Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/645

 Chap. XI J

THE NORTHERN CIRCARS.

Gl

Peer Misjid and Hill nkak the Dolphins, Vizagapatam.

From the Mdckcnzie Dra»'ings. £u»t India Uou^e.

I

towards the end of 1757. Tlie loss to the Company was serious, for in addition to the goods and other property pillaged from them, they were forcibly excluded from a profitable branch of trade, those of the factories situated on arms of the Godavery having been accustomed annually to provide

700 bales of excel- 'WSfc- i

lent cloths at a cheap rate for the home market. The re- covery of the facto- ries wrested from them was of course earnestly desired by the Company; and a rajah of the name of Anunderauz, whose territory lay in the

provinces of Rajahmundry and Cicacole, doubtless aware of this desire, offered them his assistance. Deeply offended at some arrangements which Bussy had made, he no sooner heard of his recall than he took up arms, and by a sudden dash made himself master of Vizagapatam. His ambition now was to expel the French from all the provinces which had been ceded to them. The attempt was too formidable to be undertaken by himself single-handed, and he therefore made overtures to the presidency of Madi-as, offering to reinstate them in Vizagapatam as the first pledge of his sincere desire for their alliance. When, in consequence of the threatening aspect of affairs in the Carnatic, his offers were declined, he made the same propo.sal to the presidency of Bengal. It was voted delusive and chimerical by all the members except Clive, to whom, independent of its other merits, it had the special recommendation of promising to do good service to his former emi)loyers at Madras. He must have regi'etted his inability to return the troops which had only been temporarily intrusted to him for the expedition to Bengal, but some compensation might now be given by creating a diversion in their favour. The French, seeing their ceded 'o- vinces in danger, would be obliged either to submit to the loss of them, or to succom* them by weakening themselves in the Carnatic. In either case a most important object would be gained. A delay of some months, however, was necessary. The proposal of Anunderauz was made in July, 1758, and no action could be taken upon it till the change of the monsoon in September or October. In the interval the question was naturally asked, — Wh}', if troops could be spared for an expedition to the Circai-s, should thev not be sent at once to Madras, when the certainty of an approaching siege would enable them to give

AD. 1758.

Anuni1erati7 seizes upon Vizajja putani.

Offers it to the Britisli.