Page:History of the French in India.djvu/581

 THE FRENCH BEATEN AT SEA. 555 About a quarter past two o'clock in the afternoon, the action took place, the crews of both fleets standing manfully to their guns and cannonading one another 1759. with great fury. For two hours the battle was un- decided. By that time several of the ships on both sides were greatly crippled, and some of those of the French leaving the line for the purpose of refitting, the officer who commanded the "Zodiaque," her captain having been killed, put his helm up to follow them. D'Ache, running to reverse the order, was struck in the thigh by a grape shot and fell senseless. There was no one left to correct the error, and the other ships of the French squadron, following what they believed to be their Admiral's order, hauled out of action, and made sail to join their consorts, the English being too crippled to follow them. On the 16th, d'Ache anchored in the Pondichery roadstead. He had brought with him a seasonable supply of between three and four lakhs of rupees in diamonds and piastres, but he sensibly diminished the pleasure which his arrival had caused by the startling announcement of his intention to return at once to the Isle of France. Knowing well what must result from such a desertion, the English fleet being still on the coast, Lally, unable from sickness to move himself, sent MM. de Leyrit, de Bussy, and de Landivisiau, accompanied by other councillors, to remonstrate with the admiral. But d'Ache, brave in action, had neither moral courage nor strength of character. He could not dismiss from his Le Zodiaquo 74 guns L'lllustre 64 „ L'Actif 64 „ La Fortune 64 „ Le Centaur 74 Le Comte de Provence 74 Le Vengeur 54 Le Due d'Orleans 50 ,, Le Saint Louis 50 Le Due de Bourgogne 60 „ Le Minotaur 74 „ (Name unknown, killed) M. de Ruis M. Beauchaire M. Lobry M. Surville M. La Chaise M. P alii ere M. Surville, Jr. M. Johanne M. Beuvet M. d'Egvillc French Royal Navy. Company's ships.