Page:History of the French in India.djvu/279

HE STRIKES TWO BLOWS AT NASIR JANG. 257 Having thus caused the prestige of success to return cbap. to his colours, Dupleix resolved to follow up his blow. t Nasir Jang, on reaching Arkat, had resolved on a move- 1750. ment, by means of which, whilst he himself should re- main safely shut up in that capital, he might avenge himself of his enemies. He accordingly took forcible possession of the lodges and factories which the French had established at the town of Machlipatan, and at Yanaon, situated at the junction of the Koringa river and the Godavari. But he did not hold them long. It had happened shortly before these occurrences that two ships, the "Fleury" and the "d'Argenson," bound for Bengal, had touched at Pondichery for the purpose of discharging a portion of their cargoes, and re-loading at that place. On hearing of the proceedings of Nasir Jang, Dupleix, without confiding in anyone, made the necessary pre- parations, and the night before these ships were to sail he embarked on board of them 200 Europeans and 200 native soldiers, with a battering train, and directed the commander to sail direct for Machlipatan, and take pos- session of the place. They arrived there on the evening of the third day. The commander at once landed his troops, surprised the town, and took possession of it without the smallest resistance, and without spilling a drop of human blood. The French colours were at once hoisted on the place, and preparations were made for its retention. But it was in the neighbourhood of Pondichery that Dupleix resolved to strike his most effective blow. Very soon then after Nasir Jang had left for Arkat, and the English for Fort St. David, he ordered d'Auteuil to march with 500 men, cross the river Panar, and take possession of the fortified pagoda of Tiruvadi, only thir- teen miles from Gudalur, and almost in sight of the army of Muhammad Ali. The object of this w T as to obtain a point d'appui on the Panar, which would S