French in India been reduced by their pride, their ambition and their rage for war! What benefits or advantages could France expect, as an indemnification for the monstrous sums which it was obliged to expend on this Indian colony, during its varied and ever changing fate? When in its most flourishing condition, it was said to contain, including the district belonging to it, about 20,000 inhabitants. Of these from four to five thousand, at least, were employed in collecting cotton; and in carding, spinning, weaving and printing it. By means of this industry the trade might have been so far improved that it would not only have sufficiently indemnified the Company for their expence, but have procured them the greatest advantages. On my arrival at _Puduceri_, five French ships were lying in the road, and the _Aimable Nannette_ made the sixth. Some days after four others came to anchor. Three of these vessels were more than sufficient to supply the colony with every necessary; for three or four French merchants only resided in it. These ships were laden with wine, iron, cannon, fire-arms and French cloth. Now the Indians drink no wine, and their clothing consists of white cotton stuffs manufactured in their own country. How then did the French dispose of their commodities? They sold their wine, cloth, cannon, fire-arms, and, in a word, their whole cargoes to the English at Madraspatnam and Bengal, who employed these very cannon and arms against the French troops. On the other hand, the greater part of the money which the French received for these goods remained in India, as they purchased with it muslin, cotton stuffs, ginghams, sugar, pepper, cinnamon, cardamums, handkerchiefs, pearls, precious stones, and male and female slaves. Whether such a trade could be beneficial to France, I shall leave the reader to determine[14].