Page:History of the French in India.djvu/557

 RETURNS TO PONDICHERY. 531 once more to persuade d'Ache, who had signified his intention of returning to the Isle of France, to make a. , i, combined attack on Madras. After a halt of three days 1758. at Trivalur, the army continued its retreat, and arrived on the 18th at Karikal, which they found blockaded by the English fleet. A few days later Lally marched with part of his force to Pondichery, arriving there on the 28th. Meanwhile d'Ache, leaving the Pondichery roadstead on July 28th, had encountered the English fleet off Tranquebar on August 1st, and after a severe engagement of about two hours, in which he lost many men and was himself wounded, had been completely worsted, and had saved himself only by the superior sailing qualities of his ships. Bearing up for Pondichery he arrived there the next day, and learning that the Dutch at Nagapatan had allowed a French ship to be captured in their roadstead by the English squadron, he seized in reprisal a Dutch vessel lying in the Pondichery roads, on board of which were three lakhs of rupees in gold and merchandise. Apprehensive of an attack from the English, he then brought to his squadron under the guns of the town. He was in this position when Lally, on August 28th, arrived. Great was the indignation of the French general at what he considered the pusillanimous position taken up by his naval colleague ; greater still his fury, when he found that all the remonstrances of d'Estaing had availed nothing, and that d'Ache was resolute, not only to decline all further contests with the English, but to abandon the coast. In vain did Lally offer to strengthen his fleet with as many of his soldiers as he might require, with a view to his again encountering the English, whilst Lally himself should march upon Madras : in vain did the Council, for once unanimous, urge upon him the necessity of at least remaining some time longer on the coast. He was obstinate to run no further risk; the utmost he would do, and that he did, was to land 500 of mm 2