Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan.djvu/747

Book XIII. landing, throughout all the services of the field, and all the distresses of the blockade, not a man of them had ever deserted to the English colours. The victor soldier gave his sigh (which none but banditti could refuse) to this solemn contemplation of the fate of war, which might have been his own. The French troops, after they were reviewed, marched into the citadel, where they deposited their arms in heaps, and were then conducted to their prisons.

The next morning the English flag was hoisted in the town, and its display was received by the salute of a thousand pieces of cannon, from every gun of every ship in the road, in all the English posts and batteries, the field-artillery of the line, and on the ramparts and defences of Pondicherry.

The surrender was inevitable, for at the scanty rate of the wretched provisions, to which the garrison had for some time been reduced, there did not remain sufficient to supply them two days more. Nevertheless the detestation against Mr. Lally, if possible, increased, as the sole author of the calamity, and, no longer restrained by his authority, broke out in the most vindictive expressions of menace and reproach. The third day after the surrender was appointed for his departure to Madrass. In the forenoon of this day a troop of officers, mostly of the French company's battalion, Went up the steps of the government house, towards his apartments, where they were met by his aid de camp, whom they insulted; and were dispersed by the guard, which came up on the quarrel. This troop then assembled and waited below at the gate of the citadel until one o'clock. Mr. Lally did not move until the close of the day; his escort was 15 English hussars, and four troopers of his own guard; he came out in his palankin, and at the gate were gathered a hundred persons, mostly officers, with them the counsellors Moracin and Courtin. As soon as Mr. Lally appeared, a hue was set up by the whole assembly, hisses, pointing, threats, and every abusive name; but the escort prevented violence. Mr. Dubois, the king's commissary, who was to proceed with Mr. Lally, came out of the fort an hour after, but on foot; the same assembly had continued on the parade, and showered the same abuses. Dubois