49^ A. D, 1770, 



their warehoufes in France, their forts with all their dependencies in 

 TndLi, togetlier with 2,450 flaves belonging to them in India, for the 

 fum of thirty millions of livres, and they at the fame time alked pay- 

 ment of fixteen millions and a half of livi-es due to them by the king. 

 But he, by his cdid of January 1770, gave them an annuity of 

 1,200,000 livres in full compenration for the fums demanded by them. 

 This mode of fettling their affairs they were obliged to fubmit to ; and, 

 after fome other arrangements, needlefs to be here detailed, the French 

 Eaft-India company appear to have become dormant, though not ex- 

 tindl, as a trading company, and funk into a fet of proprietors of divid- 

 ends payable by the government. 



From the time that the Englifli Eafl-India company fucceeded to the 

 territorial revenues of Bengal to April 1770, when the edid for the fuf- 

 penfion of the French company's monopoly arrived in India, the amount 

 of the duties paid by that company into the cuflom-houfe at Hougley 

 was as follows. 



Sicca rupees. 



From Septemper 1765 to April 1766 - 10,085 8 o 



From May 1766 to April 1767 - 12,579 5 8 



From May 1767 to April 1 768 - 18,354 i^ 4 



From May 1768 to April 1769 - 18,310 12 4 



From Way 1769 to April 1770 - 12,185 13 8 



Thefe fums multiplied by 40 give the total of the French company's 



trade at that factory, as flated by themfelves. What was paid by the 



French fadorics at Patna, Dacca, &c. or by private French merchants, 



(whole duties were four per cent on the amount of their invoices) does 



not appear from any books or accounts received at the India-houfe. 



The French Eafl-lndia trade did not flourifh after it was laid open, 

 though the duties payable in France were very moderate ; and the king 

 is faid to have lent his fliips to fome of the adventurers. The failure of 

 fuccefs may in a great meafure be imputed to the want of due experi- 

 ence of the nature of the trade in many of thole whom the fufpenfion 

 of the monopoly induced to become adventurers. But probably the 

 moft cffedual caufe of the want of fuccefs was the general diflrefs 

 brought upon the country by the difgraceful breach of faith in the go- 

 vernment, who reduced the interefh of the national debt to one half of 

 the ftipulated rate, and deprived the holders of tontine flock of the be- 

 nefit of furvivorfhip. This fhamelefs flretch of power to plunder the 

 fubject brouc^ht ruin upon many thoufands of individuals, and was pro- 

 bably the principal caufe of the numerous bankruptcies, which about 

 this time fpread mifery and difmay through the whole kingdom of 

 France *. 



* One houfe at Marfeille failed for twenty millions of livres. 



