5U0 HISTOIiY OF INDIA. [Book III.
A.D. 17.-.7. Matters, consecjuently, assumed a very ominous appearance. 'I'wo men were
overheard talking of a design to ma.ssiicre the detachment, and, at the same
time, tlie con(hict of the Europeans became so diwjrderly that CVjte had no
lootes alternative but to biing thirty of them to a court- martial, which sentenced
lirnmess.
them to be flogged. The infliction of such a punishment at .so trying a time is a rare example of firmness and decision ; but it must neceasarily have weakened the detachroent, and consequently added to the impending danger. Coote wa«, notwithstanding, determined to persevere in the original design of the ex{>edi- tion, and made preparations to continue the pursuit. The camp attendants and many of the boatmen now took alarm and deserted By great exertions their l)laces were supplied ; and the detachment, after reaching Dinapore and crossing the Sone at its confluence with the Gange.s, proceeded up the right or .southern bank of the latter river, till they arrived opposite to Chuprah. In this place the Company had a factory for the collection of saltpetre, which is made in large quantities in the surrounding districts. It was therefore deemed expedient to cross over, but from the want of boats and other assistance, three days were consumed in the operation. At Chuprah Coote learned that Law's party had reached Benares, and been favourably received by the rajah, who was dependent on Sujah Dowlah, Nabob of Oude. To have proceeded would have been to ri.sk collision with this formidable enemy, and it was therefore determined to wait for further orders. On the 1 2th of August a letter was received from Clive, order- ing the return of the detachment to Patna, there to concert with Mahmood Amy Khan, Meer Jaftier's brother, a scheme for wresting the government of Behar from Ramnarain. Not a moment was lost ; and the very next day the troops, carried swiftly down the stream by the current, landed at Patna, and resumed tlieir quarters in the factory. Coote saw that the only chance of overthrowing Ramnarain was to assault the citadel, then ganisoned by 2000 men, and make him prisoner. The attempt was not only daring, but must have seemed almost desperate; and j^et Coote would have made it, had not Mahmood counselled delay, in order to give him an opportunity of seducing the garrison. Before the result was ascertained, Meer Jafiier, who had suggested the depo.sition of Ramnarain, became suspicious of the designs of his own brother. Coote was, HfliBrecaUed. in consequence, recalled, and arrived with the detachment at Mooi-shedabad, on the 7th of September. The expedition thus failed of its object. Its indirect results, however, were important. The indomitable resolution which its com- mander displayed di'ew all eyes upon him as one of the destined hei'oes of Indian warfare; and, at the same time, made a powerful imjiression on the minds of the natives, convincing them how hopeless would be any attempt to arrest the progress of a nation, a mere handful of whose soldiers could thus wander hundreds of miles througli their country, as if defying attack, and yet without meeting an enemy bold enough to attempt it.
The very same day on which Coote set out on his remarkable expedition, an
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