The three leading members of the council were more impressed than any with these apprehensions, and proposed to the rest that Clive should be requested to accept of the government under the usual modes; the vote was unanimous, and the tender was made and accepted on the 26th of June.
Intelligence of the fall of Fort St. David had arrived on the 20th and left no doubt of Mr. Lally's intention of besieging Madrass as soon as the English squadron should be obliged by the monsoon to quit the coast in October, unless he should prefer to detach a part of his force to Bengal.
On the 4th of July, letters were received from Anunderauze-Gauzepetty, who had succeeded the Rajah Vizeramrauze, in his power and territory in the provinces of Rajahmundrum and Chicacole. Anunderauze, dissatisfied with the arrangements made by Mr. Bussy on the death of his predecessor, had waited an opportunity to take his revenge; which occurred soon after Mr. Bussy's departure, by the embarrassments in which he was involved at Aurengabad by the animosity of Nizamally, and the orders of Mr. Lally for his return into the Carnatic. Anunderauze, on this intelligence, marched from his residence of Vizianagarum, and retook Vizagapatam from the French garrison, of which he sent advices, offering to surrender the place, to the Presidency of Madrass; and requesting them to send a large detachment, which he intended to join with his own forces, and take the four provinces, which the French had obtained from the Subah of the Decan; but finding that no troops could be spared from the Carnatic, he now made the same proposals to the presidency of Bengal, where the project seemed delusive or chimerical to all but Clive. However, nothing could be determined before the month of September, when ships might quit the river, and the intentions of Mr. Lally would probably be ascertained.
The real state of the English affairs in the Carnatic could be no longer concealed in Bengal, and required more complacency than the government of Calcutta had hitherto shewn to the inclinations of Meer Jaffier, who regarded the encrease of their distresses with secret joy as the redemption of his own liberty. He would immediately have gratified his favourite vengeance against Roydoolub, if
