Page:History of the French in India.djvu/407

 GREAT POSITIONS SECURED BY BUSSY. 383 troops remained unaltered. It is true that Janujf chap. Bhonsla, son of the famous Raghuji, made an attempt, , to invade the dominions of the Subadar. No sooner, 1754. however, had he learned that it was Bussy who was marching against him, than he hastened to conclude a peace.* Another attempt of some stray Maratha bands to disturb the French occupation of the Northern Sirkars was dissolved by the fire of the French artillery ; the disaffected noble who had incited it being forced to throw himself on the mercy of Salabat Jang. In other respects, thanks to the prudence of Bussy, to the con- fidence which he inspired in all about him, everything continued tranquil. The French troops, well housed and regularly paid, showed their ancient discipline and recovered the lost confidence of the people. In the month of April, Bussy accompanied the Subadar to Haidarabad. After remaining with him there for two months, he set out for Machhlipatan to settle the affairs of the four new provinces he had obtained for France on a regular basis. The day before his departure an incident occurred which is worthy of being recorded. The Subadar summoned for that day a grand council of his ministers, and invited Bussy to be present at it. On his entering the hall of audience, the Subadar and his nobles hastened to assure him that as they felt, one and all, that to him and to French valour alone they owed their present peace and prosperity, they wished, before he left for the coast, to swear to him an inviolable attachment and an eternal gratitude, requiring from him a solemn oath on the sacred book of the Christians to continue to them his protection, and to return to their aid when they should be menaced by an enemy. A Testament was then produced, and in the presence of all Bussy took the required oath. Then, leaving be- hind him officers whom he could trust, he set out for
 * April, 1754.