HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
241 
season, and we shall certainly meet them between Karical and Fort St. David. 
We shall then see who will remain masters of the coast. As I am in hope that 
I shall beat them, I shall then distribute our ships on various cruising services off 
Fort St. David, Madras, and the Point des Pdinners, to the entrance of the 
Ganges; and on the presumption that we shall prove victorious, I have left orders 
here to dispatch, in July, all the ships which shall have arrived from Europe, to 
cruise off Bombay: we shall thus embrace the whole coast, make an advan¬ 
tageous voyage, and, at the same time, be furnished with plenty of provisions from 
Pondicherry. If fortune favours us, I shall return with all speed to the Isle of 
France , with what I may have taken in the Indies, and, having loaded our ships 
with coffee, return to give an account of my conduct; which, whatever may be the 
event of it, will not, I am confident, produce either shame or dishonour to me. 
“ I should rejoice at the arrival of the China ships before my departure for India. 
If I had a sufficient stock of provisions, I would fit out the Due d’Orleans to go 
with them, but I shall now take her with me, in order to send her back as soon as 
possible, laden with supplies for the islands. 
Signed, “ Mahf/ de la Bourdonn ais.” 
Isle of France, 2d March, 1746. 
w P. S. An express vessel from Bengal has just arrived in this port, by which I 
am informed, that the ship Charles, belonging to my brother, the Dupleix , and the 
Heureux , have been taken by the English squadron, which is very ill manned ; 
and that notwithstanding its situation, the English have sent twenty merchantmen 
from Bengal. This intelligence has quickened my operations, and I propose to set 
sail the 23d of this month. As I have not time to complete all my dispatches, I 
shall transmit to the Comptroller-general, a copy of my instructions to M. de St. 
Martin, and request him to communicate them to you. With the blessing of God, 
I shall soon repair the losses which we have sustained. 
Signed, " De la Bourdonn ais.” 
M. de la Bourdonnais set sail from the Isle of France on the 24th of March, 
1746, his squadron being victualled only for sixty-five days. 
On his arrival at Madagascar, he wrote to M. de St. Martin, Deputy Governor 
of the Isle of France, the following letter. 
I i 
