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Blockade of Pondicherry. Diftrefs of the French. Fleet difperfed in a form. Fleet returns. Town fùrrenders. Mahie taken. Enterprifes of Mr. Law. Mogul army defeated by Major Carnac. Nabob of Bengal depofed. Coaft of Sumatra ravaged by the count d'Eftaign. Dominica taken by lord Rollo and Sir James Douglas.

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FTER the defeat of the French near Wandewah, the taking of the city of Arcot, and the reduction of the fortreffes of Chitteput and Carrical, Pondicherry was the only place of confefequence which remained to our enemies in India. This town beautifully built, ftrongly fortified, and four leagues in circuit, feemed rather the capital of a kingdom, than a trading establishment. It is fituated on the coaft of Malabar, about forty miles from our fettlement at Madrafs, which in the days of its profperity, is rivalled, if not exceeded in trade, opulence and fplendor; and it ftill remained the de pofitary of whatever wealth was Jeft to the French, after their reverfe of their fortune in war.

As foon as the fortreffes adjacent to this important place had been reduced, and the inland country brought perfectly to our interefts by the total expulfion of the French, the blockade of Pondicherry was commenced by the land forces under colonel Coote, and the marine under admiral Stevens. A regular fiege was at that time impracticable on account of the periodical rains, which were daily expected; and even under more favourable circumftances it would have proved a tak of infinite difficulty to attempt by any army that could be fupported in India, the taking of a place fo ftrongly fortified, defended

by a good garrison, and by an offi cerable and refolute,and whofe pride and obftinacy fo prejudicial on all other occafions, would have made him, as in effect they did make him, perfevere to the very last moment in the defence of the laft ftake, which the Erench had left in India.

The blockade being therefore chofen as the most eligible for the time, was continued with the beft difpofitions, and the most extraordinary patience on both fides, for full feven months. In this time the garrifon and inhabitants fuffered forely by famine. Colonel Coote, in order, to augment their distress, erected batteries at a diftance, not with a view of ruining the walls, but to harrass the enemy by an increafe of garrifon duty.

At length when the weather appeared fettled, four batteries were raifed at fome dittance to enfilade the streets of Pondicherry, whilft others were advanced nearer, in order to play upon the works. These operations, though the fiege was not yet formally undertaken, commenced on the 25th of November, 1760, but as the season of the rains and winds was not yet quite over, much was fuffered from forms, which ruined the batteries and approaches. They were however always repaired with the utmost alacrity and speed, and the fiege fuffered no intermiffion. So that the besieged, who eagerly expected the arrival of their fleet to their relief, were re

duced

duced to the most extreme diftrefs. They lived on camels, elephants, dogs, and cats. The extreme fcarci ty and dearness even of this wretched provifion, increased their mifery. Sixteen roupies (half crowns) had been paid for the fleth of a dog.

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In the midft of this distress their hopes were fuddenly revived, and thofe of the befiegers, notwithstand ing the progrefs they had made, almost totally depreffed. On the first of January 1761, one of those terrible ftorms, fo frequent in the Indian fea, and fo ruinous, drove the English fquadron from before, Pondicherry. Two hips of the line were wrecked, and their crews, with the exception of two or three men, entirely perifhed. Two others of the fame class were driven afhore, and beat to pieces. The men fortunately escaped. The real damage which our fleet fuftained on this occafion, together with the idea of a far greater, fuggefted by their own defires, and juftified by the violence of the ftorm, elevated to the highest pitch the fpirits of the garrifon, funk by disease, famine, fatigue, and an uninterrupted train of ad

verfe fortune. General Lally seeing the port clear, fent an express with out delay to the French agent in the neighbouring neutral fettlements, that this was the time to throw in fuccours; he feemed fanguine and full of vigour. The letter, which was intercepted, is printed below, as it may tend to furnith fome idea of the character of this fingular man.

But admiral Stevens, and thofe who commanded under him, exerted themselves with unparalleled diligence and celerity, appeared again before Pondicherry in lefs than four days after the ftorm, with eleven fhips of the line and one frigate, and the blockade was as compleat as ever. No fuccours had been thrown in, and admiral Stevens in order to prevent the ill impreffion which the late difafter might have occafioned, fent a meffage to the neighbouring Dutch aud Danish fettlements, of the good condition and ftrength of the remiander of his fleet, and affured them he would make prize of fuch veffels as he found infringing the neutrality by attempting to fupply the enemy.

* Tranflation of an intercepted letter from general Lally to M. Raymond, French refident at Pullicat, dated Pondicherry the 2d. of January 1761.

"Mr. RAYMOND,

The English fquadron is no more, Sir; out of the twelve fhips they had in our road, feven are loft, crews and all; the four others difmafted; and it appears there is no more than one frigate that hath escaped; therefore don't lofe an inftant to fend us chelingoes upon chelingoes loaded with rice: the Dutch have nothing to fear now; befides (according to the law of nations) they are only to fend us no provifions themfelves, and we are no more blocked up by fea.

The faving of Pondicherry hath been in your power once already; if you miss the prefent opportunity, it will be entirely your fault: do not forget alfo fome fmall chelingoes; offer great rewards; I expect feventeen thousand Morattoes within these four days. In short, risque all, attempt all,force all, and send us fome rice, fhould it be but half a garfe at a time.

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Notwithstanding this mortifying difappointment, M. Lally made no proposal to furrender. The fiege was carried on with redoubled alacrity; and at length a large battery being advanced within four hundred, and fifty yards of the rampart, a breach being effected, and not more than one day's provifion of any kind remaining, a fignal was made for a ceflation; the principal of the jefaits, together with two civilians came out, and offered terms of capitulation. The governor prefery ing all his haughtiness, which nei-, ther his errors nor misfortunes could in the leaft abate,declined to offer

Jan. 15th any terms he fent out a paper full of invectives against the English, for the breach of treaties relative to India, he alledged that thofe breaches difqualified him from propofing any terms; and in confequence he rather foffered our troops to take poffeffion of the place, than formally furrendered it. As the governor refufed to capitulate, the propofal of the inhabitants was little regarded, and the city of Pondicherry, with a garrifon of about fourteen hundred European foldiers, a vaft quantity of military ftores, and great riches; was given up at difcretion to our

victorious arms.

Nothing can be faid too highly of the conduct, perfeverance, and. unanimity of the land and fea fervices during a tedious fiege and blockade of eight months, in a climate fo unfavourable to all military operations. Colonel Coote gave the final blow to the French power in India; he was now undifputed mafter of the rich coaft of Coromandel; the French power was wholly extirpated; the neutral nations were contemptible; the prin

ces of the country confidered us with an awful regard, and nothing but a little French fettlement on the coaft of Malabar, called Mahie,' (and which was foon after reduced) oppofed our commanding the whole trade of the vast peninsula of India, from the Ganges to the Indies, the most extenfive and profitable sphere of commerce in the world.

Whilft every thing was giving way to our arms in the fouthern parts of this peninfula, the affairs of France, which in Bengal had been to all appearance totally fuppreffed, rofe up again for a moment from a quarter, and in a

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manner, which was little expected. After the taking of Chandenagore by admiral Watfon in the year 1757, Mr. Law, (nephew to that Law who had made himself fo well known by the Miffifippi fcheme) put himself at the head of a party' of French fugitives, which was augmented from time to time to about two hundred men. With . this fmall party he threw himself into the heart of the country, and joining himself fometimes to one, fometimes to another of the na. tive princes, as his intereft led him; he rendered himself.confiderable by feveral ftriking services, and fupported the credit of his little corps with a very high reputation.

The Great Mogul having fome time fince been depofed by an irruption of the Marattas, and dying foon after, one of his fons, Sha Zaddah, affumed the title, and was fupported by fome of the provinces of that extenfive and difunited empire; he was oppofed by others and though he was at the head of a royal army of his native fubjects, fuch is the fate of the military in that part of the world, that he con

fidered

fidered an handful of European fugitives, as an acquifition of the greatest importance, and fuch as might turn the ballance against any weight of 'Indians, which might be thrown into the oppofite feale. In fact, it was to Mr. Law he attributed the reduction of feveral confiderable provinces to his obedience.

-Elated with thefe faceeffes, Law perfuaded him to turn his arms againft Bengal, which had not acknowledged him; it was a rich and flourishing country, and the poffeffion of it, would undoubtedly contribute more than all the reft to fet him on the throne of the Moguls. Here, unfortunately for him, the evil genius of Law impelled him to encounter again with thofe arms, by which the intereft of his country had been before ruined in this part of the world, and which indeed were thofe only, from which he had a great deal to fear. Sha Zaddah entered the kingdom of Bengal, at the head of an army of 80,000 Indians, and fomething more than 200 French,

The French fupport was more prejudicial to his title in the eyes of the English, than any other objection, and as they were now be come the arbiters of crowns in the Eaft, they joined the Nabob of Bengal to oppofe his progrefs. About 20,000 blacks, fupported by 500 English foldiers, formed the army against him. A major (major Carnac) commanded that body, which engaged, and totally routed an army of fourscore thousand men, commanded by the Mogul in perfon That prince was taken pri. foner; Mr. Law was alfo taken, and the party of French adventurers difperfed for ever. It is

not yet known with certainty, in what manner they mean to difpofe of their captive monarch. It was fome heightening to the fatisfaction of this great event, that it happened on the fame day in which the French agreed to the furrender of Pondicherry.

A little before this, Jaffiar Ali Cawn, the Nabob who, in 1757. had been placed in that dignity by general Clive, notwithstanding the terrifying example of his predeceffor, by his weaknefs and mif-government, drew on himself the hatred of his fubjects, and loft the protection of the English. But as his ambition was the feebleft of his paffions, he confented quietly to quit the throne. The revolution was effected without bloodshed, his fonin-law was appointed in his room; and as the whole tranfaction was with the confent and co-operation of the English governor Vanfittart, the old privileges of the company were confirmed, and new were acquired: the English in Bengal were become neceffary to the government of that country, and every change produces fomething to their advantage.

It is certain, that the period of this war in the Eaft Indies, has been marked by as many ftriking events, uncommon circumftances, and fingular reverfes of fortune, as any that have happened from the time of our knowledge of this part of the world. We are forry that the accounts we have hitherto had are fo broken and imperfect, that it is impoffible to treat of them in a manner in the leaft fuitable to their dignity and importance. Here we only touch them flightly.

It can hardly be faid, that this feries of profperity was interrupted

by

by the fuccefsful attempts of the count d'Eftaign. This lively adventurer, with the command of no more than two ordinary frigates, bad, in October 1759, taken and destroyed the English fettlement of Bender-A baffi, on the Perfian gulph, he then ftruck over to the island of Sumatra, where we carry on our molt confiderable commerce in pep per; and before the end of the following April, reduced Bencoolen, the principal fettlement, and all the reft of our forts and factories on that ifland, which made a defence, altogether as unworthy of the reft of our conduct in India, as that of the count d'Eftaign was fuperior to the efforts of his countrymen in that quarter. This bold adventurer, however, could not derive fo much

honour from the vigour of his enterprize, as difgrace from having made them against the moft fucred laws of arms: if what is faid is true, that he was at the very time a prifoner upon parole.

In America the island of Dominica, one of thofe islands called Neutral, but which the French had fortified and fettled, was reduced by a fmall armament under, lord Rollo and Sir James Douglas. North America was perfectly quieted by a peace with the Cherokees. Colonel Grant reduced them to this neceffity, by penetrating with great courage and perfeverance into their country, and deftroying fifteen of their towns, and almoft their whole harvest.

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