would have been more creditable to them.selves individually, and to the seraces over whicii they presided, had they in the first instance recognized the just claims of theii- allies, and afterwards, instead of countenancing steridy rebuked the higgling and rapacious spirit manifested by their subordinates. On a review of the whole transaction, it is difiicult to agree with Sir John Malcolm, who thinks it "pleasing on this occasion to record the conduct of both the naval and the mili- tary commanders," though at the same time he cannot refrain fi'om censuring "that spirit of plunder, and that passion for the rapid accumulation of wealth which actuated all ranks." '
The expedition, consisting of four ships of the line, and other vessels, amounting in all to fourteen, having on board a battalion of 800 Eiu-opeans and 1000 sepoys, sailed in the beginning of February, 1756. The Mahratta army, under Ramajee Punt, had previously advanced from Choul, a town and seaport twenty- three miles south of Bombay. On the appearance of the fleet, Toolajee Angi'ia, in alarm, left the defence of the fort to his brother, and repau-ed to the Mahratta camp, where he endeavoui'ed to avert his fate, b}' proposing teims of accommodation. Had he succeeded, the Mahrattas, on gaining possession, would doubtless have amply compensated themselves for the meditated injustice of excluding them from a share of the plunder. The British, conxdnced that this was their intention, and perhaps conscious that their own conduct afibrded too good a justification of it, saw that no time was to be lost. The morning aftei- their arrival. Admiral Watson having summoned the fort without recei-ing any answer, gave orders to prepare for action. The fleet, drawn up in two parallel divisions on the north side of the promontory, opened on the fort at the distance of only fifty yards, with 1 50 pieces of cannon and the mortars of five bomb-ketches
' The Life of Robert, Lord Clive, vol. i. ]>. 1.35.
