HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
197 
squadron appointed to this attack was commanded by M. de Pardaillan; and though 
M. de la Bourdonnais enjoyed no higher rank than that of Second Captain, he was 
entrusted, on this occasion, with the greater part of the warlike operations, as well 
as the regulation of the forces. He, at the same time, invented a new kind of raft 
to facilitate the descent, so that the troops accomplished that object without wetting 
their feet, and in complete order of battle. This war lasted till the following year, 
and finished by the capture of Mate, which was succeeded by a treaty of peace. 
At that period M. de la Bourdonnais had made effectual preparations to destroy 
the settlements of the enemy along the coast. 
On the termination of the war, he gave himself up entirely to commercial enter- 
prize, and remained in the Indies to fit out private armaments. He was, indeed, 
the first Frenchman who engaged in similar undertakings in these seas, in which he 
was so successful, as well as in his different voyages in every part of India, that he 
made a very ample fortune. 
As he had acquired a consummate knowledge of India, and had gained the 
confidence df the nations with whom he had traded, he was thereby enabled to ren¬ 
der some important services to the. ships of the King of Portugal. He saved two of 
them; and was, besides, so fortunate as to conciliate the Arabs and the Portuguese, 
who were on the point of engaging in actual hostilities in the road of Moka : they 
were equally grateful to him for his beneficial interposition; and his conduct on 
this occasion induced the Viceroy of Goa to invite him to enter into the service of 
the King of Portugal, as captain of a ship; and, as an inducement to accept the 
proposition, that officer presented him with the Order of Christ , and letters patent 
of nobility, which were accompanied with the title of Agent of his Portuguese Ma¬ 
jesty,on the.cpast of Coromandel. M. de la Bourdonnais accepted these offers, in 
order to gain a more perfect acquaintance with the resources and extent of the com¬ 
merce of India., ; and he remained during two years in the service of the crown of 
Portugal. He wa.s more particularly induced to enter into this engagement from the 
confidential communication of the Viceroy of Goa, respecting a projected attack on 
Mombaze. M. de la Bourdonnais was entrusted, under the orders of the Viceroy, 
with, the siege of this place, which the Portuguese were anxious to retake; and he 
was animated with ; the hope of acquiring honour in this expedition : but when the 
design failed, from an alteration in the, plans of the Portuguese government, he 
returned into, France in 1733. In the following year, after several conferences 
