I made the journey with a young fellow
named Clive, who had come out as a writer about two years before. He
was a fine young fellow; as unfitted as you are, I should think,
Marryat, for the dull life of a writer, but full of energy and
courage.
"At Fort Saint David we found two hundred English soldiers, and a
hundred Sepoys, and a number of us, having nothing to do at our own
work, volunteered to aid in the defence.
"After Dupleix had conquered Madras, the nawab awoke to the fact of
the danger of allowing the French to become all-powerful, by the
destruction of the English, and ordered Dupleix to restore the place.
Dupleix refused, and the nawab sent his son Maphuz Khan to invest the
town. Dupleix at once despatched a detachment of two hundred and
thirty French, and seven hundred Sepoys, commanded by an engineer
officer named Paradis, to raise the siege.
"On the 2nd of November, the garrison of Madras sallied out and drove
away the cavalry of Maphuz Khan; and on the 4th, Paradis attacked his
army, and totally defeated it.
"This, lads, was a memorable battle. It is the first time that
European and Indian soldiers have come into contest, and it shows how
immense is the superiority of Europeans.
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