Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/451

 Chap. II.] Tllfi RANSOM OF MADRAS. -^17

AD. 17-10.

Madras until every stipulation to which he had consented should be honourably performed. Violence having thus proved unavailing, Dupleix saw the necessity of changing his tactics, and while weaving new pretexts for delaying the actual restoration of Madras to the English, solemnly bound himself to ciirry it into effect as soon as certain preliminary arrangements were comj)leted.

Dm-ing the heat of the quarrel between the two French governors, three Amount of ships of war, one of seventy-two, and two of forty guns, with 1366 men on stitti.a. board, arrived at Pondicherry. Added to the force which Labourdoimais al- ready possessed, they gave him such an ascendency as placed all the other English settlements in India at his mercy. To all appearance nothing could now save Bombay and Calcutta from sharing the fate of Madras. This petty (juarrel saved them. Labomxlonnals, detained by it, lost his opportunity. The very day after the ransom had been fixed, by regular treaty, at eleven hies of pagodas, nearly £44!0,000 sterling, the monsoon commenced with a furious hur- ricane, by which six ships of the French fleet lying in the Madras Roads were driven out to sea. One of them foundered; four of the others, including the seventy-gun ship, were completely dismasted, and otherwise seriously injured. In fact, the Frencli marine force in the East was so completely crippled as to be afterwards incapable of achieving anything of consequence.

Labourdonnais, trusting to the promise of Dupleix faithfully to perform all LabounUm- the conditions of the capitulation, finally quitted Madras, committing the charge india. of it to a member of the council of Pondicherry. On arriving at this place, he left as many soldiers and sailors as, with those previously there, amounted to 3000 Europeans. His whole fleet now consisted of only seven ships, four of them in good and three in wretched condition. He sailed on the 20th of October, intending to proceed for Acheen with the whole ; but, when at sea, clianged his intention with regard to the three, on finding that even if capable of reaching that port they would be unserviceable, and steered with them directly for the Mauritius. He had (quitted that island at the head of a powerful armament, with which he was confident of achieving glorious results. How mortifying must have been the contrast presented by his return ! His misfor- tunes, however, were not yet ended. During his absence he had been superseded in his government, and nothing remained for him but to return to Europe shorn of all his honours. The voyage was singularly unfortunate. After passing the Cape of Good Hope, he narrowly escaped cjipture by British cruisers ; and, having been obliged to part company with the other sliips of the fleet, arrived in the West Indies. Here, as war was not yet declared between France and Holland, he took passage in a Dutch vessel which touched at Falmouth. The officials there, probably acting on information which had been given them, recognized him, and he was carried to London as a prisoner of war. The reception given him was equally lionourable to himself and to those to whom he owed it. All classes vied in testifying respect and showing kindnes.s, and when he expressed Vol. I. 63