HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
*49 
“ Sir, Pondicherry, 17th July, 1746. 
<£ You are already informed, that I received orders from the Minister to arm 
five vessels coming from Europe, and to add to them all such as I could collect at 
the isles. 
“ In consequence of the intelligence which you communicated to me, of the first 
hostilities of the English, and in conformity to the orders of the Company, I de¬ 
tained the Bourbon and the Neptune ; which, with the Insulaire and Renommee , 
altogether composed a squadron of nine ships. As you well know, it had three 
objects to accomplish. 
<c First; to convey to Pondicherry the funds of the Company. 
“ Secondly; to endeavour to destroy the enemy, in every way the most honour¬ 
able to the nation, without forgetting the interests of the Company. 
“ Thirdly; to return with my squadron, laden with whatever merchandize you 
may have in a state of readiness for that purpose ; and of all the coffee that I can 
collect at the isles. 
“ In order to fulfil these objects, I sailed from the isles on the 24th of last 
March, in order to arrive in May on the Malabar coast, in the expectation of 
taking the Surat ships: but that hope was soon dissipated by a violent hurricane, 
in which I was on the very verge of destruction. After I had refitted my damaged 
ships as well as it was in my power, I continued my course to the Coast of Malabar. 
I ordered the Insulaire to touch at Mahe to get intelligence; when she brought 
me your letters announcing the union of all the English forces, consisting of one 
ship of sixty-four, one of fifty-four, two of fifty, one of forty, and one of twenty 
guns. 
“ Effectively on the 6th of July I met this squadron off the Coast of Coromandel, 
and after a very active engagement of three hours and an half, in which the enemy 
had the wind, the night separated us. 
“ The English squadron lay to during the night, and we did the same: in the 
morning we saw it to windward, coming down upon us, and I calmly waited the 
attack; but either from a want of wind or inclination, it never came within reach 
of our cannon. 
“ At four in the afternoon it lay to, and I followed the example. In short, the 
fear of missing Pondicherry; the specie I had to land there; and, above all, the want 
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