mmissariat to exchange their small and worn-out bullocks for the
splendid oxen of the Subahdar, the troops pressed on, and at eight
o'clock the entire force was united at Daudpur.

Such was the battle of Plassey. The loss of the English force was
extremely small, amounting to seven Europeans and sixteen sipahis
killed, and thirteen Europeans and thirty-six sipahis wounded. No
officer was killed: two were wounded, but their names are not
recorded. A midshipman of the _Kent_, Shoreditch by name, was shot in
the thigh, whilst doing duty with the artillery. The enemy's
casualties were far greater. It was calculated to be, in killed and
wounded, about a thousand, including many officers. They had been far
more exposed than the English. Writing, in the letter already
referred to, of the phases of the action between two and five
o'clock, Clive states that their horse exposed {106}themselves a
great deal; that 'many of them were killed, amongst the rest four or
five officers of the first distinction.'

Clive had gained his victory. We have now to record the use that he
made of it.

{107}

CHAPTER X
HOW CLIVE DEALT WITH THE SPOILS OF PLASSEY: HIS DEALINGS WITH MIR
JAFAR; WITH THE PRINCES OF SOUTHERN INDIA; WITH THE DUTCH

The following morning Clive despatched Mr. Scrafton and Omar Beg[1]
to escort Mir Jafar to his camp. The time had arrived when one at
least of the spoils of Plassey was to be distributed.

[Footnote 1: Omar Beg was a confidential agent of Mir Jafar, attached
to Clive's person.]

Long previous to the battle Clive had received various proposals from
the three general officers who had commanded the three principal army
corps at Plassey. First, Yar Lutf Khan had made him a bid, his main
condition being that he should be proclaimed Subahdar.[2] Then Mir
Jafar outbad him, bringing with him Raja Dulab Ram, who would be
content with the office of Finance Minister under the Mir. It had
been arranged that whilst Mir Jafar should be proclaimed Subahdar of
the three provinces, he should confirm to the English all the
advantages ceded by Siraj-ud-daula in the preceding February; should
grant to the Company all the lands lying to the south of Calcutta,
together with a slip of ground, {108}600 yards wide, all round the
outside of the Maratha Ditch;[3] should cede all the French factories
and establishments in the province; should pledge himself that
neither he nor his successors in the office of Subahdar shoul