cure.

War between England and France.

27

was beyond the reach of the native physicians to By the hostility of the Nizam, the Company were for a long time prevented from purchasing these townships, though permitted to obtain another privilege from the grateful emperor, viz., the right of conveying their goods from Calcutta through the province of Bengal, without duty or search. In a very short time the Company benefited by this grant enormous extent, though the French East India Company, who had made Pondicherry their stronghold, endeavoured to counteract their plans by every means in their power.

to an

In the year 1742, when war between England and France seemed imminent, the French Company, then in its infancy, proposed to the English Company, that whatever might happen in Europe, there should be peace between them in India. The Court of Directors

rejected, this proposed

at first agreed to, and then neutrality; instructing their officers to watch, and, if possible, to circumvent every treaty which the French might endeavour to make with the natives on behalf of their own trade. Two years later the war which broke out between England and France in Europe and America rapidly spread to Hindostan. Labourdonnais, the governor of the Mauritius and the Isle of Bourbon, who had got together a warlike squadron by training the crews of all the French trading vessels which stopped at the Mauritius to the use of cannon, commenced his operations with an attack on Madras. The total number of his forces amounted to upwards of 3,600 men, a most motley crew, consisting of Frenchmen, Caffres, Negroes, and Sepoys, with upwards of 400 from Pondicherry.

The English in the colony of Madras did not exceed 300 men all told, of whom about 200 were soldiers, who occupied the Fort of St. George, then surrounded by a weak wall, and defended by four badly constructed batteries. About the middle of September, Labourdonnais appeared off the town, and immediately commenced a bombardment, which continued for five days, at the end of which the English garrison was compelled to capitulate. The French did not lose a single man, the English not above four or five; while, by the terms of the capitulation, Labourdonnais pledged himself to restore Madras to the English Company on payment of a fixed

ransom.

In his instructions from the French Government, Labourdonnais was expressly prohibited from occupying any factory or establishment of the English, which seems to show that neither the home Government nor the French Company contemplated any idea of territorial conquest in India. M. Dupleix, however, as governor of Pondicherry, thought this a favourable opportunity for promoting the interest of his country, having previously formed in his own mind a plan of extensive conquest in India, his first object being to drive the English from the coast of Coromandel. Dupleix, who aspired to have the sole conduct of the war, regarded Labourdonnais as an intruder and rival. Now, however, he insisted that Labourdonnais should break the conditions of the capitulation, and keep possession of Madras. The brave sailor was determined to oppose such a proceeding, which would have been not only a breach. of faith and honour, but also of the orders of the

The Capture of Madras.

29

home Government; but a storm having arisen, which compelled him to put to sea, and caused the loss of two of his ships with their crews, Labourdonnais demanded that the treaty should be altered so as to allow an extension of time for the removal of the Company's goods; so the period of evacuation was consequently advanced from the 15th of October to the 15th of the following January. This was in accordance with the wishes of the crafty Dupleix, as he intended on his rival's departure to take possession of Madras, without paying any regard to the articles of capitulation.

Labourdonnais repaired to Pondicherry as soon as the weather permitted, and proposed several plans for the benefit of his countrymen, to none of which would Dupleix agree. After many quarrels he took his departure for France, to answer the accusations. of his enemies, and to procure sufficient patronage at home, which might enable him to return with credit and power to India. On his voyage homewards, he was taken prisoner by a British man-of-war, which brought him to England, where he was hospitably received, and treated with distinction. On his subsequent arrival in France, he was imprisoned in the Bastile in 1748, where he remained more than two years without a trial; and when at length it took place, he was acquitted of all the charges made against him. But his sufferings had been great; he was reduced to poverty, and died soon after of a broken heart. Such is the reward often given by the government of an ungrateful country to the most deserving and distinguished of its citizens.

30

CHAPTER VI.

FROM THE CAPTURE OF MADRAS BY THE FRENCH TO THE CAPTURE OF DEVICOTTA BY THE ENGLISH.

THE

A.D. 1746—1749.

HE unfortunate Labourdonnais had scarcely quitted Madras when the Nabob of Arcot, irritated by his attack on a settlement within his jurisdiction, sent his son, Mafooz Khan, at the head of 10,000 men, to drive the French from that place. The force which Labourdonnais had left behind him in Fort St. George exceeded 1,200 men, nearly all native French, under well-trained discipline. The natives were astonished and panic-stricken by the rapidity of their artillery; and after a brief struggle Mafooz Khan fled with all his host. Madras being now secure, Dupleix, the governor of Pondicherry, deliberately violated the convention made by Labourdonnais, ordering the officers to seize every article of property there, private or public, native or English, except clothes, furniture, and the jewels belonging to the women. After thus confiscating all their property, Dupleix offered the English residents the alternative of remaining as prisoners of war on parole, or being sent to Pondicherry. Some escaped to Fort St. David, but the governor and most of the

The Attack on Fort St. David.

31

inhabitants were taken to Pondicherry as prisoners, and publicly degraded by being marched through the streets.

Dupleix then turned his attention to Fort St. David, distant about twelve miles from Pondicherry. On the night of December 19th, 1746, he quitted Pondicherry with 1700 men, the greatest portion being French, arriving next morning before Fort St. David, which was occupied by about 200 English soldiers and 100 natives. The French had already begun to train the native Sepoys to European discipline, while the English delayed following so good an example. They had, however, hired about 2000 men, irregularly armed with swords and targets, bows and arrows, which were employed to defend the town of Cuddalore, in the immediate neighbourhood of the fort, and partly protected by walls. French took up an advantageous position, making sure of the capture of both the fort and the town, when a large army appeared on their flank, and compelled them to make a disastrous retreat. This relieving army had been sent by the Nabob of Arcot, to avenge the defeat of his son at Madras, and captivated with the liberality of the English, who had promised a large sum of money if he would come to their help.

The

A second attempt was made on Fort St. David in the following month of January, 1747, when Dupleix embarked five hundred men in boats, in order to capture Cuddalore by surprise; but the wind and waves opposing, the detachment returned to Pondicherry without any result. Some ships of war arriving soon after, Dupleix skilfully represented