assurances from Clive of being treated with justice, Pulwansing, another of these Indian chiefs whose districts lye at the s. w. extremity of the province amongst the mountains along the banks of the Caramnassa, was a notorious plunderer, and had incurred the resentment of Ramnarain: he likewise refused to appear until he had received the same security. These attentions to the mediation of Clive grated the Nabob's mind, which returned to its former antipathies, on intelligence that neither the Morratoes nor Sujah Dowlah were likely to prosecute their intended project of invading Behar. Clive, nevertheless, did not relax the rein.
All the salt-petre provided by the European settlements in Bengal is made in the country on the other side of the Ganges above Patna. The farm was always monopolized, and had long been in the hands of Cojah Wazeed, the great merchant of Hughley. Disputes had often risen between his servants and those of the English factory at Patna; and two months before they had come to blows, when two of the factory's servants were killed. This accident gave Clive the plea of asking the Nabob to grant the farm to the English company, as the only means of preventing such disputes in future. He offered the highest terms at which the farm had ever been rated; but the Nabob knew, that he could not exact on any pretence from the company the additional presents, which the renter, whilst his subject, could not refuse. This motive of his repugnance was, however, below his dignity to acknowledge, and after many objections he consented, reserving the receipt of 20,000 maunds, or 1,600,000 pounds weight a year, for his own use. The agents of the Dutch East-India company protested against the grant; which Clive answered by producing a letter, in which they had asked the farm of Surajah Dowlah for themselves. However it was agreed to supply them with the quantity they used to purchase.
The obtainment of this favour did not induce Clive to any remission in the authentic demands. The droops were in the fourth month of the campaign, and only the pay of two, amounting to two lacks, had been supplied. Although the Rajahs of Burdwan
