Page:History of the French in India.djvu/172

 150 LA BOURDONNAIS AND DUFLEIX. CHAP IV. 1746. Meanwhile, the intelligence had reached the Nawwab Anwaru-dm that the French had really carried out their intentions, and had laid siege to Madras. Inclined as this prince undoubtedly was to French interests, nothing was further from his intention than to permit their establishing themselves in the territories of their European rivals. He, therefore, at once despatched a messenger on a swift dromedary to Dupleix, the bearer of a letter, in which the Nawwab expressed his sur- prise at the events passing at Madras, and threatened that unless the operations against that place were in- stantly put an end to, he would send an army to enforce obedience to his commands. But Dupleix thoroughly understood Asiatics. Determined not to forego his designs upon Madras, yet unwilling to bring down upon himself the hostility of the representative of the Mughal, he devised a plan whereby, as he thought, Madras would be lost to the English for ever, even if it events described, and, 2ndly, that they were written with the view of exculpating himself from specific charges brought against him. Now, the question of the ransom, and es- pecially the question as to whether any absolute engagement was en- tered into at the time of the sur- render, formed one of these specific charges. On such a point, therefore, it is necessary to read La Bourdon- nais' own statement with the greatest caution. The official correspondence is a far surer guide. Let us see what that says. We have given all that relates to the proceeding relative to the surrender, in the text. From this we find, first, that no mention is made of any promise regarding a ransom. In the letter dated 8 p.m. of the 21st, written only six hours after the interview he describes above, La Bourdonnais says :— " The English surrendered to me with even more precipitation than I wrote you, have them at discretion.'* Not a word about ransom. In the more elaborate letter written two dayslater he writes: — "The conditions on which it surrendered, place it, so to say, at my discretion. There is, nevertheless, a sort of capitulation signed by the Governor, of which I enclose a copy ; but it does no mor e, as you will see, than authorise me to dispose of the place." Again, not a word of the solemn and reiterated promises re- corded at such full detail in the memoirs ! If, further, we examine the capi- tulation itself, we shall find every- thing conditional. There had un- doubtedly been some discussion regarding a ransom, but the question had been referred for further deli- beration ; that it was a doubtful one is, we think, shown by the words employed in the fourth article, in which it is stated, that " if the town is restored by ransom, then the Eng- lish. &c, &c." However this may be, it is certain that there was no occasion for La Bourdonnais to make such an offer, Madras being completely at his mercy ; and, likewise, that it was entirely opposed to the views which he knew that Dupleix, his superior officer on Indian soil, entertained. Vide also appendix A.