Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/633

 Chap. XL] SURRENDER OF FORT ST. DAVID. oi)i)

therefore, taking advantage of the wind, steereji directly for Fort St. David, a d. i75«. while Admind Pococke had the mortification of only seeing him depart without being able to pursue. One of his ships, the Cumberland, sailed so badly that she operated as a continual drag upon the others; and the whole squadron, losing instead of gaining ground, was obliged to give way and return northward to Alumj)arva. When the garrison, after being buoyed with the hope of relief, saw Count d' Ache's squadron enter the road, they at once abandoned all idea of further resistance, and on the 2d of June hung out a flag of truce. The capitu- lation, in such terms as the victors chose to dictate, was soon arranged, and the French took possession of the place. The first use they made of their conquest was to raze the fortifications to the ground. Their strength was far greater than they had imagined, and they had good reason to congi'atulate themselves on their good fortune in having met with defenders so unskilful and pusillani- mous, that all their lavish firing killed oidy twenty men. The fall of Fort St. David was immediately followed by that of Devicotta, which was abandoned by its garrison the moment the enemy were seen approaching it.

Lally, elated above measure with these successes, set off for Pondicherry to Exultation

•^' ' "^ of Lally .it

celebrate a Te Deura, and fix upon the scene of his next conquest. On this sub- hi* succem ject there should have been no room for doubt. He had spared no means to increase his force, having for that purpose bared all the forts of their garrisons, recalled the detachment which had so long kept Trichinopoly in a state of siege by occupying the island of Seringham, and in spite of remonstrance voluntarily relinquished all the advantages which Bussy had gained, by peremptorily with- drawing him and all his troops from the Deccan, at the very time when French ascendency there, after being well nigh overthrown, had again been triumph- antly established. Nothing could justify Lally in the adoption of such measures but the determination to strike one great and decisive blow at British interests in the Carnatic, and hence the universal belief was that his next attempt would be to capture Madras. That presidency was, of course, in great alarm, and busily engaged in preparing against a siege deemed all but certain, when the cheering intelligence arrived that Lally and his army had set out in an opposite direction.

After celebrating his triumph in Pondicherry, Lallv turned his attention to his pecum the state of the finances, and learned that the treasury was almost empty. The ties, and fact not only disappointed him, but aroused his indignation, for he strongly sus- to relieve

pected that the greater part of the officials were engaged in systematic embezzle-

IK ment, enriching themselves by plundering their employei's. To a man of his

warm temperament suspicion was equivalent to proof; and he was unsparing

in his sarcasms against the governor and council. An open quan-el ensued, and

I much time was wasted in unprofitable bickering. Meanwhile the want of money only became more pressing. The troops were clamoiu-ing for their arrears of

them.