Page:History of the French in India.djvu/181

 WHAT WERE THE REAL REASONS OF LA B0URD0NNA1S 159 authority, we regard it as clear that it could never have chap. been the intention of the French Government thus to IV ' establish a second supreme authority, an imperium in 17 4 6 imperio, within a few miles of the seat of their Government. Yet La Bourdonnais cared little for such considerations. Although, before starting on this ex- pedition from Pondichery, he had carried his recognition of the authority of the Council to such an extent as to refuse to act without a positive order from them ; he now, when the victory had been achieved, and when he was required by them to carry out their instructions, as emanating from an authority paramount to his own, daringly disavowed his subordination, and refused to recognise their supremacy. It may not be out of place to inquire here what it really was, what was the motive reason that prompted him to this insubordination, to this sacrifice of the best interests of his country I Was it solely because he deemed his own policy to be the correct policy'? That could hardly be. No one had felt more strongly than La Bour- donnais, that it would be impossible for him to remain on that coast, with any degree of safety, later than the second week in October. His plan had been to send two or three of his ships to winter at A chin, and to bear up with the remainder, laden with cargoes, for the islands, en route to France. Yet, it was not once or twice, but many times, that Dupleix had explained to him that, under those circumstances, Pondichery would be in the greatest danger; unprotected by a squadron, having incurred the wrath of the Nawwab, and invited the retaliation of the English, nothing but the return of La Bourdonnais in the spring, with an overwhelming force, could have long saved the French capital, situated as it was between two English settlements — Fort St. George and Fort St. David — from capture. The ransom of Madras, then, not for cash, but for bills of exchange not then accepted, with the vision looming in the future