954 Hiftory of the French Eaft-India Commerce , «&c. Book I, 
I 
plaufible Appearance of publick Spirit, and Concern for 
the Poor ; but, in reality, from private Views and felfifh 
Principles, as will be fhewn hereafter. 
The Minifters that then governed France , were ve- 
ry different from M. Colbert ; they were unacquaint- 
ed with the extenfive Nature of Commerce, took eve- 
ry Thing that was alledged by the Farmers of the Re- 
venue on one Side, and by the Agents for Manufactures 
on the other, for granted, and made whatever Orders 
we're defined on either Side ; but, as for the Company, 
their Applications were continually flighted *, and the Decay 
of their Commerce, though produced by thefe very 
Meafures, was pleaded as a fufficient Excufe for this 
Treatment, and made a Reafon for continuing it. In the 
mean time all their Settlements abroad were finking as faft 
as they could ; and the few Servants they had were not 
fo much bound by a Senfe of Duty, as fixed to the Places 
where they refided by the great Debts they had contracted, 
and which neither they, nor their Matters, knew how to 
difeharge. But as the Scene foon after changed furpriz- 
ingly 5 and as this Company has ttnee made feme kind of 
Figure, it will be neceffary fo enter more particularly into 
the Hiftory of their Settlements in the Indies. 
6. We have already obferved, that when the Company 
was creeled, they placed the Seat of their Government, 
and propofed to fix their capital Settlement in the Bland 
of Madagafcar , which, in a warm Fit of Loyalty, they 
called the Ifland of th&Dauphin, and which they represent- 
ed to the World in the faireft Light pofttble. They fug- 
gelled, that the Climate was extreamly agreeable, not 
warmer for two Thirds of the Year, than it is in France , 
during the Spring, and riot hotter for the remaining four 
Months than it is in that Kingdom, during the Summer, 
The Country abounding with fine Fruits, wholefome 
Herbs, and pieafant Roots, producing three Crops of 
Rice in a Year, and all Sorts of European Grain, better 
in Kind, and more in Quantity, than in any Part of 
France . They added to all this, that there grew Vines 
there naturally, which bore admirable Grapes, and from 
which it was very practicable to make excellent Wine. 
As to Animals, befides black Cattle in Abundance, it af- 
forded Goats, Swine of feveral forts, and many other 
ufeful Creatures. In Point of Riches, they affirmed, that 
there were Mines of Gold, which, by the Way, could 
never be found, befides Iron, Lead, and other Metals : 
They with more Truth, afferted, that Cotton, Wax, Su- 
gar, black and white Pepper, and Indigo, might be railed 
there to Advantage ; that the Country afforded both Mul- 
berry-trees and Silkworms, and that there was great Store 
of Ebony, and other rich Woods. The Colony they fet- 
tled there, coft them immenfe Sums, and remained for 
dome Years in a very fiourifhing Condition, fending Home 
yearly feveral Ships richly laden, and would very proba- 
bly have anfwered their Expectations, if they could have 
had Patience. 
But after they had once fettled Factories in the Indies , 
thofe who were in the Company’s Service, found it fo 
much eafier to raife Fortunes for themfelves in thefe Set- 
tlements, that by their Reprefentations, they procured the 
Removal of the Council of the Indies to Surat , where 
they built a moft noble and convenient Houfe, and added 
to it Warehoufes, Magazines, and other Offices, much 
fuperior to the Trade which they had eftablifhed to fup- 
port it, and from thefe exceffive and extravagant Expences 
their firft Misfortunes arofe. 
7. But after the firft Butch War, in which they made 
themfelves Mafters of St. Thomas , which they loft again 
to the Dutch , the Sieur Martin retired to a Place called 
Pondichery , where, by the Leave of the Viceroy of the 
King of Vifapour , he fettled himfelf. This was in the Be- 
ginning of the Year 1674, and as the Company had at 
that Time a great Demand for Piece-goods, it was thought 
they could not eftablifh themfelves in a better Place, It 
was for this Reafon, that the French Company commifli- 
oned M, Martin to procure that Place for them, on the 
belt Terms he could ; with which Order he complied ex- 
actly, This Gentleman appears to be one of the honefteft 
and moft capable Perfon they ever had in their Service, 
and he procured from the Governor who firft gave him 
Leave to fettle there, a Licence to fortify, and to fecure 
his. People and Effedls, in the bell Manner he could, 
which^he accordingly did, and fettled under the Protec- 
tion of his Faftory a little Indian Village, of about forty 
Houfes* in which thofe who wrought for the Company 
lived quietly and happily. 
Fhings had not remained long in this Condition, be- 
fore he was threatened with total Ruin 5 for the famous 
Seva-Gi falling with a Vaft Force into that Part of the 
Country, endeavoured to overwhelm him as a Dependent 
upon his Enemies. However, M. Martin ftipplied by 
Prudence, what he wanted in Force, and by a timely Ap- 
plication, brought about a Treaty, which was managed 
on his Side by an Indian Fneft, which ended in a Licence 
to trade in his Dominions, for which he paid one thou- 
sand fix hundred Rupees. This was in the Year 1680, 
and he had the Year before purchafed the Territory of the 
King of Vifapour , whofe Inheritance it was; fo that now 
he was tolerably fecure, only he was apprehenfive, that 
the Son of Seva-Gi , who was Sovereign of the Place, 
might take it amifs, if he prefumed to raife a regular For- 
tification without his Confent, which he obtained in 1680* 
and. then put it in a Pollute of Defence. This was a ve- 
ry timely Provifion, for the Dutch began to be extreamly 
do curbed at the fioun flung Eftate of this little Colony, 
and offered very large Prefsnts to the Rajah, in whofe Do- 
minions it lay, in cafe he would dilpofiefs the French of 
Pondichery ; but the Indian Prince, who was alfo Son to 
Seva-Gi , rejected thefe Offers with Contempt. He faid, 
the French had fairly purchafed that Settlement ; that they 
had applied to his Brother for a Protection, for which they 
paid him a valuable Confiueration ; and that therefore, all 
the Money in the World fhould never tempt him to dif- 
lodge them : A glorious Inftance ot the natural Probity 
of the unconquered Indians , and which deferves more 
•Prane fiom Mankind, than the moft extenfive Conquefts. 
The Dutch , however, refolved to carry their Point, and 
the War having broke out between them and France , they 
made Difpofitions for attacking it by Force, which, how- 
ever, they did not do till the Year 1693, w ben they came 
before the I lace with a Squadron of nineteen Sail, landed 
an Army of between two and three thoufand Men, with a 
fine Train of Artillery, and fix Mortars. To make their 
Conquefts the hirer, they applied to the new Rajah, who 
was not of the fame Temper with the old one, and for 
the Sum of about twenty thoufand Pounds of our Money, 
purchafed the whole Diftrid in Property. They then in- 
verted and attacked; the Place, which after a good De- 
fence, M. Martin , who was then Diredlor-General for 
the French Eafi-India Company, furrendered upon very 
honourable Conditions, on the 6th of September 1693. 
This Stroke, which feemed to put an End to the Com- 
pany’s Authority in thofe Parts, proved in its Confe- 
qu ences the happieft Thing that ever befel tfem. For 
the Dutch were no fooner in Pofifeffion of the Place, than 
they raifed new Walls, feven regular Baftions, and what- 
ever elfe was neceffary to render it one of the compleateft 
Fortreffes in the Indies. 
In the Year 1669, upon the Conclufion of a general 
Peace, the Piace was reftored to the French , who thereby 
acquired the Property of Pondichery , and all thefe fine new 
Fortifications, and this for fo trifling a Sum as five thou- 
fand Pounds, which they paid to th^ Dutch Governor, up- 
on his delivering up all that he was poffeffed of, which 
probably he would never have done, if he had not been 
compelled thereto by the Orders of the States-General y 
who, as they were great Gainers by that Peace in Europe , 
would not perplex themfelves with the Difputes between 
the two Companies. 
8. As foon as the News of this was brought into France , 
the Eaft-India Company received Orders from the Go- 
vernment to put that Place into fuch a Condition, as that, 
in cafe of a fecQnd War, they might not lofe it fo eafily 
as they had done before ; and, to enable them to do this, a 
Squadron was lent from France , with two hundred regular 
T roops, for the Augmentation of the Garrifon ; feveral able 
Engineers, a vaft Quantity of military Stores, and what- 
ever elfe was requifite to fecure Pondichery from any future 
Attempts of the Dutch. The Sieur Martin was again 
intrutted 
