Page:History of the French in India.djvu/159

 THE PONDICHERY COUNCILS ULTIMATUM. 137 attacking Madras, and beating off the English squadron chap. reinforced by its expected ships. In this difficulty, m ' he appealed to the Superior Council for its advice** 1746. An extraordinary meeting of the Pondichery Council took place to consider this appeal. There were present at it thirteen members, and they came to a very decided opinion. This was contained in a letter addressed to La Bourdonnais bearing the same date.f In this letter, after recapitulating the preparations that had been made, the time that had been lost, the change in the opinions of the admiral, they set before him the choice of two alternatives. "Either, "they said, "you should go to Madras and attack it, or you should go and drive the English fleet from these seas. At present they are," they said, " in a position in which they can intercept every vessel coming from Europe, whilst you are here, effecting nothing now, and talking of leaving us to the mercy of the English fleet in October." They concluded with these words : " We are bound to add also that it would be shameful and disgraceful for the nation to abandon these two means, whilst we have a moral cer- tainty that the treasure and the vessels which we expect from Europe will be taken by the enemy's squadron, and an equal certainty that you can succeed in one of thp two. It is equally important not to render useless the strength of your squadron, and the money spent upon it. What reproaches will you not have to make yourself, if at the same time that you abandon the pro- ject which would serve to indemnify us, our enemies take possession of the vessels we are expecting from Europe, almost within sight of your squadron." It is strange the transformation which a forced sub- ordination to authority can sometimes make in the entire character of a man ! Who would have believed that the daring, energetic leader, who had " conquered Duploix, 26 Aout, 1746. du 26, Aout 1746.
 * M. de la Bourdonnais a M. t Lettre du Conseil Superieur