_Puduceri_, in my time, was a large and very beautiful city. The governor resided in an elegant palace. It was not uncommon to see a hundred covers on this gentleman’s table; and I once had the honour, together with M. Jallabert, of being invited to one of his entertainments. The city, towards the north and south, is defended by excellent fortifications, constructed in the year 1769, under the direction of M. Bourcet, who also formed the plan of them. In the southern part, some of the houses, inhabited by the Europeans, are exceedingly large and beautiful, and are ornamented with projecting galleries, balustrades, columns and porticoes. The European quarter is entirely separated from that of the Mahomedans and Pagan Indians. The latter live altogether in the western part. When a certain quarter is in this manner assigned to the Indians for their residence, one of their countrymen is always placed over them as a superintendant, who is obliged to preserve peace and good order among them, and to take care that they do not transgress the laws. At _Cottate_, _Padmanaburam_, _Tiruvandapuram_, _Cayancollam_, and other towns on the Malabar coast, the same establishment is made, that no strife or contention may arise among the various tribes, castes, and religious sects, on account of the difference of their manners and customs. Every one here is allowed to live in his own manner, and to enjoy his own belief; as it is not possible that so many classes and so many thousands of people should ever unite in one common system of religion[11]. The gate of the city towards the west was guarded by the so called _sipoys_ (seapoys) or Indian soldiers, who consist of people of every caste, and of all religions. They were exercised according to the French manner. _Hayder Aly Khan_, that celebrated and formidable warrior, who reduced under his dominion _Maissur_, _Carnate_, _Concao_, _Canara_ and _Calicut_, was originally a seapoy who did duty at this gate of _Puduceri_[12]. In that city he became first acquainted with the French tactics, which he afterwards employed not only against the Indian kings and princes, but against the Europeans; and it is not improbable that another Indian hero may arise in the course of time, and, in like manner, make use of the military discipline of the English, which that nation still teach to the native Indians. As the English and French in India are in a continual state of enmity, some enterprising Indian generally steps in between them, and attacks either the one or the other of the contending parties. Such was the conduct of _Hayder Aly Khan’s_ son, _Tippoo Sultan Bahader_, who overran a considerable district in the southern part of India, and defeated the British troops in several engagements.