Chap. XI.] NEGOTIATIONS WITH BASALUT JUNG. 621
that he had changed his views and risen in his demands. The fact of the a.d. 1750. mutiny had not been lost upon him ; and he became doubtful whether he might not by an alliance with the French be only involving himself in a falling cause. His proposals — obviously dictated by a belief that the French were no longer in a condition to refuse anything — were: — That on receiving a present sum of four lacs of rupees for the pay of his troops, he would return with Bussy to Arcot, provided he were forthwith recognized as nabob of the province, and of Trichinopoly and its dependencies; — as the first step in this agreement, the French should at once surrender to his authority all the countries of which they had actual possession, he drawing the revenues by his o^vn dewan, but accomiting to them for a third of the amount ; — other countries which might be conquered by their united armies were to be his absolutely, without being subject to the deduction of a third ; — ultimately, when peace should be made by conquering the British, or reducing them to terms, lie should become absolute lord of the whole Carnatic according to ancient usages, and the French cease to have any claim whatever to any part of the revenues. These proposals, accompanied with others in which Basalut Jung s pi'esent and future advantage was alone con- sulted, were too extravagant to be seriously entertained, and Bussy began to retrace his steps. He had been obliged to proceed as ftir as Kurpa, to which Basalut Jung had retreated ; and had thus, without securing any advantage of the least moment, performed a march of 100 miles in a direct line, and of not less than 300 miles by road, much of it over barren tracts and through the windings of mountain valleys. Before he returned new disasters had befallen his countrymen.
Lally's greatest difhculty had all along been the want of funds. The La"? ««"-
dicioiuly
revenues obtained from the lands ceded to them, or in their possession, had divides iiis never sufficed in the days of their gi-eatest prosperity to meet the expenses in **' the field ; and, now that a series of reverses had made it doubtful whether they would be able to maintain their ground, the zemindars and other parties liable in rent found many plausible excuses for withholding it. It was necessary, there- fore, in opening a new campaign, to make .some decided effort to procure funds. After various projects had been discussed, Lally became satisfied that the south was the most hopeful quarter. The country beyond Ootatoor had for some time suffered little from the ravages of war, and the island of Seringham in particular, which was still in French possession, woidd shortly reap a harvest, of which the share belonging to the government of Pondicherry was estimated at GOO, 000 rupees. Situated as Lally was, this seemed to him an object well worth fighting for; and in order to secure it, he determined to hazard the very dangerous step of dividing his army. He accordingly despatched M. Crillon to the south with a force consisting of 900 Europeans and 1 '200 native troops, with ten pieces of cannon, and concentrated the remainder of the araiy in the vicinity of Arcot, from which it might be moved on any place that was threatened.
