CHARACTERS. 



48] 



I 



three times, and were treated by 

 the natives with the utmost hos- 

 pitality. Fifteen persons -with 

 their famiUes resided on my farm, 

 and they cultivated the ground 

 as my servants ; tliere were three 

 houses on the property, but I 

 found it more agreeable to live 

 with one of my neighbours, and 

 get what I wanted from my own 

 land." 



Authentic Anecdotes of the Life of 

 iMajor- General Ciaitde Marline. 



General jMartinc, a man so 

 well known in India, botii by his 

 eccentricity and his riclies, was 

 the son of a silk-manufacturer at 

 Lyons in France, in wliich city he 

 Avas born, and in which some of 

 his father's family still reside. 



At an early age he expressed a 

 dislike to follow his father's in- 

 active profession, and determined 

 to choose one more congenial to 

 his disposition. He accordingly 

 enlisted in the French army, and 

 soon distinguished himself so 

 much, that he was removed from 

 the infantry to the cavalry, and 

 afterwards appointed a troopei' in 

 Count Laliy's body-guard, asmall 

 corps of select men, that was 

 formed for the purpose of accom- 

 panying that ofHcer to Pondichcr- 

 ry, of which place he had then 

 been appointed governor. 



Soon after Laliy's arrival at 

 Pondicherry, he began to exercise 

 his power with such oppressive 

 severitv, and to enforce the disci- 

 ])line of the army with such a ri- 

 gid minuteness, that his conduct 

 excited the disgust and detestation 

 of the whole settlement. Scvcrsd 

 remonstrances were drawn up 



Vol. LVHL 



against him, and transmitted to 

 France; and many officers of dis- 

 tinction resigned their appoint- 

 ments. He, nevertheless, perse- 

 vered in his injiidicious system of 

 discipline, Avith an unremitting 

 strictness, umnindful of the re- 

 presentations of some officers wh.o 

 were in his confidence, and totally 

 blind to the dangers he was thus 

 foolishly drawing on himself, till 

 it was too late to avert them. 

 Though lie must have been sensi- 

 ble that he had lost the affections 

 of the army, yet he seemed not 

 aware of the consequences to 

 which that loss might lead. The 

 troops were so dissatisfied, that 

 when the English army laid siege 

 to Pondicheiry, great numbers 

 deserted from the garrison ; and 

 at last his own body-guard went 

 over in a body to the enemy, car- 

 rying their horses, arms, &c. 

 along with them. This corps Avas 

 Avell received by the English com- 

 manders, by whom Martine was 

 soon noticed for the spirit and 

 ability w hich he displayed on many 

 occasions. On the return of the 

 British army to Madras, after 

 the surrender ol' Pondicherry, 

 Martine obtained permission of 

 the Madras government to raise 

 a company of Chasseurs from 

 among the French prisoners, of 

 Avhom he got the conmiand, with 

 the rank of ensign in the Com- 

 ])any*s service. 



A few weeks after he received 

 this appointment, he was oidered 

 to proceed with his Chasseurs to 

 Ficngal. On tlieir passage, t!ic 

 kliip in which they were embarked 

 sprung a leak, and Martine, by 

 great fortitude and perseverance, 

 but with much difliculty, savtd 

 himself and some of his m.en, in 



1 I one 



