Mss Eur Orme OV.164A

1, pp. 1-135, The Seventh Book of Orme's Indostan. A draft, but evidently not the last, as it begins with what is part of the sixth Book (on p. 84).

This volume contains (1) W. Bolts' Map of Bengal, published 1st Jan. 1772; (2) Tenitory of Calcutta; (3) a MS. and coloured plan of Chandernagore; (4) a MS. View of Fort Orleans and part of Chandernagore with the position of the ships at the taking it on the 22nd March 1757. Of these plans only that of the Territory of Calcutta is to be found; in the volume of plans appended to Orme's History. (Ed. 1862.)

Both this and the following volume contain a number of corrections and insertions in Orme's handwriting. A comparison of the description of the Plassey campaign as given in these volumes with that given in the History as printed in 1778 is interesting, since the omissions in the latter indicate that Orme's MS. had been carefully edited so as to exclude any passage which might appear derogatory to the character of Clive (who had died four years earlier), e.g., from the passage on p. 111 of this volume: "The soldier slept, but few of the officers, and least of all the Commander, who was observed to pass the night in much agitation both of body and mind," the clause in italics was omitted, as also the whole of a passage on p. 115, in which it is stated that whilst Clive and most of his officers despaired of success the "common soldiery" alone were confident and undismayed. See also note on p. 119.