Page:History of the French in India.djvu/101

 THE FRENCH ACQUIRE KARIKAL. 79 Dumas then violated no principle of his predecessor's chap. policy by accepting that offer. This he did almost as. soon as it was made. 1739. No sooner had Chanda Sahib received this authority to act, than he detached four thousand horse, com- manded by Francisco Pereira, a Spaniard in his service, but who was entirely attached to French interests, to Karikal. The Tanjur forces fell back at their approach, and Pereira arrived at Karikal, February 6, 1739, with- out meeting with any opposition. He found, however, the fort of Kirkangarhi, on the river Karikal and about a mile and a half from the town, occupied by about four hundred Tanjurians. He immediately at- tacked this fort, stormed it the same day, and hastened with the news to Pondichery. M. Dumas, delighted with the prompt success, at once equipped a small vessel of a hundred and fifty tons burden, and des- patched her with all the troops and stores she could carry to Karikal — Pereira accompanying them. They reached their destination in four and twenty hours. Then Karikal, the fort of Kirkangarhi, and the ad- jacent territory, previously ceded by Sahujf, were made over to the French by Pereira. This cession bears date February 14, 1739. A few days later, on receiving an account of the French occupation, M. Dumas des- patched to Karikal a ship of war, laden with every- thing necessary to place the settlement in a state of security.* The effect of these forcible measures upon Raja Sa- huji was such as might have been expected from a man of his weak and unmanly nature. He was com- pletely overawed. He at once sent messages to Pondi- chery, casting all the blame of the previous hostile con- duct on the evil counsels of the Dutch at Nagapatan; are given in Gruyon's Historie des rikdl. Tndes Orientates, and in the Memoire
 * Full details of these occurrences partieuliere sur V acquisition de Kd~