Page:History of the French in India.djvu/98

 76 THE RISE OP THE FRENCH POWER IN INDIA. chap, forward Sidujf, a pretended cousin of Sahuji, and en- r ', deavoured to effect a revolution in his favour. Suddenly 1738. collecting their friends, they seized on the palace and on the strong places in Tanjur. Sahuji had barely time to save himself on horseback. Accompanied by a few friends, he passed the Kolrun, and took refuge in the pagoda, Chelambram, a very strongly fortified position about six miles north of the Kolrun, and only twenty-four distant from Pondichery. From this place Sahuji opened negotiations with M. Dumas. He offered to make over to the French the town of Karikal, and the fort of Kirkangarhi, ten villages in the country adjacent, and all the lands depending upon them, if M. Dumas would afford him material aid in the recovery of Tanjur. The offer was the most tempting that could have been made. The French had been long engaged in endeavouring to effect an arrangement which would secure to them a footing in the kingdom of Tanjur, but up to that time they had been thwarted by the jealousy of the Dutch at Nagapatan, a settlement a few miles south of Karikal. Now, however, all that they desired was offered to them. The risk was but little, for they had but to supply one of the contending parties with material aid to ensure an easy victory. M. Dumas did not hesitate He at once entered into an engagement with the envoys of Sahuji, by which he bound himself to supply that prince with a lakh of rupees in silver, to furnish him with arms, gunpowder and other warlike stores, and to render him all other assistance in his power. In return for this engagement, Sahuji sent him a formal cession of the town of Karikal, of the fort Kirkangarhi on the river Karikal, of the ten villages, and of the lands dependent upon them. In pursuance of this engagement, M. Dumas despatched two ships of war, the "Bourbon" of sixty guns and the " St. Geran" of forty, with troops, artillery, and warlike stores, to take possession of Karikal, and to afford the promised