(51 y JIlSTOkV OF IM^IA. [Bo.,K ill.
A.D. 1750. having Madras for its centre. While ^)<>i arrnies were thus in cuntoninent«, the only activity displayed was in sending out small i>arties to make piedatory incursions. In these the Corn[)any's troops were particularly expert, and suc- ceeded in driving off about 0000 head of cattle. iiiiiisUfKet On the 28th of April, 17o9, Admiral Pococke arrived with his squadron from leiiifoice- Bombay ; but, in order to keep to the windward of Pondicherry, and watch tiie
in,;iits.
expected squadron of the French, did not come farther north than NegHjiatarn. In the end of June, three of the Company's usual ships arrived from England They brought 200 recruits, and the promise of a much more important reinforce- ment by other ships. This was the 84th regiment of 1000 men, commanded by Coote, who was now its lieutenant-colonel, and had been appointed to the com- mand of the Company's troops in Bengal, with the option, however, of remain- ing with his regiment in the Carnatic, should his presence there seem more necessary, While general joy was diffused throughout the settlement by this intelligence, the governor and council were in possession of a secret which filled them with gloomy forebodings. The court of directors, dazzled b}' the bi-illiant prospects wlncn had been opened in Bengal, imagined that from it alone suf- ficient funds might be obtained to supply the wants of all the presidencies; and under that im})ression had resolved to send no more treasure till 1700. Thus at the ver}^ time when everything announced an approaching campaign, from which the most decisive results were anticipated, the presidency, alread}- almost overwhelmed with debt, were to be left to strucjcjle unaided ac^ainst a new and incalculable demand on their resources. Naval Admiral Pococke, misled by a Danish vessel which reported that a French
operations.
fleet of twelve sail had arrived at Trincomalee in Ceylon, immediately sailed for that port, and reached it on the 3d of July without obtaining any tidings of French ships. In returning, he cruised for a short time off the north extremity of the island, and had the good fortune to meet with four of the Company's ships having the first division of Coote's regiment on board, as well as provisions and stores for the use of his own squadron. He therefore proceeded with the newly an-ived ships to Negapatam, and after tran.shipping the supplies, allowed them to continue their voyage to Madras, wliere the troops were landed and detained for the use of the presidency. On the 20th of August he again sailed for Trin- comalee, and on the 2d of September descried the French fleet. It was com- manded, as before, by Count d'Achd, and, having obtained a large reinforcement both of ships and men, numbered eleven sail of the line and tliree frigates. The British squadron consisted of nine sail of the line, a frigate, two Company ships, and a fire-ship. Both fleets immediately prepared for action ; but their relative positions and the state of the weather did not allow them to come to close quarters till the lOth, when au engagement commenced which lasted two hours without producing any decisive result. The French, by retiring as they had done on the previous occasions, acknowledged themselves defeated, but sailed so
