A.D. 1748
eleven ships of the Company, carrying military stores and 1400 regular troops, sailed from England in November, under the command of Admiral Boscawen. At the Cape of Good Hope it was joined by six ships of the Dutch East India Company, having 400 soldiers on board, and after a considerable detention by contrary winds, proceeded for the Mauritius, which was seen on the 23d of June. It was expected that both this island and that of Bourbon would Ml easy con- quests, but the difficulties proved greater than had been anticipated ; and after a series of attempts rendered futile by gross blunders, it was resolved by a council of war that, as the capture, even if practicable, was only a secondary object, the armament ought to proceed forthwith to the Coromandel coast, which was its ]n-imary destination. It arrived at Fort St. David on the 29th of July, and being joined by the squadron of Admiral Griffin, whose sei'vices had entitled him to nothing better than a court- martial, constituted the most powerful naval force which had ever been brought to the East Indies by any European nation. It consisted of thirty ships, thirteen of them ships of the line, and none of them of less than 500 tons burden.
Preperation for the seige of Pondicherry. The English at Fort St. David were elated above measure, and felt full of confidence that they were not only about to recover Madras but to avenge all the injustice they had suffered, by the capture of Pondicheny. They might well have this confidence, for they were scarcely less poweiful by land than by sea, mustering in all, for service on shore, 3720 Europeans, 300 topasses, and about 2000 imperfectly disciplined sepoys. To these was to be added such a force as might be sent by the Nabob of Ai'cot, who, suspecting that fortune was again to change sides, had csist in his lot with the British. To strike at once at the centre of the French power and influence, Pondicheny was made the very fiist object of attack. The heavy cannon and cumbrous stores were transported in the ships, which anchored two miles south of the town, while the army continued its course along the shore.
Condition of Pondicherry. The town of Pondicheny, situated eighty-six miles S.S.W. of Madras, occupied a gentle declivity at the south-east extremity of a long flat hill, and stretched, at the distance of about seventy yards from the shore, rather more than a mile from north to south, and nearly three-quarters of a mile inland. It was at this time one of the best built cities in India, and, when viewed from the sea, presented at once a pleasing and commanding appearance. For the latter it was indebted to several conspicuous public edifices, and more especially to a citadel, which, though of small dimensions, was of considerable strength. It stood within the town, and, along with it, was inclosed on the three sides toward the land by a ditch, and a wall and rampart flanked with bastions. The eastern side, facing the sea, was defended by several batteries, which were capable of mounting 100 cannons, and completely commanded the roadstead. At the distance of a mile from the walls, a large hedge of aloes and other thorny plants, intermingled with cocoa-nut and other palms, commenced on the
