own bottoms; and we are no longer
blockaded by sea. The salvation of Pondicherry hath been
once in your power already: if you neglect this opportunity
it will be entirely your own fault--don't forget some small
chelingoes also--offer great rewards--in four days I expect
seventeen thousand Mahrattas. In short, risk all--attempt
all--force all, and send us some rice, should it be but half
a garse at a time."

PART OF THE BRITISH SQUADRON WRECKED IN A STORM.

By the reduction of Pondicherry, the French interest was annihilated on
the coast of Coromandel, and therefore of the utmost importance to the
British nation. It may be doubted, however, whether colonel Coote, with
all his spirit, vigilance, and military talents, could have succeeded
in this enterprise without the assistance of the squadrons, which
co-operated with him by sea, and effectually excluded all succour from
the besieged. It must be owned, for the honour of the service, that no
incident interrupted the good understanding which was maintained between
the land and sea officers, who vied with each other in contributing
their utmost efforts towards the success of the expedition. On the
twenty-fifth day of December, rear-admiral Stevens arrived with four
ships of the line, having parted with rear-admiral Cornish and his
division in stormy weather: but he joined them at Pondicherry before
the place was surrendered. On the first day of January a violent tempest
obliged admiral Stevens to slip his cables and to put to sea, where he
parted with the rest of the squadron; and when in three days he returned
to the road of Pondicherry, he had the mortification to find that his
division had suffered severely from the storm. The ships of war called
the duke of Aquitaine and the Sunderland foundered in the storm, and
their crews perished. The Newcastle, the Queenborough, and the Protector
fireship, were driven ashore and destroyed; but the men were saved,
together with the cannon, stores, and provisions. Many other ships
sustained considerable damage, which however was soon repaired. Admiral
Stevens having intercepted the letter from Lally to Raymond, (See-note
*), immediately despatched letters to the Dutch and Danish settlements
on this coast, intimating that, notwithstanding the insinuations of
general Lally, he had eleven sail of the line, with two frigates, under
his command, all fit for service, in the road of Pondicherry, wh