Page 302 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

302 EARLY ENGLISH ADVENTURERS IN THE EAST

before any definite result could be reached Heath had
reverted to his old idea of seeking a new site for a settle­
ment.
Early in November, the whole of the establishment
having been embarked, the long prosecuted quest assumed
a new phase. Heath, who was “ everything by turns, and
nothing long,” had only a vague idea of what he really
wanted to do. His first move, delayed until towards the
end of November, was to make an attack on the Mogul
camp at Balasor. The action was attended with the
usual success, but the troops stained their victory by ex­
cesses committed in the town against Christian and non-
Christian, friend and enemy alike. Nothing much came
of the affair save that the fives of the English factors, who
had been imprisoned and taken up country on the landing
from the ships, were placed in jeopardy. A letter received
at this juncture from the Company’s representatives at
Dacca announcing that the Nabob was favourable to their
proposals brought the policy of negotiation once more
into the ascendant. But by the end of the year Heath
was again on the war path. His objective this time was
Chittagong. There had been some question earlier of the
English helping the Moguls in a war which they were wag­
ing against the King of Arakan, and on the arrival of his
fleet off the port Heath sounded the local authorities on
the point. Finding that there was no desire locally to
enlist his aid the English commander turned his thoughts
to an attack on the town. A cool survey of the situation,
however, brought home to him the extreme risks which
would attend such an enterprise. Next his restless mind
swung round to the idea that the King of Arakan might
be used as a stalking horse for his plans. But his Majesty,