Page:History of the French in India.djvu/53

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THE DEPENDENCIES OF PONDICHERY.

31

CHAP I.
1693.

attempts of the French to establish themselves on the southern Koromandel coast, it is necessary that we should glance at their proceedings in other parts of Hindustan.

We have already alluded to their establishment at Surat^[1] This was strengthened in the year 1672 by the transfer to it of the head authority from Madagascar,—the Company's settlements in which were abandoned in that year, and Madagascar nominally transferred to the French crown.^[2] Some of the Madagascar settlers proceeded, as we have seen, to the Isle of Mascarenhas, afterwards known as Bourbon; others came on to Surat. But the establishment at Surat did not prosper. The wretched condition of the affairs of the parent Company naturally affected their servants, and prevented them from carrying on trade with the vigour or success of the Dutch and the English. Politically, the location there of the factory was of no advantage to the French, and its commercial value lessened with the rising importance of Pondichery and Chandranagar. For many years therefore the trade at Surat languished, and the place was finally abandoned in the beginning of the eighteenth century. It was abandoned, however, in a manner little creditable to the French Company. Their agents left behind them debts to a very large amount, and such

↑ Grand Duff records that when Surat was plundered for the second time by Sivájí (Oct. 3rd, 1670), "the English, as on the first occasion,defended themselves successfully, under the direction of Mr. Streingham Masters, and killed many of the Maráthas; the Dutch factory, being in a retired quarter, was not molested; but the French purchased an ignominious neutrality, by permitting Sivájís troops to pass through their factory to attack an unfortunate Tartar prince, who was on his return from an embassy to Mekka." Ignominiously avoiding a combatis not characteristic of the Frenchnation; and, considering that on this occasion Sivájí's force consisted of fifteen thousand picked troops, whilst the French were few in numbers, and occupied a weak position it is scarcely astonishing that they entered into an engagement which secured to them their property. The plunder of the Tartar prince can scarcely be considered a consequence of this engagement. Surat was for three days in the possession of Sivaji's troops; and the Tartar prince would have been plundered under any circumstances.
↑ Edict Louis XIV. 12th November, 1671.

[1] Grand Duff records that when Surat was plundered for the second time by Sivájí (Oct. 3rd, 1670), "the English, as on the first occasion,defended themselves successfully, under the direction of Mr. Streingham Masters, and killed many of the Maráthas; the Dutch factory, being in a retired quarter, was not molested; but the French purchased an ignominious neutrality, by permitting Sivájís troops to pass through their factory to attack an unfortunate Tartar prince, who was on his return from an embassy to Mekka." Ignominiously avoiding a combatis not characteristic of the Frenchnation; and, considering that on this occasion Sivájí's force consisted of fifteen thousand picked troops, whilst the French were few in numbers, and occupied a weak position it is scarcely astonishing that they entered into an engagement which secured to them their property. The plunder of the Tartar prince can scarcely be considered a consequence of this engagement. Surat was for three days in the possession of Sivaji's troops; and the Tartar prince would have been plundered under any circumstances.

[2] Edict Louis XIV. 12th November, 1671.

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