Mss Eur Orme OV.28

pp. [i-iv]. Table of Contents. (Continued at the end of the volume.) Arranged under Provinces and Subjects.

1, pp. 1-95. Letters from Robert Orme to John Payne. P.96 endorsement. (1) pp. 1-29 (23.5 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, 26 October 1755. Original or duplicate. Describes as a matter of duty (!) the characters of Messrs. Lawrence, whom he describes as honourable but vain, Saunders as over sharp, Palk as intriguing and fond of money, Bourchier as sensible but weak and choleric, Wynch as prejudiced and violent; says that Clive had made a fortune of £40,000 as " contractor to victual the army" at the rate of six fanams a man each day, and that the rate which was afterwards reduced to four fanams, still left a great profit; Cabal in Council against Saunders, headed by Lawrence and Palk; Pigot's extraordinary deference for Lawrence; much personal spite shown in the condemnation of Colonel Heron. In the Preface Orme describes this letter as containing" Characters of the Council, entre nous, nothing else very material, confidential." The greater part of the letter is printed in Colonel H. D. Love's Vestiges of Old Madras, Vol. II., p. 484 et seq. (2) pp. 33-44 (23.3 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, October 1756. Duplicate. Bussy and Salabat Jang; Clive's expedition to Bengal; the troubles in Madura and Tinnevelly; encomium upon Muhammad Yusuf Khan. (3) pp. 45-56 (23.3 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, 2 November 1756. Original or duplicate. Discusses the real reason for the attack by Siraj-ud-daula upon Calcutta; rejects the ostensible reasons, and ascribes it either to the private instigation of Hukm Beg or Coja Wajid, or to the Nawab's eagerness to please the army by giving it the plunder of the richest town in Bengal; praises Holwell, and has even a kindly word for Drake, whom he is forced to condemn; concludes by saying that his health is so bad that, even if he is nominated President for Bengal, he will not be able to accept it: “My constitution, which thro' my applications is now loaded with infirmities even in this the best of climates will render me utterly incapable of being of any service in that of Bengall which is the very worst." (4) pp. 57-64 and 65-70 (23.3 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, 3 November 1756. Original or duplicate, with a copy of the same. Orme describes this as "An account of the deliberations and resolutions of the Presidency of Madrass concerning the loss and calamities of Bengal - confidential and extremely curious." The letter really claims for Orme the whole merit of arranging that Clive should command the expedition to Bengal; Mr. Pigot, at his best, being of use only to support Orme and Clive. (5) pp. 73-81 (23.3 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, 7 November 1756. Original or duplicate. Deals entirely with commercial matters. (6) pp. 85-88 (23.3 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, 8 November 1756. Original or duplicate. On commercial matters. (7) pp. 89-95 (23.3 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, 11 November 1756. Original or duplicate. The defences of Madras; character sketches of Lawrence, Clive, and Forde.

2, pp. 97-99 (37.3 x 23.5 cm.). Letter, dated Fort St. George, 20 August 1756, from the Council Fort St. George to Admiral Watson. Copy. Re-copied in III. 58. This letter was composed by Orme himself. It requests the Admiral's assistance for the recovery of Bengal.

3, pp. 101-102 (37.3 x 23.5 cm.). Letter, dated Fort St. George, 3 September 1756, from the Council Fort St. George to Colonel John Adlercron. Copy. Re-copied in III. 59. Regarding the expedition to recover Calcutta. Orme says (in the Contents) that he drafted this letter.

4, pp. 105-107 (37.3 x 23.5 cm.). Council of War (Naval) held at Fort St. George, the 30th September 1756. Copy. Re-copied in VII. 30. To discuss the disposal of booty which might be obtained in the expedition to Bengal.

5, p. 109 (37.3 x 23.5 cm.). Letter from the Council Fort St. George to Admiral Watson, dated October 4th 1756. Copy. Re-copied in VII. 31 (1). Ask an explanation of the decision come to by the naval officers in the Council of War held on 30 September.

6, p.110 (37.3x23.5 cm.). Letter from Admiral Watson to Council Fort St. George, drafted October 4th 1756. Copy. Re-copied in VII. 31 (2). Reply to No.5.

7, p. 111 (37.3 x 23.5 cm.). Letter from Council Fort St. George to Admiral Watson, dated October 5th 1756. Copy. Re-copied in VII. 31 (3). Thank the Admiral for his promise to restore Calcutta, when retaken, to the Company's representatives.

8, pp. 113-116 (29.8 x 18.5 cm.). Bengall Expedition. Explanation of Messrs. Clive's and Orme's opinion upon the second question. In Orme's handwriting An extract from the Madras Consultations. Orme and Clive considered that the loss of Calcutta deprived Messrs. Drake, &c., of their appointments as members of the Select Committee at Bengal. Mr. Pigot and the rest of the Council supported Mr. Palk, who held that the proper representatives of the Company in Bengal were the members of the "Select Committee at Bengal."

9, pp. 117-118 (29.8 x 18.5 cm.). Sketch of Orme's opinion of the measures to be taken and force to be sent for the recovery of Bengal. In Orme's handwriting. This is endorsed “Idea of a Bengal Expedition, read but not entered in Consultation."

10, p. 121 (20.5 x 16.5 cm.). Provision to each sepoy per day on board. Copy. Scrafton (Reflections on the Government of Indostan, p. 11) says that owing to the unexpected length of the passage to Bengal the provisions fell short, and that many of the Hindu sepoys preferred to starve rather than to eat food forbidden to their caste.

11, pp. 125-237. Letters from R. Orme to John Payne. (1) pp. 125-133 (23.5 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, February 9th 1757. Triplicate. Trouble in Tinnevelly caused by Mahfuz Khan, and Caillaud despatched to take the command against him; Bussy settling the provinces ceded to the French by Salabat Jang; the fortifications of Madras proceeding satisfactorily; says that he personally at the request of the Council, drew up the charges upon which Colonel Heron Was tried. P.S. Budge-Budge, Tannah, and Fort William captured by the English. (2) p. 137 (23.5 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, February 19th 1757. Duplicate. Success of the Bengal expedition. (3) pp. 141-176 (23.5 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, July 4th 1757. Duplicate. Colonel Forde repulsed at Nellore in March 1757, and Caillaud at Madura; Mir Sahib repulses the French at Elavanasur, but is killed soon after, and the fort surrenders; Clive not having returned any of the Madras troops after the fall of Chandernagore the French thought to take their revenge upon Trichinopoly, but were foiled by Caillaud; incompetence of Colonel Adlercron, with whom Lawrence is serving as a Volunteer; failure of negotiations with Mahfuz Khan; the Mysoreans buy off the Marathas, “who are now the Normans of India," and would certainly make over Madura and Tinnevelly to them if given up by the Nawab; Bussy's successes alarm the English for their northern factories, &c.; Father Lavaur, Superior of the French Jesuits; plan of defence in case the French attack Madras, and for the management of Madura, for which he recommends Yusuf Khan, and gives an instance of his gallantry. (4) pp. 177-189 (23.5 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, July 6th 1757. Duplicate. Clive's failure to return with his troops to Madras: “The prevalence of Clive's genius is, by what I have observed of it, to be fighting; that he is not averse to advantages is certain, and if both these prospects have united I am no longer surprised that he [has] lost his reason on this occasion." In his letter of 18 October 1758 (293. 12), Orme tells Clive that he at last understands his reasons for not returning to Madras. (5) pp. 193-195 (23.5 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, July 28th 1757. Duplicate. Capture of Vizagapatam by Bussy; the Marathas demand Chauth from the Nawab; the latter is much worried for money and a source of much trouble to the Council. (6) pp. 197-198 (23.5 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, July 28th 1757. Original. Caillaud's second failure to storm Madura. (7) pp. 201-202 (23.5 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, July 29th 1757. Duplicate. Strictly commercial. (8) pp. 205-206 (23 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, July 30th 1757. Original. Commercial chiefly. News that the chief men in Bengal have engaged with Clive to overthrow the Nawab. . (9) pp. 209-215 (23 x 18.5 cm.). Letter dated Madras, November 16th 1757. Duplicate. Asks that his letters may not be shown to either Mr. Saunders or Mr. Hume. Explains his reason for entering his dissent on the Minutes of the Secret Committee, in consequence of the Committee having written in their General Letter: - "At the same time we cannot help observing that many inconveniences may arise from the natural aversion which English troops will always show to the command of a foreigner," with strong reflections on his colleagues. (10) pp. 217-227 (23x18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, November 17th 1757. Duplicate. Negotiations of a very doubtful character with Mysore and the Nawab. "I know not whether such double dealing may square with the politics of Europe, but in Asia nothing but dissimulation will do." "In my private character, I pity no man on Earth so sincerely as I do this Nabob. He has cunning but no sense-cunning to make shifts, not sense nor courage to form a plan. He wants to spend like a Nabob at a time when he should withdraw his splendour to assume it some years hence with certainty. Still he is a Prince, and these avulsions from his State tear his pride to pieces. He is an object of compassion." The right policy for dealing with the Marathas. Pigot's weakness. To this letter is appended (pp. 225-227) a sketch of Orme's “ideas concerning the Mysorean, the Nabob, and Tritchinopoly." (11) pp. 229-234 (22.5 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, March 11th 1758. Duplicate. Growing disfavour of Saunders and Pigot towards Orme, who suspects that Payne may have communicated some of his remarks to the former. The greater part of this letter has been printed in Colonel H. D. Love's Vestiges of Old Madras, II. 489 et seq. The quarrel with Pigot reached its climax in Pigot openly accusing Orme of asking presents from the Nawab and of cowardice in wishing to leave Madras when about to be attacked by the French. It should be noted that Clive warned Orme (Malcolm's Life of Clive, II. 39) that, in reference to his leaving Madras, this Interpretation would be put on his conduct. Orme's real reason appears to have been ill-health. (12) p. 237 (22.5 x 18.5 cm.) Note, dated Madras, M arch 12th 1758, to Mrs. Payne. Duplicate. A fragment asking Payne's acceptance of some Cambric.

12, pp. 241-244 (23.2 x 19 cm.). Letter, dated London, 18th February 1758, from John Payne to Robert Orme. Marked "Copy," but evidently in Payne's handwriting. Chiefly commercial, but shows unfriendliness to both Saunders and Clive.

13, pp. 245-249 (22.5 x 18.5 cm.). Letter, dated Madras, March 12th 1758, from R. Orme to John Payne. Duplicate. Of no importance. pp. 249-257. Table of Contents. (Continued from the beginning of the volume.)