Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/72

64 pleix commanded, for the French East India company, all the establishments of his nation in India, the islands of Mauritius and Bourbon excepted. These were under the government of Mr. De la Bourdonnais, to whom all the operations of the squadron were intrusted, independent of the controul of Mr. Dupleix. The reputation and riches which it was probable Mr-. De la Bourdonnais would gain in the command of his armament, created jealousy in the mind of Mr. Dupleix. Dissensions arose between the two commanders: but the zeal of Mr. De la Bourdonnais did not suffer the interests of his nation to be sacrificed to them. Judging that the force which he commanded could not be employed by land with any probability of success, until the English squadron should be either ruined or forced to quit the coast of Coromandel; he determined to go in quest of them as soon as his own ships were refitted and provided with 30 or 40 pieces more of heavy cannon than they mounted on leaving; the island of Mauritius.

On the 24th of July the French squadron sailed from Pondicherry, working to the southward against the southern monsoon, and on the 6th of August discovered the English, which had been refitted at Trincanomalee. The English perceiving the addition of cannon with which the enemy had been supplied at Pondicherry, avoided an engagement. The two squadrons were three days in sight of each other, after which, according to Mr. De la Bourdonnais's account, the English ships, availing themselves of the advantage of sailing better than the French, disappeared.

Mr. De la Bourdonnais returned with his ships to Pondicherry, imagining that the English squadron would remain on the coast of Coromandel, at least with the hope of deterring him from attempting any operations against the English settlements. But encouraged by their shyness at the last meeting, he now determined to lay siege to Madrass.

The English, informed of the preparations which were making at Pondicherry to attack them, called on the Nabob to fulfil his promise of restraining the French from committing hostilities against them by land. But they omitted to employ the most certain