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 retirement, in 1807, they purchased the Kidderpur dockyard, near Calcutta, and James Kyd became Master Shipbuilder to the E.I. Co. In 1814 he visited England in the General Kyd, 1,279 tons, which he had constructed, and received, in 1815, testimonials from the Admiralty and Court of Directors for the repairs executed by him to H.M.S. Semiramis at St. Helena. Twenty-five vessels were built at his dockyard, including the Hastings man-of-war, 1,732 tons, 74 guns, in 1818, said to have been the only line-of-battle ship ever built in Calcutta, and the Diana steamer, 89 tons, in 1823, the first steamer built on the Hughli. He was universally recognized as the head of the East Indian class to which he belonged. He died Oct. 26, 1836, when the Kidderpur dockyard was purchased by Government : the brother Robert Kyd died in 1825.

KYD, ROBERT (1746–1793)

Colonel : of an old Forfarshire family : Cadet and Ensign Bengal Engineers, 1764 : Lt-Colonel, 1782 : Military Secretary to Government, when, in 1786, he proposed to the acting Governor-General, Sir John Macpherson, the formation of a Botanic Garden at Calcutta for the growth of teak timber for ship -building, the cultivation of spices, e.g. cinnamon, the intro- duction of cotton, tobacco, coffee, tea and other commercial products. The Governor-General supported the scheme, which, in 1787, received the most hearty approbation of the Court of Directors. Kyd's country house and garden were at Sibpur, Howrah, near Shalimar Point. For the Botanic Garden he selected 300 acres contiguous to his property : was Honorary Superintendent of the garden until his death. The area was reduced to 270 acres, in 1820, when teak-growing had been found impossible, and the area devoted to it was given up for the Bishop's College. Colonel Robert Kyd died May 26, 1793, bequeathing the bulk of his property to Major (afterwards Lt-General, died Nov. 25, 1826) Alexander Kyd, son of Capt. James Kyd, R.N., and father of James (q.v.), Robert, and Alexander Kyd. A beautiful marble urn, by Banks the sculptor, was erected in 1795 to the memory of Col. Robert Kyd, in the Botanic Garden, on a site selected by Dr. Roxburgh, his successor.

LA BOURDONNAIS, BERTRAND FRANCIS MAHE DE (1699–1753)

Went to India at 10, and on other voyages in 1713 and 1722 : led the attack on Mahe, when captured by the French in 1723 : traded in the Arabian seas : served under the Governor of Goa for 2 years : returned to France, 1733, and was Governor of the Isle of France, and Bourbon, 1735–40 : from France in 1741, he took out ships and troops to the Isle of France : resumed his Governorship, and, when ordered to send back his squadron, collected more ships, and, in 1746, took them to the Coromandel coast and fought some actions with indecisive results off Ceylon and Negapatam against the English squadron under Peyton, who retired : went to Pondicherry : reinforced there, he, under pressure from the Governor, Dupleix (q.v.) appeared with his fleet before Madras, landed his forces on Sep. 15, 1746, and besieged it by sea and land until the English surrendered on Sep. 21, the question of ransom of the town being left for future adjustment. This condition Dupleix refused to ratify and superseded La Bourdonnais. While they were disputing, a severe monsoon shattered the French fleet on Oct. 13, 1746. La Bourdonnais signed a treaty with the English authorities at Madras : it is stated that he was induced, by a personal bribe, to consent to the ransom of Madras. He made his way to the Isle of France, and, proceeding homewards, was captured in a Dutch vessel by the English, but released. On his return to France, he was confined in the Bastille for 3 years, and soon after his realease, on being acquitted by the Privy Council of the charges against him, he died on Sep. 9, 1753.

LACROIX, REV. ALPHONSE FRANCOIS (1799–1859)

Swiss Missionary, born May 10, 1799 : at first a tutor : became agent of the Netherlands Missionary Society at Chinsura, where he arrived, March 21, 1821 : when Chinsura became British, in 1825, he removed to Calcutta : became a British subject, and a member of the London Missionary Society : initiated religious Missions in the delta of the Ganges, in the Sundarbans, in Sagar island : a scholar in Bengali : founded the Bhawanipur Missionary Institution, 1851 : revised