Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/630

 3 lit)

msTOlCY OF IN 1)1 A.

LBooK in

A.D, I7r,8.

Arrival of a Kreiich force under Lilly ii» guvcnior- wneral.

Thomas Arthur, Comte de Lally.

From a French print.

Preparations for the siege of Fort St. David.

who liad made an incursion into the Caraatic, and demanded a large sum aa tlie arrears of chout.

On the 2Hh of February, 1758, Admiral Pococke, who had Bucceeded Admiral Watson, arrived at Madras, with the ships of war from Bengal ; and Admiral Stevens, exactly a month after, with four ships of the line from Bom- bay. This formidable squadron sailed on the 17th of April to the southward, but the hopes which it had raised were suddenly damped on the 28th, when a s(i[uadron of twelve sail, evidently French, was descried making for the road of Fort St. David. It was commanded by Count d'Ache, and had on board Count

Lally, an officer of Iri.sh descent, who, having ac- quired distinction in European campaigns, had been sent out with the most extensive powers as governor- general of all the French settlements in India. He was accompanied by the regiment of liLs name, which mustered 1080 strong, a small nimiber of royal artillery, and many officers of distinction This armament, which had long been expected, had been sent out by the French government, with a strong unhesitating conviction that, with the other troops already collected at Pondicheny, it wa.s destined to achieve a series of triumphs. In none was this conviction stronger than in Lally himself, who was so impatient to commence operations, that leaving the rest of his ships to anchor in the vicinity of the Fort, he hastened off to Pondicherry to proclaim his commission, and tu'ge the immediate departure of the troops there, with all the necessary requisites for carrj-ing on the siege. This precipitancy displayed far more energy than wisdom, and raised up a host of obstacles which might easily have been avoided by acting with more calmness and deliberation. He had no doubt a right to expect that the most essential preparations had been already made, and that at all events no difficulty would be found in procuring the means of transport. Great there- fore was his surprise and indignation on learning that everything remained to be provided. In these circumstances prudence coimselled delay ; but his reso- lution had been formed, and difficulties, so far from changing it, would only furnish an opportunity of acquiring new distinction by surmoimting them. On the very evening of his arrival 2000 men, half of them Europeans and half sepoys, were on the march from Pondicherry for Fort St. David, under the command of Count dEstaing. It had not even been deemed necessary to obtain exact knowledge of the roads or furnish provisions. The consequence was, that they went astray, and, after a niglit of hardship and fatigue, arrived in the morning in a state bordering on staivation. The following day, when other troops were despatched, and with them artillery, stores, and baggage, blunders still more serious were committed. Without paying the least regard to the