Chapter 22: In which is given a full, true, and particular account of the
Battle of the Carts.
Desmond expected that Mohun Lal would reach Santipur shortly after
nightfall. He himself might hope to arrive there, if not intercepted at
Khulna or Amboa, at any time between midnight and three o'clock,
according to the state of the river.
It was approaching dusk when he drew near to Khulna. The boats having
been tied up to the bank, as the custom was, Desmond sent the Babu to
find out from the Company's gumashta there whether news of the capture of
Cossimbazar Fort had reached the bazar, and if any runner had come in
from the north. In an hour the Babu returned. He said that there was
great excitement in the bazar: no official messenger had arrived, but
everybody was saying that the Nawab had captured the English factory at
Cossimbazar, and was going to drive all the Firangi out of Bengal.
Desmond decided to take a bold course. Official news not having arrived,
he might seize the moment to present his dastaks and get away before the
customs officers found any pretext for stopping him. Everything happened
as he hoped. He met with no more difficulty than at Path, and informing
the official who examined the dastaks that he would drop down to Amboa
before tying up for the night, he drew out again into the stream.
He spent some time in consultation with the serang. In a rather desolate
reach of the Hugli, he learned that in the middle of the stream there was
a small island, uninhabited save by teal and other waterfowl, and not
known to be the haunt of tigers or other beasts of prey.
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