Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/540

 50G

IIISTOIiV (»[•• INDIA.

[htJOK III.

A.D. 1754.

Duploix su- (JcKloheu.
 * H!i-si)cle(l by

.X'P'eement l)B;.ween the twi) com- pviiies.

Its terms.

M. Godeheu, a director of tlie French Company, who arrived on the 2d of Augu.st, 1754, invested with absolute authority over all the French settlements in the East Indies. It is easy to conceive how Ijitterly Dupleix mast have felt when thus compelled to resign. Even when deprived of the substance of power lie clung to its shadow, and was permitted during the two montlw which elapsed before he took his final departure for Eui'ope, to gratify his vanity by wearing the dress and parading the streets with all the insignia belonging to him in his imaginary capacity of Nabob of the Carnatic. The fact of his being gratified by such an exhibition proves him to have been devoid of true dignity of character, and makes it impossible to take much interest in his future fortunes. Yet his fate was hard. He had not only spent his life, but embarked his whole fortune in the service of the French East India Company. From them, there- fore, he was entitled to generous treatment. So far from this, they would not even do him justice, and he was obliged to seek it by a law process, which was still pending when he died, ruined and broken-hearted.

Immediately on his arrival, M. Godeheu entered into communication Mnth Mr. Saunders, governor of Madras, and gave proof of his good faith and anxiety for a settlement by releasing the company of Swiss soldiei*s who had been cap- tured while proceeding in country boats for Fort St. David. A favourable answer was returned, but meanwhile both parties continued their wai-like opera- tions. The French received a reinforcement of 1 200 men, of whom 000 were hussars under the command of Fitscher, a partisan of some reputation ; a still larger accession of force was made to the British, by the arrival of the squadron above mentioned. It was commanded by Admiral Watson, and consisted of three ships, of sixty, fifty, and twenty guns ; together Adth a sloop of war and several Company's ships, having on board the 49th regiment of 700 men, under command of Colonel Adlercron, forty royal artillerymen, and 200 Company re- cruits. The superiority was decidedly with the British, and probably had some effect in inducing M. Godeheu to propose terms so reasonable that they were at once acceded to, so far as to justify a suspension of hostilities, on the 11th of October, 1754. Its duration was fixed at three months; but before these expired, the terms of a treaty, conditional on the approbation of the two com- panies in Europe, were adjusted, and became the basis of an eighteen months' truce. The leading principle of the ti'eaty was, that on the east coast of India the two companies should be placed on a footing of peifect equality. With this view it was stipulated that they should for ever renounce aU Moorish government and dignity, never interfere in quaiTels among native princes, and restore to them all places and possessions except those which the treaty, when made definitive, should expressly reserve ; that in Tanjore the English should retain Devicotta, and the French Carrical, with the districts at present attached to each ; that on the Coromandel coast the English should retain Fort St George and Fort St. David with their present districts, and the French Pondi-