they preferved their loyalty, and made every defence in their
power during the long fiege. One of thofe dreadful hurricanes
common to this climate, and which from its violence even afto-
niihed the natives, nearly preferved this magnificent city.
Moft of our ihips, which were under the command of Admiral
Stevens and Rear Admiral Carnijh, were at anchor in the road,
loft their mafts, and were driven from their ftation, and three
Ihips which had the misfortune to keep their mafts went to the
bottom with all their crews, amounting to eleven hundred In t
a k e s Pond i- ropeans. This calamity was overcome. Pondicherry, after a
c h e r r y . blockade o f near fix months, was compelled by famine to furrender
to the mercy o f the conqueror. Dally was feiit out under
a ftrong efcort to prevent bis being tom to pieces by his
own officers, and the principal inhabitants. He arrived in
Frdnce, was confined, and brought to his trial, condemned by
bis prejudiced judges, cruelly gagged, and hurried to execution,
and loft his head in a frenzy of rage : “ A murder,”
fays Voltaire, “ committed by the fword of juftice.” Orders
from the French court had been intercepted, direiting Dally to
deftroy e v e r y maritime place in India Which belonged to the
Englijb, and might fall into bis hands. We naturally adopted
the fame refolution. Pondicherry felt the mifery confequential
o f this delenda fit Carthago ! All the fortifications, and all the
fplendid buildings, that the balls or bombs had fpared, became
in-a very fhbrt time a heap o f ruins.
C a y f r e T r o o p s . I ob serve among the t r o o p s employed in the defence of
Pondicherry, numbers of what are ftyled Cajjrcs : thefe are
Haves, either ivova Madagafcar, or the,eaftern coaft o f Africa;
who,
who, inftead o f being trained to the hoe of fpade, were dif-
ciplined to battle and flaughter. The Englijb had alfo their
companies o f Caffres, who diftinguiihed themfelves on feveral
oceafions: thefe are often purchafed from the Arabian merchants,
efpecially thofe which were brought from Abejfynia.
The laft often rofe to places o f high truft. A king of Vijiapour
in particular, put particular confidence in them- Thefe, either
by purchafe or invitation, collefted numbers of their countrymen,
fo as to become very powerful. The fmall maritime
force, which, till within thefe few years, exifted on the coaft of
Malabar, was compofed of thefe Habefcbees, as they were called.
Thefe were the origin of the Siddees I mentioned at p. 104, o f
the laft volume.
T h e ruins o f Pondicherry were reftored on the peace, The
French quickly rebuilt the town, and gave fuperior ftrength to
the fortifications : five thoufand men were in conftant employ
for that purpofe, but nothing could ayert the impending
blow. I will not combat with M. Sonnerat the juftnefs o f our
principle in again direiting our arms againft this devoted
place. When the new war broke out in 1778, M. Belkcombe
was governor: a man o f great worth and military abilities.
Our army was commanded by Mr. Monro, who foon after was A gain by-Coeo-
dignifled with the order o f the Bath, under the title o f Sir NlaMoNR0'
HeSIor Monro. I remember to have found him in the year
1769, at the houfe of his kinfman Sir Harry Monro, in Rofs-
Jbire. He had before commanded in India, and had gained, in
OSiober 1764, the viibory of Buxar, and was, when I faw him,
building a houfe in the neighborhood, which was to perpetuate
F a his