3792. intelligence respecting India. 228 
superiority if our operations had been better planned and 
conducted. 
The author informs us that he owes the map of India, 
annexed to his work, and the geographical details that it 
contains, as well as the greater part of the historical facts, 
to a military gentleman, distinguifhed for his talents, as 
‘well as for his impartiality, and who has travelled with 
advantage in India, during the last war. 
At the peace of 1762, the Englifh restored to France 
Pondicherry, Carical, &’c. which could no longer be of ser- 
vice to the extension of their commerce. It was evi- 
dent that France kept pofsefsion of these, only because it 
had conceived the project of a military establifhment in 
India. ‘They preferred Pondicherry notwithstanding the 
danger of its being too near Madras. They withed to re- 
build this city, which was only a heap of rubbifh. Instead 
of diminifhing it, to fortify it the more easily, they la- 
boured to rebuild it on the former plan. Difficulties ha- 
ving arisen in constructing the works, permitted them to 
finifh only goo fathoms of the fortification ; there remain- 
ed 4500 to inclose the place when M. de Bellecombe arrived 
to succeed M. de Laurieston, as governor: That is to 
say, a little before the Englifh, who could have nothing 
more than conjectures’ of the approaching rupture, came 
to besiege Pondicherry, M. de Bellecombe defended him- 
self some time, netwithstanding the condition of the place 5 
but he was forced to yield. The remainder of the French 
pofsefsions in India were soon taken. 
It appears incredible that Pondicherry, being situated 
in the centre of the Englifh forces in India, they fhould 
have allowed France the time and liberty to fortify it so 
as to be in a state to rival their power. Supposing the 
French government had made exertions of which it is not 
capable ; supposing that the men whom it employed to ex~ 
