206 THE FIRST STRUGGLE IN THE KARNATIK. chap. Between the time of Dordelin's arrival, January 20, and v ' the visit of Mafauz Khan at the end of February, there had been ample time to carry out an expedition, which must under ordinary circumstances have succeeded. In allowing his fleet and army to remain inactive during this period, we fail to trace the practical ability and fertile genius which so often guided the operations of the French governor. The inactivity is the more inex- plicable as Dupleix well knew that Commodore Peyton's squadron in the HugH was waiting only the arrival of reinforcements, then daily expected, to re-assert the predominance of the English power in the Bay of Bengal. It is possible, indeed, that this very knowledge may have contributed to his inaction. We have seen how in his correspondence with La Bourdonnais, he clung to the idea of keeping a reserve of French ships within call of Pondichery. Dordelin's squadron was all that remained to him, and it can be conceived that he hesi- tated to engage those four ships, under a commander so wanting in energy and steadfastness, against the batteries of Fort St. David, knowing, as he did, that the northerly breezes which at that season blew down the Bay might at any moment bring upon them the squadron of Peyton, reinforced by fresh ships from England. It is probable, likewise, that the same consideration urged him, as soon as his negotiations with the Nawwab had been brought to a successful close, to despatch that squadron to the safe and neutral anchorage of Goa. This he did on February 19. But whatever were his motives, whether he was in- fluenced by the considerations we have suggested, or by others of which we have no knowledge,* it is certain
- In his memoir, Dupleix does rot the superiority at sea was about
allude to the possibility of using- his to pass almost immediately to the ships for the purpose of attacking English, he could not better employ Gudalur and Fort St. David, al- his time than to endeavour to detaoh though Gudalur, at least, was open the native powers from their alli- towards the sea. He seems to have ance. been impressed by the idea that, as
