254 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
at anchor; but they cut their cables, and the wind suddenly changing in their 
favour, they escaped a second time, and quitted the coast. 
The time was then too precious to consume it in an unpromising pursuit; M. 
de la Bourdonnais, therefore, returned to Pondicherry, where he came to an 
anchor on the twenty-third. As he was still weak, from the illness with which he 
was afflicted, so that he could not immediately disembark, he wrote to M. Dupleix, 
to propose, among other things, to leave his squadron under the cannon of 
Pondicherry, and proceed to besiege Madras by land. But in the conference 
which they held on the following day, so many difficulties suggested themselves, that 
it appeared to be impossible to carry that design into execution. On the other 
hand, M. de la Bourdonnais could not but be sensible, that, by conducting the 
squadron to Madras, the whole might be endangered, as the English ships might 
attack it with irresistible advantage, at the moment when the half of his troops and 
ships’ companies would be engaged in besieging Madras bv land. In short, the 
same reasons which had suggested the opinion that the English squadron must be 
destroyed, as a preliminary to the siege of Madras on the 20th of July, subsisted in 
all their force on the 23d of August; but the enemy’s force, instead of being de¬ 
stroyed, was actually reinforced by two vessels from Europe, and the same number 
from Bombay. 
M, de la Bourdonnais therefore, with all his zeal, would not take such an hazard¬ 
ous enterprize upon himself: besides, the orders of the Minister expressly signified, 
that no attempt whatever was to be made on any English settlement in India, but 
with the most encouraging prospect of success. 
However, that nothing might appear like backwardness or disinclination on his 
part, to do whatever could be done for the service of the Company, and the honour 
of his country, he stated his sentiments in a letter to M. Dupleix, which he re¬ 
quested might be communicated to the /Supreme Council of Pondicherry. It 
concluded in the following manner : 
“ After a very serious deliberation, you resolved that it would be advantageous 
to the Company to make an attack on Madras, and I am ready to undertake it; 
nor shall the disorder with which I have been afflicted for a month past, deter me, 
whatever my sufferings may be. But this is a business of too delicate a nature for 
me to take upon myself; it is sufficient that I undertake to execute it, if it is com¬ 
manded by others ; I wait, therefore, for the deliberation of the Supreme Council; 
