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Rh territories of the Chilka Lake and Motapili. The reply of Saunders was conciliatory, and negotiations opened. It soon transpired, however, that the French demands were of a nature which the English Governor would never concede. Dupleix demanded, as a preliminary, the recognition by the English of himself as Nuwáb of the Karnátik. To admit this demand, Saunders felt, was to grant all that the two nations had been fighting for. In vain did Dupleix urge that the title had been bestowed by the Subáhdár of the Deccan, and confirmed by a farmán from the Mughal Emperor. Saunders replied that the title had descended to Muhammad Alí, as the surviving son of his father, and that he would not renounce it. The negotiations, however, continued. But it soon became clear that the issue of them would depend upon the result of the military proceedings before Trichinopoli. Should Astruc succeed in beating Lawrence, why, then the question would resolve itself. Each of the negotiating parties felt this. Each, therefore, whilst negotiating, strained every nerve to strengthen his forces before the rock-fortress.

To Mr. Saunders, and the English generally, it seemed that that question had been fully decided on the 2nd of October. The loss to the French of 200 Europeans, the capture of their leader, and the retreat of the remainder of the force into Srirangam, seemed a blow from which it would be impossible to recover. That Lawrence thought so is dear from the fact that instead of pursuing the dispirited remnants of the