Page:History of the French in India.djvu/579

 BAD SPIRIT AMONG THE FRENCH. 553 Governments agreed upon an exchange of 500 soldiers C ^ A I P - on each side. Most of those received by the French, in 1, virtue of this agreement, were the men belonging to the 1759. French Company's forces, who had been taken before Trichinapalli when serving under Astruc, Brennier, Main- ville, and Maissin. Some of these had been five years in confinement, well fed and well cared for. To fill up the gaps in the regiment bearing his name, Lally transferred to it two hundred of these men. But, by them, the scanty fare, the rigorous discipline, and the hard work of camp- life, were, after their five years of idleness and inaction, scarcely to be borne. They made no secret of their dis- content, and even endeavoured to spread it among their comrades. The first result of this baneful influence ap- peared on July 7, when the small French force occupy- ing the fort of Kavaripak, well capable of being de- fended, evacuated it on the first summons of the English army. But, four weeks later, the grand explosion took place. Instigated by the two hundred ransomed prisoners, the regiment de Lally, with the exception of its officers, its sergeants and corporals, and about fifty old soldiers, suddenly mutinied, and marching out of Chitapet, declared that they were going over to the English. On hearing this, their officers instantly went after them, and by threats, entreaties, by the payment of some of their arrears, and the promise of more, persuaded all but sixty to return to their allegiance. These sixty, all belonging to the TrichinapalH prisoners, persisted in going over to the enemy.* Lally, meanwhile, was making every possible exertion to collect provisions and stores. Despairing of every other means, he had despatched one of the Pondi- chery councillors to Karikal with 36,000 francs belong- ing to himself to purchase rice for the troops. When, however, his hopes were at the lowest, his spirits were cheered by the arrival of the frigate, " La Gracieuse," by Orme.
 * We have preferred Lally's own account of this mutiny to that given