Page:History of the French in India.djvu/235

 FRENCH REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE. 213 the islands, till the beginning of May. M. Bouvet then chap. set sail, having a fair wind, arrived off Karikal about s_ m ^ mm the middle of June. There he learned the superiority 1748. in numbers of the English squadron,* and he resolved, instead of hazarding an engagement, the result of which might jeopardise and even ruin French interests in India, to manoeuvre so as to delude the English admiral with the expectation of a contest, and to take advantage of the darkness of the night to run on to Madras. He carried out his plan with exceeding skill. Arriving off Fort St. David on the afternoon of the 21st, and descry- ing and being descried by the English squadron, with which, he being to windward, it was optional to him to engage, he altered his course to the south-west, as though he intended to wait for the morning to attack. The English admiral was so impressed with the idea that either this or a desire to gain Pondichery was his inten- tion, that he took no more advantage of the land wind which blew from off the coast in the evening, than to maintain out at sea the latitude of Fort St. David. But night had no sooner fallen than the French admiral again altered his course, and stood up for Madras. Having reached it the following morning, he waited only to land 300 soldiers, including several that were invalids, and £200,000, in silver; this successfully achieved, he hastened back to the Isle of France, having completely deceived the English Admiral, and accom- plished at least one great part of his purpose. But the indirect effects of this expedition were greater even than those which were apparent. Ignorant of the course taken by the French fleet, Admiral Griffin left his position off Fort St. David to go in search of it. This intelligence had no sooner reached Dupleix than he determined to profit by it, and by a bold effort to surprise Gudalur. To this end he despatched on the one of 20 guns.
 * This consisted of three ships of 60 guns, three of 50, three of 40, and