The appearance of the English squadron, and the report of the reinforcements which they expected from England, alarmed Mr. Dupleix for the safety of Pondicherry. He prevailed on the Nabob An'war-odean to insist with the government of Madrass, that the English ships of war should not commit any hostilities by land against the French possessions in the territories of Arcot; but the Nabob at the same time assured the English, that he would oblige the French to observe the same law of neutrality, if their force should hereafter become superior to that of the English. The government of Madrass remonstrated, that they were always ready to obey his commands as far as their power extended; but that Mr. Barnet, the commander of the English squadron, was the immediate officer of the King of Great Britain, by whose orders and commission he acted, independent of the East India company's agents at Madrass. The Nabob replied, that all officers of the English nation who came to the coast of Coromandel were equally obliged to respect his government in the Carnatic; and that if Mr. Barnet, with his squadron, should venture to act contrary to the orders he had now given, the town of Madrass should atone for their disobedience.
These threats made so much impression upon the government of Madrass, that they requested and prevailed on Commodore Barnet to confine his operations to the sea. He therefore sent one of the 50 gun ships to cruise in the road of Balasore, at the entrance of the river Ganges, where she took two or three French ships returning from different parts of India to the French settlements in Bengal. The rest of the squadron left the coast of Coromandel to avoid the approaching stormy season, and went to Mergui, a port situated on the coast which lies opposite to that of Coromandel in the Gulph of Bengal.
In the beginning of the year 1746 the squadron returned to the coast of Coromandel, and were reinforced by two 50 gun ships, and frigate of 20 guns, from England: but at this time the 60 gun hip, in which Mr. Barnet hoisted his flag, was found unfit for action, and, together with the 20 gun ship which came first into India, was sent back to England.
