2 50 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
of provisions, which, on board several of our ships, were within twenty-four hours 
of being consumed, convinced me of the alarming situation in which I should be, 
if I got to leeward of that port. 
“ I determined, therefore, to continue my course to Pondicherry, and I anchored 
in your road on the 9th, when I remitted to you the funds of the Company :—thus 
was my first object accomplished. 
“Before I enter upon a consideration of the second, I shall observe, that there is 
no apparent obstacle for the completion of the third, as you have engaged to furnish 
me with three cargoes, and I shall load the rest with coffee: the only difficulty ap¬ 
pears to be in procuring provisions, as they are absolutely necessary for the ships 
on their passage from hence to the isles, and from the isles to Europe. I am com¬ 
manded to address myself to you for the necessary supplies, and I request you to 
pay the utmost attention to them. I shall only occupy myself, at present, about 
what I think will be most useful to the Company, and honourable to the nation; 
but I shall not undertake any enterprize, without having consulted with you res¬ 
pecting our situation, and that of our enemies. 
" The English squadron has not appeared since the engagement; and it is gene¬ 
rally reported that, two of its ships having been very severely handled, it had put 
into the Bay of Trinquemale, in the Island of Ceylon, in order to be repaired 
by the assistance of the Dutch : perhaps it will wait there for reinforcements from 
Bombay or from Europe. 
“ The English have, effectively, no other measure to pursue than to augment 
their squadron, in which consists their whole strength: if that were destroyed, we 
should be in a situation to attack their principal colonies. 
“ You well know, Sir, that since the year 1741, I had formed a design on 
Madras; having been encouraged by M. Dumas, to whom I had communicated 
my project: I also discovered it to you, when you came to take possession of your 
government, and you manifested your approbation of it, by making those prepara¬ 
tions which a continuance of the peace rendered fruitless. As war is now declared, 
and 1 persist in my design, I have imparted it to you, entreating you to add to 
your former preparations, whatever may now tend to facilitate the success of it; nor 
can any thing be more certain than that conquest, if we should be able previously to 
destroy the naval force of the enemy : its destruction, therefore, is an indispensable 
preliminary, and must be attempted; for it would be absolutely dishonourable 
