Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/448

 •^'•* HISTORY OF IXfJlA. [Book HI.

AD 1710. state ofhi.s .ships and want of provisions must have compelled him speedily i/j retire. Thanking his good fortune, he steered directly for Pondicherry. Imme- diately on his arrival, his reception by the governor convinced him that he had little to expect from his co-operation. L>upleix, vv^hose vanity and ambition were still greater than his talents, could not conceal his jealousy of Labourdonnais. He saw in him the person who, in the event of anything befalling himself, was destined to be his successor, and he was mortified to find that an expedition, destined to act within the limits of what he conceived to be his exclusive juris- diction, had been placed beyond his control, the only instructions given him being to assist it with his advice and second it with his efforts. The feelings which rankled in his mind, scarcely disguised at the first, were soon openly- manifested, and led eventually to a course of proceedings which ruined both Labourdonnais and Dupleix, sacrificed the French interests in India, and saved those of Great Britain from impending destruction, ^we back* After a short and unsatisfactory consultation, in which the only point settle<l

wartiiiessof was, that Labourdonuais' first endeavour must be to clear the coast of tlie

tlie British ~r t -i -, -,

naval com -Cingiish squadron, he set sail with that view, and had the satisfaction to leani that the danger apprehended from it was groundless. Judging by what the English commander ought to have done, he naturally expected that he w^ould soon reappear, and even though too cautious or cowardly to risk a general action, would keep hovering on the coast, so as to keep up a constant alarm, and make it most hazardous, if not impossible, for the French to disembark their troops for the purpose of making an attempt upon Madras. This was dsibly the great object now in contemplation, and to prevent the execution of it the commander of the British fleet ought to have devoted his utmost efibrts. After spending a month at Trincomalee he did make his appearance, but it was only to repeat his former procedure, and save himself by flight, because he had dis- covered or imagined, that while his force remained the same, that of the enemy had been augmented by additional guns procured at Pondicherry. tow"" °f*^* Convinced that he had nothing to fear from the English squadron, Laboui'- Madias. donnais returned to PondicheiTy, and began to prepare in earnest for the siege of Madras. It was a prize worth fighting for, and to all appeai'ance might be gained without much sti'uggle. Within the territory belonging to it, and form- ing a tract which stretched about five miles along the coast and one mile inland, a population of 250,000 had been gathered, but nearly the whole of it consisted of natives, by whom it was known that no resistance would be offered. Madras itself consisted of three divisions. Farthest north was an immense assemblage of huts, huddled together without any order, and occupied entu'ely by the lowest classes of natives ; immediately adjoining this suburb, on the south, was what was called the Black Town, containing many good houses, which belonged to Indian and Armenian merchants, and surrotmded by a wall of so little height and strength as to be almost useless for defence ; south of this la)-

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