tated to do so long as the English fleet should remain off the
coast.

[Footnote 3: Chapter III.]

This was the situation when Lawrence and Clive returned from the
storming of Devikota. The chief of the English settlement was then
Mr. Floyer, a gentleman who had a great dread of responsibility. The
fighting party in the Council of Fort St. David urged that Muhammad
Ali should be supported, that the English fleet should remain off the
coast, and that Trichinopoli should be defended. The admiral declared
his willingness to remain if Mr. Floyer would only ask him. But
Floyer shrank from the responsibility. Consequently the fleet sailed
on the 1st of November, leaving behind 300 men as an addition to the
garrison.

The very day after the disappearance of the English fleet had become
known (November 2), Muzaffar Jang and Chanda Sahib, with their French
allies, marched towards Trichinopoli. But the two Indian princes had
been most improvident. They had spent all their funds. To obtain more
they assailed the strong fortress of Tanjore, captured one of the
gates of the fortress, and forced the Raja to agree to pay them very
large sums. But the wily prince, learning that Nasir Jang was
marching to his aid, managed to delay the chief payment until he had
ascertained that the Subahdar was within striking distance of the
place. He then point-blank refused to hand over {47}the money. The
news of the approach of Nasir Jang spread disorder in the ranks of
the armies of Muzaffar Jang and Chanda Sahib, and they hurriedly
retreated on Pondicherry.

Scenes of indescribable turmoil followed. In one of the skirmishes
that ensued there occurred an event which, unpromising as it appeared
at the outset, proved the means of the temporary accomplishment of
the plans of the two conspirators. In a skirmish Muzaffar Jang was
taken prisoner and placed in irons by the Subahdar. When in that
position, however, he managed to corrupt three of the principal
chiefs who followed the banner of that prince. Their schemes were
communicated to Chanda Sahib and to his French allies. The result was
that when the two rival armies joined battle at a place sixteen miles
from the strong fortress of Gingi, which, meanwhile, the French under
Bussy had captured, Nasir Jang's own levies turned against him and
slew him; released Muzaffar Jang, and acknowledged him Subahdar of
the Deccan.

This event occurred on the 16th of December, 1750. Chanda Sahib
himself car