Page:History of the French in India.djvu/586

 560 THE LAST STRUGGLE FOR EMPIRE. C xn P ' hiding back himself, affirmed that the public funds „, could supply nothing, because the diamonds and 1759. piastres, brought by d'Ache, had not then been con- verted into silver. Nevertheless, a sufficient sum to distribute six months' pay was collected, and with this sum the Adjutant- General of the army, Viscount de Fumel, was sent to negotiate with the troops. As, however the revolted soldiers would not listen to this officer, Lally sent Crillon, whose influence over them had always been very great, in his place. After some conversation, the soldiers agreed to accept six months' pay down, and the balance on November 10 ; they demanded at the same time a complete amnesty for the past, and requested that their officers would come and place themselves once again at their head ; they added that " they were one and all imbued with sentiments entirely French, and that they were ever ready to fight for their country and for the honour of their king and to submit to their superiors." * Thus did the troops return to their duty. Their revolt, however, had had the effect of dissipating any hopes that might have been formed from the combined action of Basalat Jang. For this chieftain, already impatient of waiting for Bussy, retreated, on hearing of the revolt, in the direc- tion whence he had come. Bussy indeed followed him, after appeasing the discontent which had already arisen amongst his own troops, but, by the time he arrived in his camp, the turn French affairs had taken had entirely indisposed Basalat Jang to the alliance. Bussy there- fore contented himself with raising money and troops amongst his former friends, and with these he returned on December 10 to Arkat, with what effect will be seen. Meanwhile Lally, on the mutiny being quelled, deter- mined to put in force a project which nothing but the direst necessity could have justified. This was to divide his force and to send a portion of it to alarm the Eng-
 * Memoire pour Lally, p. 142.