Page:History of the French in India.djvu/223

 FJRST EXPEDITION AGAINST FORT ST. DAVID. 201 of La Bourdonnais had appeared at the period of his chap. attack upon Madras. No one knew better, however, t v m than Dupleix that, in spite of all favourable appear- 17 ^q, ances, one necessary element of success was yet want- ing. He had the soldiers, the guns, the munitions of war, but had he the general I This was the one want without which the success which seemed to be his would yet slip from his grasp. He knew this well, and with his accustomed energy he set himself to supply it. The Commander-in-chief of the French troops in Pondichery at this time was General de Bury, an officer not only old, but possessing the worst characteristics of age. To intrust the command of the expedition to such a man was, Dupleix felt, to insure its failure. Yet, as the senior, he had the right to command. On the other hand, there was Paradis, the hero of St. Thome, an engineer by profession, and a man whose courage and capacity were established. In his hands the expedition would have the best chance of success. To give the command to Paradis, therefore, all the efforts of Dupleix were directed. Unfortunately for France, and for himself, he did not succeed. There were other officers between Paradis and de Bury, and these protested against such a super- session. His Swiss birth, his inferior rank, the jealousy which his recent success had caused amongst the small- minded, all contributed to hinder the elevation of Paradis, and in the presence of the great discontent which the proposal excited, Dupleix was, at last, forced to abandon the idea. Under the command of de Bury, therefore, the force marched on the night of December 19, crossed the river Panar the following morning with but little oppo- sition, and took possession of a walled garden, about a mile and a half to the north-west of Fort St. David. Here, deeming themselves secure, and being fatigued