Page:History of the French in India.djvu/193

 THE ADMIRAL'S POSITION DEFINED. 171 of getting rid of one who refused to carry out himself, chap. and who prevented others from carrying out, the views '_. which he deemed essential to French interests. He 1746 resolved, therefore, to adopt that policy which the weak in all ages have deemed a legitimate weapon when battling against the strong, and to dissemble. He, accordingly wrote, on October 7, to La Bourdonnais, stating that he would entertain the project. But on the following day a circumstance occurred which im- mensely strengthened the hands of Dupleix. Three ships of war, long expected, the " Centaure " of 74 guns, the " Mars " of 56, and the " Brillant " of 50, having on board 1,520 men,* anchored that morning in the Pondi- chery roadstead. They brought out startling intelli- gence. M. Orry had been, in December, 1745, replaced as Controller-General by M. Machault d'Arnonville — a member of the Council of State — of no experience in finance, but devoted to Madame de Pompacleur. The Company informed Dupleix of this, as well as of the fact that war between France and Holland was imminent, and that he would, therefore, have to arrange to meet a new enemy in his neighbourhood. They also forwarded to him, in anticipation of his being joined by La Bour- donnais, specific instructions as to the relations to him- self which the Commander of the French fleet would bear. As this was the very point upon which La Bourdon- nais had based his resistance to the orders of Dupleix, this document had naturally very great interest for the Pondichery Council. It was elated October 6, 1745, and was thus worded : " The Company considers it right and proper that the Commander of the squadron should be present at the meetings of the Superior Council ; that he be summoned to it when any military expedition, in which this Commander is to bear a principal part, is under consideration ; and that he have in it a deliberate
 * Grog's East Indies, vol. ii. chap. 29.