Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/637

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Chap. XI.l NAVAL ENGAGEMENT. 603

both squadrons were out at sea, and seemed equally determined to make ad irss. another trial of their strength and prowess. The weather, however, proved so unfavourable that they were tossed about, occasionally losing sight of each other, and were not able to meet, front to front, and form their lines, till the 2d of August. The battle was fought not far from Carrical, and ended in the discomfiture of the French, who drew off after several of their ships had sus- tained serious damage. Tlieir usual tactics saved them from pursuit. Wiiile the British aimed chiefly at the hulls of the vessels, they aimed chiefly at the masts and rigging, and thus crippled their opponents so effectually that thougli Admiral Pococke threw out the signal for a general chase it proved utterly fruitless. In less than ten minutes Count d'Ach^ and his ships were nearly out of cannon-shot. This distance was rapidly increased, and within four liours after the action ceased the hindmost French was five miles in advance of the foremost British ship. As it was hopeless to continue such a chase Admiral Pococke returned, and was anchored, as has been stated, in the mouth of the river, about three miles oflf Carrical, when Lally amved from his ill-fated

attempt on Tanjore. ■

Count d'Ach^, now satisfied of the inability of his squadron to encounter i>.i«t.iriiiv

"^ / COIKl.l.t l.f

that of the British, again anchored in the Road of Pondicherry, as close to the tin- Kmith

shore as the depth of water would allow. He was haunted with the idea that

Admiral Pococke was remaining to windward solely with the view of seizing the

first available opportunity to attack him. Having this conviction, he felt

insecure even under the protection of the batteries of Pondicherry, and to the

dismay of its inhabitants announced his determination to cpiit the coast, and

make the best of his way to the Mauritius. Lally, startled by this intelligence, ; j

hastened to Pondicherry, and backed by the authority of a mixed council which ' '

he had summoned to discuss the matter, endeavoured, partly In' persuasion and

])artly by menace, to induce Count d"Ach^ either to encounter the Englisli

squadron once more, or at least to defer his departure so long as it continued i

on the coast. He did not succeed. The French admiral, sui)ported by all his

captains, declared it impossible either to fight or remain, and after consenting,

with much reluctance, to leave 500 of his sailors and marines to serve on shore,

set sail with all his ships and turned his back on India.

Lally, while smarting under his recent failure at Tanjore, was not disposed '•«">

_ _ re«si)lvts mi

to allow the whole, or even the larger portion of the blame to rest on his own the siege shoulders, and found httle difliculty in satisfying himself that if all had done their duty as well as he did his, the result would have been veiy different. 1 u thus attempting his own vindication, he made rash and intemperate charges both against his own officei-s and the leading members of the government. He thus stirred up a new host of enemies who fought him with his own weapon. Charges of misconduct were fi'eely bandied to and fro; and Lally had the mor- tification to know tiiat throughout the settlement, and in its highest ofiiiial


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