Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/719

Book XIII. that the squadron strongly reinforced from France might be every day expected on the coast. In the middle of October, letters despatched from Mauritius to Mahé, on the coast of Malabar, arrived from hence, with information of the departure of the four ships to Madagascar, and dubious assurances of their intention to come at all events to Pondicherry. Mr. Lally had always regarded the operations of the squadron as so unzealous and indecisive, that he was convinced these ships would not make the effort. He, however, concealed this opinion, and the intelligence concerning the supposed attack of Mauritius from England; but gave out that the ships gone to Madagascar, and more, might be expected at Pondicherry with the regiment of Cambray on board. But, despairing of the relief he pretended, he persuaded the Council to conclude a treaty for the assistance of the body of Morattoes under the command of Vizvazypunt, which had lately returned from Seringapatam in Mysore to the confines of the Carnatic.

Vizvazypunt, on his first approach from the Kristna, had in April sent letters to Pondicheny, tendering the same assistance to the French as he was offering to the Nabob and the English: a vague correspondence had continued in consequence of these overtures; but, on his nearer approach, Mr. Lally sent two agents to his camp. The Morattoe required a sum of ready money in hand, and the cession of the fortress of Gingee, which, besides the influence it would give Balagerow in the province of Arcot, was the wish of a national point of honour, since Gingee had, until the beginning of the present century, been the capital of a race of Morattoe kings, whose dominion extended from the Coleroon to the Paliar. The Council empowered the agents to agree that Gingee should be delivered, to him as soon as the English army retreated from Pondicherry, and that 500,000 rupees should be paid him when his own appeared in sight of the town. All the French troops abroad were to join the Morattoes as soon as they passed the hills, and entered the province. If these terms were not readily accepted, the agents were to insinuate that, although the distresses of Hyder Ally had broke any farther expectations of assistance from him, the king of Mysore himself