Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/443

 f'HAr. II.]

EARLY CAREER OF LABOURDONNAIS.

409

In this way his measures for extending the influence and territory of the French in India were earned on with equal secrecy and success.

While Dupleix was revolving plans of aggrandisement, and smoothing the way for the accomplishment of them, the relations between Great Britain and France had ceased to be friendly, and the war known as that of the Austrian succession was declared in 1744. The companies on both sides of tlie Channel su])posed it possible that warlike operations might be excluded from the countries lying within the limits of the Indian Ocean, and with this view endeavoiu-ed to enter into airangements which would have left each as free as before to prosecute the Indian trade. Had the respective governments sanctioned the arrangements, the singular and not uninstructive spectacle might have been seen of two nations living peacefully with each other in one cpiarter of the globe while a fierce war was raging between them in all other quarters. But without such sanction the projjosed an-angement, though seriously entertained, was a dream. This seems ultimately to have been the conclusion of all parties, for it soon appeared that at tlie very time when the proposal of an Indian neutrality was under discussion, the French government were secretly entertaining a project which was to enable them, as soon as war was actually declared, to bring an overwhelming force into the East, and strike a blow by which English interests there would be at once annihilated.

The project referred to was suggested to the French ministry by Bernard Fran9ois Mahd de la Bourdonnais, usu- ally designated for brevity as Labour- donnais. He was bom at St. Malo, apparently of humble parentage, in T690, and when only ten years of age began life as a sailor, by making a voyage to the Pacific. During a second voyage, made in 1713, to the East Indies, he emplo3'ed his leisure in stiulying matlie- matics, vmder a Jesuit who hajipened to be on bo.ard, and kintUy undertook to give him lessons. After other two vov {ges, one to the North and the other to the Levant, he in 1710 entered tlie service of the East India Company as second lieutenant, and had become second captain in 1724, when he took part in an expedition to the Malabar coast for the purjiose of relieving the settle- ment of Mah^, which had for a considerable time been suttt'ring severely from a blockade by the natives. The success of the expedition was mainly owing to his ability; but from some cause not explained, he shortly after quitted the company's service and engaged in commerce, making several suc- VoL. I. 52

A.D 1T44.

W.-ir between G resit Bri- tain  Vm. Vangelisty, 1776.

Early carec. of Ijal«iir (lonnais