Lutf Khan, and Meer Jaffier. Thus, the English
position was almost surrounded; and in advancing against the camp,
they would have to expose themselves to an attack in rear by the
troops of the conspirators. These generals had, between them, nearly
thirty-eight thousand troops.

From the roof of the hunting box, Clive watched the progress of the
enemy's movements. He saw, at once, that the position which they had
taken up was one which would entail the absolute destruction of his
force, should he be defeated; and that this depended entirely upon the
course taken by the conspirators. Against such a force as that opposed
to him, if these remained faithful to their master, success could
hardly be hoped for.

However, it was now too late to retreat, and the only course was to
show a bold front. Clive accordingly moved his troops out, from the
mango trees, to a line with the hunting box. The Europeans were formed
in the centre, with three field pieces on each side. The native troops
were on either flank. Two field guns, and the two howitzers, were
placed a little in advance of the hunting box, facing the French
position on the mound.

At eight o'clock in the morning, of the 23rd of June, a memorable day
in the annals of India, the preparations on both sides were complete;
and Saint Frais opened the battle, by the discharge of one of his guns
at the English. At the signal, the whole of the artillery round the
long curve opened their fire. The ten little guns replied to this
overwhelming discharge, and for half an hour continued to play on the
dense masses of the enemy. But, however well they might be handled,
they could do little against the fire of the fifty pieces of cannon,
concentrated upon them.

Had these been all served by European artillerymen, the British force
would have been speedily annihilated as they stood. The natives of
India, however, were extremely clumsy gunners. They fired but slowly,
and had the feeblest idea of elevation. Consequently their balls, for
the most part, went far over the heads of the English; and the four
field guns of Saint Frais did more execution than the fifty heavy
pieces of the nabob. At the end of half an hour, however, Clive had
lost thirty of his men, and determined to fall back to the mango
grove.

Leaving a party in the hunting box, and in the brick kilns in front of
it, in which the guns had been posted, to harass Saint Frais' battery
with their musketry fire, he withdrew t