HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
279 
mined to adhere to the capitulation, which he took with him, and would conse¬ 
quently guarantee the execution of the treaty. This was an important object with 
him, and was necessarily to be accomplished, by the engagements contained in the 
letters, Sec. written from Pondicherry, which are expressed in the following terms: 
st The Council engages and gives its word to maintain the articles, of which M. de 
“ la Bourdonnais has sent the copy, so long as the English maintain theirs.” 
M. de la Bourdonnais, therefore, thought of nothing but to come to a final 
termination as soon as possible with the English. In short, there remained at this 
time but one article to settle, which was to postpone the evacuation of the place 
from October to January. The misfortune which had befallen the squadron com¬ 
manded by M. de la Bourdonnais, rendered it impossible for him to fulfil this article 
of the capitulation, and the representations he made on the subject had their proper 
effect on the minds of the English. M. de la Bourdonnais therefore assembled the 
two nations at the State-house, on the 21st of October, and having read it aloud in 
French and in English, he proposed it to their final ratification. This proposition 
was accepted by the unanimous voice of all present. The Council, the Magistrates, 
the military officers, and all the principal inhabitants, swore to preserve the treaty, 
in all its articles, inviolably. It was accordingly signed, as well as the letters of 
exchange on the English Company, amounting to five hundred thousand pagodas, 
and bills for eight hundred thousand pagodas, payable at certain periods, and to the 
order of the Council of Pondicherry. 
On the same,day he sent the treaty to the Council of Pondicherry, and observed 
to them, that they would be personally responsible for any infractions of it on the 
part of the French. The following letters accompanied it. 
A. M. Desforges Boucher. 
“ Sir, Madras, 17th October, 1746. 
£t You will find three letters annexed, addressed to the Captains who are just 
arrived from Europe. I charge you, in the name of the King, to deliver them to 
the persons to whom they are respectively addressed, and to require them also, in 
the name of the King, to obey the orders which they contain. 
Signed, 
“ Mahe' de La Bourdonnais.” 
