Page:History of the French in India.djvu/250

 228 THE FIRST STRUGGLE IN THE KARNXTIK. chap, stated, on the 17th October. The English had retired — in a state of deep dejection to Fort St. David, where for 1748. a tlme they occupied themselves more with thinking of their own safety than of attacking the possessions of France. Dupleix, on his side, made earnest prepara- tions for the renewal of offensive operations. He 1749. received early in the following year (1749) further supplies of men* and money from M. Bouvet, who, despite the presence at Fort St. David of the still numerous English fleet, gained the Madras roadstead and landed the soldiers and specie without molestation. It was at this time, when Dupleix was planning new enterprises against the English, that orders from Europe reached both parties for a suspension of arms, pending the result of negotiations which had been entered into at Aix-la-Chapelle. These were shortly afterwards fol- lowed by an intimation of the conclusion of the treaty which bears the name of that ancient city. By one of the articles of this treaty a mutual restitu- tion of conquests was agreed upon between France and England, — a condition which necessitated the abandon- ment by Dupleix of that Madras, gained by so much daring, and guarded with so much jealousy and vigilance. Bitter must have been the pang with which the French Governor received the order to make a restitution which he knew well would be the first step towards providing his hated rivals with a new foundation of greatly increased power ; deeply must he have lamented the blindness of the Ministers, who, not possessing his vast coup d'cdl, could look upon Cape Breton as a sufficient compensation for a place which, if retained in 1749, would, as we shall see hereafter, most certainly have given the French an overwhelming superiority, leading to empire, in Southern India. But Dupleix was there, not to remonstrate, but to obey. The orders he had re- ceived were without appeal, and in obedience to them
 * 200 in number. — Orme,