Page:Our Indian Army.djvu/146

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122
OUR ANGLO-INDIAN ARMY.

allotted for his support; while the English were to be invested with the possession of Burdwan, Midnapore, and Chittagong, as means of defraying the Company's charges in maintaining the throne of Bengal.

Nothing now remained but to communicate the terms of the treaty to the man whose power had been thus summarily transferred to one of his servants; and this duty was performed by Mr. Vansittart himself, who proceeded to Cossimbazar, attended by a considerable military force under Colonel Calliaud. By means of this persuasive argument, the virtually deposed Soubahdar, after some very natural reluctance, was at length brought to reason. He was content to stipulate only for the preservation of his life and honour, and an allowance suitable to his maintenance. Of these being fully assured, he set out immediately to reside at Calcutta, and Meer Cossim was seated on the musnud. By the evening all was perfectly quiet, and a stranger might have entered Moorshedabad without suspecting that the city had that day been the scene of a revolution. The usual demonstrations of Asiatic gratitude followed close upon the dethronement of Meer Jaffier. The Honourable Company Bahander, in addition to the ceded territories, received from Meer Cossim five lacs of rupees; Mr. Holwell, who had negotiated the whole affair, was gratified with two lacs and seventy thousand; Mr. Sumner, a member of Council, two lacs and twenty-four thousand; Colonel Calliaud, two lacs; Mr. McGuire, one lac and eighty thousand rupees, and five thousand gold mohurs.[1] Mr. Culling Smith, who was secretary to the Committee, had one lac and thirty-four thousand rupees; and Major Yorke, who commanded the detachment immediately attendant on Meer Cossim, benefited to the like extent. Mr. Vansittart, "as was befitting his station" (says Thornton, with his usual dry humour), had the largest

  1. A gold mohur is equal to sixteen rupees. This gentleman seemed to like a variety in his coin.