in the islands by La Bourdonnais. The latter was appointed
to his post in 1735, and his untiring genius had been felt in all the
details of administration, but especially in converting the Isle of
France into a great naval station,--a work which had to be built up
from the foundations. Everything was wanting; everything was by him in
greater or less measure supplied,--storehouses, dock-yards,
fortifications, seamen. In 1740, when war between France and England
became probable, he obtained from the East India Company a squadron,
though smaller than he asked, with which he proposed to ruin the
English commerce and shipping; but when war actually began in 1744, he
received orders not to attack the English, the French company hoping
that neutrality might exist between the companies in that distant
region, though the nations were at war. The proposition does not seem
absurd in view of the curious relations of Holland to France,
nominally at peace while sending troops to the Austrian army; but it
was much to the advantage of the English, who were inferior in the
Indian seas. Their company accepted the proffer, while saying that it
of course could bind neither the home government nor the royal navy.
The advantage won by the forethought of La Bourdonnais was thus lost;
though first, and long alone, on the field, his hand was stayed.
Meanwhile the English admiralty sent out a squadron and began to seize
French ships between India and China; not till then did the company
awake from its illusion. Having done this part of its work, the
English squadron sailed to the coast of India, and in July, 1745,
appeared off Pondicherry, the political capital of French India,
prepared to sustain an attack which the governor of Madras was about
to make by land. La Bourdonnais' time was now come.

Meanwhile, on the mainland of the Indian peninsula, Dupleix had been
forming wide views and laying broad foundations for the establishment
of French preponderance. Having entered the service of their company
at first in a subordinate clerical position, his ability had raised
him by rapid steps to be head of the commercial establishments at
Chandernagore, to which he gave a very great enlargement, seriously
affecting, it is said even destroying, parts of the English trade. In
1742 he was made governor-general, and as such removed to Pondicherry.
Here he began to develop his policy, which aimed at bringing India
under the power of France. He saw that th